My favourite pages and pieces from this catalogue. I don't actually go in for much - well except for that one time when I was desperate for some calico for a school project, or when I needed a special sewing tool for my work at university. You know, actually I quite like John Lewis and Fenwicks' haberdashery/fabrics/sewing departments. They are well stocked and specialised which is always a good thing when you need specifics for your sewing machine.
The orange binding is textured and the book has a quote by William Morris for some reason. Likely because JL likes to state that it works and buys from British designers and makers (I half believe that) that convey important ideas of having a purpose and still having an aesthetically pleasing form. Morris was all about equality for people, regardless of class or wage, and keeping makers and designers in work, paid well and utilising their specific skillsets instead of depending on factories and mass manufactured things, bit of naive thinking on his part, and strange considering his benefactors and people who commissioned him/his company were generally of the middle and upper classes.
Each section is given a theme, starting with the mostt striking in terms of colour and texture, 'The Modern Restoration' title uses a strong identity of a traditional idea mixed with a bit of modernity. The next few pages are full of interesting shapes and textures. Again in keeping with the colour scheme, including teals and cobalt blue, some of which I have photographed. More sections reveal floral imagery, interesting design aesthetics - both what could be considered as classic ideas and innovative thinking, (like the magazine rack within the coffee table).
I would have prefered to scan these, but in the end photographing meant I could test out the phone camera on my Nokia lumia 520, its not fantastic, but it can pick up detail and though really could do with a flash and maybe something that gets rid of my shaky hand, it does a good job.
