Creative People - Alice Mary Lynch

In her Somerset studio, Alice Mary Lynch creates intricate, richly embellished dolls that she dresses in perfectly-fitting little outfits made from vintage fabrics and textiles. Romantic and playful, her bunnies, foxes and princesses are inspired by her love of folklore, fairytales and the theatre. Alice is the daughter of painters and was brought up in a creative environment but it was a love of acting and theatrical costume that led her to study fashion.  After honing her craft working for almost a decade in the Paris studios of John Galliano, Dior and Sonia Rykiel, Alice returned to England with her Japanese husband.  When she had her children, she decided to concentrate solely on making her exquisite fabric creatures, inspired by the wildlife that lives near her home and the imaginary worlds of her two daughters.  Early last summer I travelled with my own family to meet Alice, where I was treated to a rare glimpse behind the scenes and into her magical world.

Claire: Could you tell us a bit about your background and how you came to be doing what you’re doing?

Alice: I found art when I was 17, before that I had seen it as something my parents did but not necessarily my own calling. I was always creative as a child, but I never imagined I would be an artist myself. I felt it was an uncertain career and I didn't want it to seem inevitable that I would go in the same direction as my parents. I had studied Spanish and was all set to do a Hispanics course at university, but on my return from a year out in Madrid I found out that my course had been cancelled, which left me at a crossroads. I wasn't sure what to do. My mum encouraged me to try out an art foundation course and I just naturally fell into it. That was the beginning of this new journey and it really woke me up and lit the creative spark in me. Everything started to make sense and I realised and embraced my artistic upbringing. In the end I chose fashion over fine art and went on to study at Kingston University. 

Claire: How did your childhood influence your career?

Alice: I grew up with artist parents. They are both painters, although my mum started off drawing with embroidery threads before painting.  It was an old and creative house, with paintings propped up waiting to be framed, exhibitions at home or in London, commissions, landscapes and ideas. It was a bohemian household, but I also grew up seeing art as a way to earn a living, not only a form of expression. My dad spent every weekday painting. I admired his motivation and ability to focus. My mum was always working on different projects, blending her art with people, the community, stories around us. It was interesting, dynamic and definitely influenced what I do and the way I do it now. 

Claire: What attracted you to working in the world of fashion?

Alice: I loved theatre and acting when I was young. , On stage I liked powerful, yet fragile characters. I also saw clothing and dressing up as storytelling. Fashion seemed linked to storytelling and I enjoyed inventing costumes on my fashion course. I also began making small puppet and doll-like creations in my spare time - it felt natural and instinctive. After graduating I headed to Paris and knocked on John Galliano’s door. I was offered an internship there, so off I went, wide eyed and full of life…

Claire: How did it feel when you first arrived in Paris?

Alice: I liked the adventure of it all. When I moved to Paris all my senses were on high alert. I viewed everything with awe and romance. On every street corner there was a new story or character: buskers bursting onto the metro, Parisien ladies tottering down the street with their pointy red shoes and their fancy dogs. It was probably the first time I drank champagne. There were brocantes (flea markets) every Sunday where endless treasures could be found and the cakes were AMAZING!

Claire: What was it like working for John Galliano?

Alice: Fresh out of university, this was my first foray into the fashion world and it was incredible. Every day was different. The interns worked together in a room bursting with colours, fabrics, trinkets and treasures. We stitched into the night, came up with new textile manipulations, prints or embroideries for new collections. Our work went into these wonderful research books, bursting with so many visual ideas. We were a team. We worked hard but we laughed a lot, too. 

Claire: And how was it at Sonia Rykiel?

Alice: The dark black walls and shiny surfaces were a far cry from my tumbledown upbringing in sleepy Somerset. My French was still very ropey, so even answering the phone was a challenge. I worked on designing prints, motifs, and research for new seasons. It was exciting and I am still friends with some of my colleagues from those days. 

Claire: How does the split work for you between being a creative and a business person?  

Alice: Obviously I prefer the creative side, and can be know to procrastinate on the business side of things, perhaps like many artists. Sometimes it is hard to focus on the creativity when you know you have invoices or emails to catch up on. But I really enjoy communicating with people and I set aside time for admin, of course. It’s all part of it when you are an artist and self employed.

Claire: How do you stay focused?  Do you have a daily routine?

Alice: I tend to get obsessive and perhaps over-focused on my work during projects, which can mean that I let other things slip. At the moment, I am trying to set aside one day a week away from my studio for a visit to an exhibition, a walk outside in nature or a tea with a friend. Because breathing in the outside world makes my inner world work better and stimulates my creativity on the other days.  

Claire: What have you been working on this year?

Alice: I have been working on a big collection for Harrods, which is now available online and in store. I have also been working on individual bespoke commissions for private customers around the world. 

Claire: How do you go about designing a collection that’s been commissioned? (Like the one for Harrods).

Alice: We usually start by meeting up to discuss new directions for the year ahead, then I sketch out ideas based on the inspiration. Then we meet again to choose designs, which are a starting point for each new piece. I love how this process can take my work to new places and push my techniques and creativity. 

Claire: Could you talk us through the design and making process?

Alice: I usually start from an idea that could be a sketch, although sometimes a piece of embroidered vintage silk might set me on a journey.  Fabrics themselves can inspire characters, especially vintage fabrics with their own history, like old kimonos. Sometimes clients are involved in choosing the colours and fabrics, sometimes they leave me free and want to be surprised by the final outcome. 

Claire: Are there fabrics that you’re particularly drawn to?

Alice: I love rich and luxurious textures, sumptuous silks and velvets, tulles and lace, layered fabrics and vintage remnants, kimonos, cabaret brassieres, pieces of old chandelier. I like collaging these eclectic elements together, from different times and places, each imbued with different stories and then creating new ones. 

Claire: Where did you learn your embroidery and beading skills?

Alice: I am self taught. The fashion course at Kingston did not teach embroidery or beading. Although I learnt the skills of pattern and garment making there. I did begin to use embroidery on some of my work at university. I love embroidery embellishment and have been developing it over the past 20 years. I also find the process of embroidery and beading quite therapeutic. 

Claire: What does your working day look like?

Alice: I take my daughters to school, come home, have a much needed cup of tea and then start work. I listen to the radio and podcasts through the day as I sew. I pick the girls up from school, cook them supper and sometimes resume work once they are tucked up in bed. 

Claire: What are the day-to-day challenges? 

Alice: Working from home and juggling the different daily roles of mother, wife and artist are challenging.  Sometimes parenting takes over, sometimes my work schedule is so demanding I have to prioritise work. 

Claire: How much are you thinking about your audience and the customer when you’re creating your work?  And how would you like that customer to feel when they see and own your works? 

Alice: I hope people enjoy my imaginative characters. I hope they go on a journey with them. I hope they see something in the character that makes them smile and dream. I suppose I am trying to make a bit of magic and I guess I am hoping that hoping that others will see and feel that too. 

Claire: What would you say unites the characters you make?

Alice: Each piece is different and I think perhaps I imagine them as being characters in one great performance - one great charade - actors in a play of life, like animal mannequins who each present different aspects of human personalities. One is brave and fearless, one fragile and quiet, one feisty, another humorous, one mischievous. Sometimes I wonder if I am still in the playtime of my childhood.

Claire: Who or what inspires you?

Alice: I find inspiration comes from theatre, the circus, old photographs, the Ballet Russes, cabaret, nature, fairy tales, music, from watching children, and people generally.

Claire: What’s the most rewarding aspect of your work?

Alice: I love giving expression to imaginative flights of fancy and being able to create something that can bring joy and laughter. It’s also nice to make things that could become part of people’s family lives, or commemorate special moments. I like to think that perhaps they will become family treasures in the future. 

Claire: What was the last book you read? 

Alice: A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki, the story of a writer in British Columbia who finds a Japanese teenager’s diary washed up on the shore just after the 2011 tsunami.

Claire: What are the things you most treasure?

Alice: My family. 

Claire: What was the last exhibition you went to see?

Alice: We saw a superb interactive exhibition in Tokyo by teamLab. I am desperate to see the Tim Walker exhibition at the V&A and may have already seen it by the time this goes out!

Claire: Who are some of the other creatives whose work you follow?

Alice: Forivor, who make magical and inspiring blankets for children. The Bakemonger who makes amazing cakes.  Kate Tabor, who is an emerging talent in costume design. Rennes, US based label who make lovely clothing. 

Claire: Favourite places in the world?

Alice: Japan, Somerset, Paris.

Claire: How do you relax when you're not working?

Alice: Have a bath, see friends. 

Claire: What are your plans for the future?

Alice: I would like to grow the business in more directions, new projects, keep pushing my work further than I might think I can. 

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