Renegade Craft Fair: London Edition

London lit up with events last night, as the city’s 10^th annual Design Festival got underway. A highlight of this weekend: Renegade Craft Fair opened in stylish Shoreditch, and your trusty American Craft crew was there to comb through the hippest indie wares from the U.K. and beyond. This is the beloved fair’s second year in the city; in addition to booths for 70-some designer/makers, there were hands-on activities; reps from Folksy and Mollie Makes; and music, courtesy of London’s Reckless Records. Pop in if you’re in town; the fair continues tomorrow from 11 to 6 at the Old Truman Brewery. And if you’re not, this is almost certainly why people invented the Internet. Our favorite finds:

East London-based designer Jo Robinson grew up on a farm, and HAM, her line of crisp, contemporary (and totally charming) housewares, prints, and greeting cards captures the everyday adventures of a pig, a horse, and a rabbit. There’s a fine line to watch with animals, Robinson says: Her work is warm, even wholesome, but she keeps it clean and fresh – never crossing over into twee. So smart, is what we say: Her black-on-white silhouette style is totally eye-catching and utterly current. Robinson works with responsible local suppliers to produce her goods.

For her line me me me, East London-based Jade Gallup creates fantastic porcelain jewelry, from fox and bird necklaces to sugar-skull and jewel-shaped brooches, in striking, fresh glazes. Her formal background in ceramic sculpture seems especially evident in her latest work, which includes flat geometric expressions and wonderfully chunky, faceted forms.

This is what happens when you approach James Ward a.k.a Jimbobart’s booth: You yell, “ahhhhchh!” because his Sandwich Defender plate is pretty much the best plate you’ve ever seen. And then you notice his racoon who loves macaroons and yell again. And then his badger who eats cake… in his (under)pants. And… hopefully this yelling is happening quietly, inside of your head, because there’s not a dud in the mix. The illustrator’s hand-drawn, food-focused animals are brilliant on ceramic plates, platters, and stacks of mugs. He works on paper, too – and his prints further reveal his talent, skill, and wit.

Jules Vagelatos and Joshua Blodans are Love Jules Leather, and they came from Whistler, British Columbia, to show at Renegade. So this is our advice to anyone in the area: Get yourself into the Old Truman Brewery tomorrow and visit them. Their beautifully crafted leather suspenders, belts, and bowties are worth the trip to see in person. Their handcrafted shoes steal the show. Vagelatos is the craftsperson of the pair (Blodans focuses on the creative business side). A fine arts graduate of Nova Scotia College of Art & Design, she says she apprenticed with a leathersmith and fell for the craft – which is easy to see, in the quality of the work and creativity of the designs.

Another illustrator-turned-3D artist, Kaye Blegvad of Datter Industries creates quiet, elegant jewelry, with mysterious, even dark motifs: a watchful eye, a row of skulls, a single piercing arrow. Her first piece of jewelry, Blegvad explains, was a sword, created around the same time she had written and illustrated a children’s book about a group of ferocious, fearsome girls. She made it for herself, but people loved the look of her illustrations cast in metal – a theme that continued today, as curious RCF-goers crowded around her table. While some work relies on large or loud, Blegvad’s pieces exemplify the draw of small and subtle.

Art Equals Happy’s multitalented Kim Smith works across a range of mediums, her cheerful booth stocked with badges, illustrated postcards, hand-knitted zipper pouches, painted tote bags (made in part from recycled sheets and reclaimed fabrics), colorful “granny vests,” and hand-spun, recycled wool yarn. Her booth oozes handcrafted joy de vivre, and not just because she has her spinning wheel on site – it’s in the details, too, everything down to the hand-lettered packaging on her lovely yarns.

Julie K. Hanus is American Craft's senior editor.