Tue, 28/02/2023 - 09:29
We recently welcomed Vanessa Smith into studio 3.4 at Banks Mill. Vanessa runs The Velvet Village, a nostalgic brand offering an eclectic mix of fine art, illustration, clothing and accessories.
With a minimal waste ethic, Vanessa sources vintage items and upcycles as much as possible, by opting for handmade items that last, she wants to reduce the waste of fast fashion.
Vanessa tells us: “I’ve always thought of The Velvet Village as mini department store. The name implies it’s a place you can visit – so I think of The Velvet Village as the place to go for unusual gifts, be it handmade accessories or art with room for expansion into home wares, lifestyle items and clothing.”
Her styles of artwork vary greatly from small pen sketches to fine art oil paintings and portraits. She is inspired by the sensuality of women, by beautiful faces, a love of nature, flowers and animals and mid-century design. How long a piece takes depends on the size, subject and medium and can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 15 months to create.
Vanessa’s journey started over twenty years ago when she studied fashion design at the University of Derby. Unfortunately, due to ill health Vanessa didn’t graduate, but she is always using the skills she gained.
Vanessa explains: “Since my student days I have struggled with ill health. I suffered from Epilepsy which in turn caused extreme anxiety and I eventually became agoraphobic. I also have an autoimmune disease called Neutropenia which can cause severe fatigue and leaves me vulnerable to infection. This has made working near impossible and so the seed was planted to start my own business, working from home.”
"Since Covid, I had spent two years shielding due to my poor immunity. A conversation with a fellow Banks Mill tenant inspired me to apply for a studio and it was such an epiphany when I realised how much my world could open up creatively as I’ve reached a point of feeling limited, working at home. But, more than this, more than having more space to create, I’m excited to be surrounded by like-minded people instead of working solitary and I hope that, in time, through working with students, I may be able to help others who struggle the way I did at University.”
Vanessa’s work experience has always been in fashion and retail; Prior to The Velvet Village, she worked on two small clothing lines upcycling fabrics and customising garments which sold in two different boutiques in the city centre.
Vanessa concludes: “Right now I’m still settling in. It’s important to me that the studio is more than just a workspace, I need a home away from home. I’ve mainly been focusing on making my orders and keeping my online shops running smoothly during the transition but as soon as I’m fully unpacked and there is no more furniture to build I’ll get stuck in to some new artwork!”
To find out more visit the website www.thevelvetvillage.shop
Or shop Etsy www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TheVelvetVillage
You can follow Vanessa socially too on Instagram and Facebook