I studied graphic design in the early 90s and developed a passion for print that grew into a love affair with traditional crafts. This has been explored through Acme Studios, the design collective I co-founded in 1999 to bring traditional craft practise into contemporary interpretive experiences within museums and heritage centres worldwide. Using collaboration to connect curious minds and craft makers hands, interpreting the stories of people and places within environmental design. The epilogue to each of these stories has been the making of a kilt—a garment that historically associates its wearer with a place, or a people and a familiar part of my wardrobe since childhood, which then became a commemoration of each project and a long-standing personal tradition.
For 20+ years I commissioned a kiltmaker to make kilts using my chosen cloth, then in 2018, began training in the traditional, handstitched method myself. Establishing Acme Atelier allows me to combine the heritage craft skills of kiltmaking and printmaking with those of contemporary design, aiming to promote the traditional handstitched method, whilst exploring more possibilities for construction techniques and textile creation. Through creative collaborations with other craft practitioners I hope to broaden the appeal of this historic garment beyond its current formal associations and support cultural and economic regeneration of this craft.
