Sarah Ellison’s SOL Collection Is Here and We’ve Got the First Look
Sarah Ellison’s SOL Collection Is Here and We’ve Got the First Look
The Australian Designer Shares Her Process and Inspiration Behind the Collection
Designer:
Sarah Ellison
Photography:
Courtesy of Sarah Ellison Studio
Words:
Erica Nichols
It’s Sarah Ellison’s past that has helped shape, form, and inspire her future. With roots in editorial styling and fashion design, the leading Australian product designer has created a renowned business out of her unique eye for design. Her latest collection, SOL, pushed her skills even further to create an eye-catching collection of statement pieces with an artistic, sculptural expression. Ellison gave us an exclusive look at the collection and spoke with us on her design process—from idea to product—and why all of her icons in the industry are female.
VISUAL PLEASURE Magazine: When did you know it was time to leave styling and start your own label?
Sarah Ellison: Having spent 10 years as an Editorial Interior Stylist and after the birth of my son, I was ready for something new. The speed of magazines was starting to feel unsustainable and I wanted to create something of my own, a business that could be tailored to my life. I was aware of the lack of directional-design furniture that was at an attainable price point in Australia so I felt that there could be a place for me to fill in the market. I also knew that I had the skillset to not only be able to design, but then also provide beautiful marketing collateral through my styling. Essentially I was at a point in my career where I could use all the skills I had learned to build a unique brand. Alongside my business partner, we created Sarah Ellison Studio.
Is it hard to find a balance between being an artist and being a business owner?
The biggest challenge for me has been striking the near impossible balance between being a mother and partner, and also finding time to make money to pay the bills whilst the business was starting. The pretty Instagram feeds of many small businesses really hides the hustle that goes into it all behind-the-scenes. Also, as the creative half of our business, there are compromises you have to make to ensure a product is marketable. This can be very challenging as a designer, having a certain fabric in mind, then realizing it’s just too expensive or not durable enough to bring to market. I view it as a challenge though, marrying form and function is what design is all about after all.
What are some of the most important values or qualities to have as a stylist/designer?
To me as a designer, I want to be creating pieces that excite and inspire people and presenting them in a way that sparks joy. It’s also important that you are offering something unique, seen through your lens and your life experience. You need to stay inspired and be passionate about what you are creating so you are always moving forward.
What were or are your greatest sources for inspiration?
I’m inspired by vintage design, travel, nature, and my coastal lifestyle. Inspiration can come at any time, it’s more about keeping the mind open and fed with interesting visual information. I was driving past a construction site recently, through the corner of my eye I noticed what I thought was a vintage sofa someone had thrown out, I got quite excited, then I realized it was a giant roll of foam tubing. It made me think, wow how cool would that be as a sofa. So sometimes I am even inspired by the trickery of my own mind!
How do your products take shape, from concept to execution?
My process can vary depending on the product, sometimes it’s a material that I’m interested in working with that may spark a design, or it could be a proportion that I’m interested in investigating. Or it could be a more practical hole in the market that I think needs filling. Each product has its own reason for existing.
The physical process usually begins with an old-school mood board of inspiration, color palettes, texture, and themes. With my recent collection, SOL, I began with the idea of monolithic forms in textural and sensual fabrics, I wanted everything to feel chunky and dramatic, but still sensory and sexy.
The physical process is lots and lots of sketches, many variations of the same thing. I think about aesthetics, but also practicality and commerciality. I have a clear idea of our customer now so I have to keep in mind what people can live with in their homes, so that what I’m creating feels original and current but also practical and liveable. I’m also always thinking about how I want the piece to feel in a room, with all of the other pieces in the collection, I think that’s where I may differ from most traditional designers. I have my stylist hat on a lot of the time.
How did your background in fashion and styling impact your work as a designer?
My styling background has influenced my work as a designer greatly, my design process is embedded in the idea of combining many different references, sources, and inspirations from different eras, cultures, and creative genres. This was something I learned putting together creative briefs for photoshoots—the magic that can be created when you combine these ideas to make something that’s unique and specific to you and your style. I’m also lucky that I have had the experience to learn how to present my design beautifully through photographic campaigns, something that other brands fail at. In this digital age, you need to be able to create the product and then also know how to present it to people.
Who are some of your icons in the industry?
My icons are all women in design. Kelly Wearstler for her mastery in mixology, Christina Celestino for her playful use of pattern and material, and Sabine Marcelis for creating materials so desirable you could eat them.
Do you try to stay on top of trends with your designs?
I think because of my background in styling and magazines, it’s almost impossible for me not to play in to trends slightly. I don’t try to do it, but it’s just an innate part of the process for me. I’m never designing to fit into a trend, I just design and then sometimes that taps into something that may already be trending.
What can you tell us about your new collection?
Overall, I wanted the SOL Collection to feel sculptural and gallery-like. Pieces with monolithic proportions that felt grounded and permanent. I’ve added the Earth range, my first foray into timber in dining tables and chairs. The pieces are statement pieces, commanding and very solid. We used a mix of solid oak and oak veneer to create the beautiful play on scale between the razor thin edge combined with the solid thick legs on the pieces.
My Muse Sofa is another showstopper. I was inspired by Mario Bellini and the stocky forms he designed his sofas in, such as the Camaleonda and the Le Bambole.
I’m particularly proud of the Tide Coffee Table. It brings such an elegant play on material with its glass top and limestone legs. And I’m obsessed with the Huggy lounge chair, particularly in the faux shearling, it feels like you are getting a great big hug when you sit in it—as the name suggests!
