This Saturday marks the opening of V&A East, a new outpost of the South Kensington institution. A stone’s throw from Westfield in Stratford, it will be home to two free permanent galleries spanning 500 objects (including Molly Goddard’s fabulous Daria dress, which was worn by Beyoncé).
It will also have a curated shop championing the works of local brands and makers. The edit is geared towards a younger (and dare we imagine cooler, less-touristy) demographic than in SW7. And more than two thirds of what is being stocked will retail for less than £30.
Peddling more than just pretty postcards, the edit features memorable mugs, statement ceramics and small decorative pieces from names which fly largely under the radar, making it a place to discover exciting new talent. Here is what to look out for.
Clink Street Ceramics
This is the brainchild of James Sims, who has lived on the famous cobbled street in SE1 for 20 years and throws pots with an emotional and nostalgic dimension. For the V&A East he has expanded on his Rave Culture Theory project with a collection of vessels that draw inspiration from the 1980s music scene: transfers of flyers from acid house raves (which began life in the UK on Clink Street) are kiln-baked into the surface, left. The irony is that Sims’s work isn’t designed for those seeking a new home for their tulips. “People who are interested in my work tend not to be interested in pottery or ceramics,” he says. From £175
Smith & Goat
Walthamstow-based Smith & Goat is an accidental family business that is about to enter its ninth year. Reggie Smith, a former landscape gardener, and his partner Amy Goat started out by making concrete pots for their home. Then they opened an indoor plant shop and their contemporary vessels proved catnip. Smith had been using concrete his whole working life, yet, he says: “I’d never really looked at it as something really pretty on its own. I’ve learned you can make almost anything with it. I’ve liked pushing different boundaries.” The result is colourful marbled trays, pots and mirrors. From £7
Fern Taylor Pottery
Deptford-based potter Fern Taylor had dabbled with clay during her fine art degree but taught herself the Japanese hand-building technique of nerikomi during lockdown. The resulting mugs, below, which are made in a labour-intensive process that involves cutting clay into small pieces and dyeing sections before slicing through layers to reveal a pattern, are now being stocked by V&A East alongside Taylor’s trinket dishes. “My family have always been into crafts and arts and I was taught to buy well and less often, so I feel making ceramics chimes with that,” says Taylor. From £18
