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The Lark Interview
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Lark was launched in the UK in 2005 by Allison Jones,
and it quickly gained a reputation for its whimsical range of
hand-made toys, accessories and childrenswear. Lark's products
are hand-made, high quality, ethical, stylish and fun. Their aim
is to make you smile!
Allison makes many of the products herself, along with skilled
makers in the UK and Australia. She also works closely with an
overseas fair trade organisation bringing skills and fair conditions
to economically disadvantaged women. They produce wonderful knitted
toys and embroidery for Lark. Allison was surrounded by ‘home-made’
clothes and toys as a child, and much of her inspiration comes
from these lovingly-made objects (embroidered pinnies, stuffed
Humpties, knitted cardies) and the people who made them, as well
as from vintage children’s book illustrations. Her designs
are often influenced by her British childhood, the highlight of
which was having one of her early creations picked for the TV
show 'Why Don't You...'. Although happy in Australia, she loves
England and dreams about returning there to shop, have tea, go
to the seaside, and watch telly.
L & A
Tell us about yourself, how did Lark come about and when did you
get started?
Lark
I've always been quite entrepreneurial and dreamed of having my
own small business from a young age. However, I fell into a career
in book publishing, and it wasn't until I went on maternity leave
after my first son was born that I finally had the breathing space
to think about actually doing it. I dreamed up all sorts of ideas
for a business, but none of them got very far, I guess because
they didn't really inspire me.
At the same time, I had started to make and sell some little vintage
fabric baby dresses and children's tops to raise some money so
that I could extend my maternity leave. I've always made things,
having grown up in the crafty seventies, with home made toys and
clothes, and the punky eighties, when my friends and I would scour
charity shops for vintage clothes that we could adapt. One day
it hit me - making things could be my business! Finally, something
I felt passionate about! I returned to work and spent my lunchtimes
planning my escape.
Two years later, when my second son was born, I had prepared enough
designs to start a little eBay shop, where I was 'discovered'
by a new online shop called Lily & Agathe (!). I made some
things especially for this fabulous shop, and this gave me the
confidence to start approaching a few other retailers who I admired.
Fast-forward a couple of years and Lark is now a full-time business
for me, supplying to over 100 shops in the UK and Australia, where
I am now based.
L & A
Why Lark and what does the name mean to you?
Lark
Funnily enough, I don't really like birds. I have a memory from
my childhood of one of my mum's friends, who had a big beehive
hairdo. She was hanging out her washing one day and a bird flew
into her hair and became tangled up (don't laugh!). She had to
have her hair cut off to remove the bird, it was really tragic.
Ever since then I've had a bit of a phobia about birds, and I
feel panicky when they come anywhere near me. But when I was trying
to come up with names for my business the word Lark just really
grabbed me - I think because it is all about joy, fun, happiness,
and it also has a retro, English feel to it, which fits with my
passion for vintage British design.
L & A
Where does your talent come from? what is your background, training
etc?
Lark
I have no formal training other than an Art A'Level! I did gain
some useful skills in my book career, like graphic design and
marketing, but most of what I do comes from my passion for designing
and making things, which, like many crafters, I inherited from
my family.
L & A
Where do you draw your inspiration?
Lark
From my childhood, vintage children's books, days out, old shops
and advertising signs, colourful things, history, vintage fabrics
and linens, friends and my kids.
L & A
Who if anyone inspires you the most?
Lark
Apart from my own kids, who inspired me to get this whole thing
started, I am really inspired by British children's illustrators
like Harry Wingfield (Ladybird books) and Gareth & Jean Adamson
(Topsy & Tim), who were able to take everyday situations and
create these compelling illustrations that engaged children and
taught them to love books. Also, I'm inspired by anyone who has
a passion for collecting things, I love that, even if it's a nerdy
collection like hotel menus or traffic cones, I still love it!
L & A
Where do you look for your day to day inspiration?
Lark
My studio is filled with books, scraps and objects (mainly, but
not all, vintage) that I like. I am always re-arranging them and
sifting through them, which helps me to see them in a new light
and put things together in such a way that a design idea emerges.
L & A
How does your work reflect your personality?
Lark
I am easily bored. I admire people who can concentrate on perfecting
one product and make it over and again, but it would drive me
crazy. I love coming up with new ideas and also making one-off
things like my Storybook Pocket Mirrors. Each one is unique, a
mini-artwork in its own right. Also, I try to inject a bit of
fun and cheekiness into everything that I do.
L & A
What couldn't you live without?
Lark
My Mac. Discovering that computers weren't just for math nerds
was a pivotal moment in my life. On the few occasions when I have
been without my computer (eg whilst on holiday) I have been a
lost soul. Sad, I know.
I also have some precious personal treasures, like a letter my
lovely Dad wrote to my sisters and I three years ago, just before
he died, and film footage of my boys when they were tiny.
On a day-to-day level, I can't get through without chocolate biscuits
and many cups of tea...
L & A
I know your based in Australia, tell us about your hometown?
Lark
Daylesford is a country town, surrounded by the Wombat Forest
and an hour's drive from Melbourne. It has spectacular scenery
and mineral springs, and attracts a lot of visitors every weekend.
Daylesford has an interesting mix of residents - retired people,
young families and a large gay and lesbian community - and there
is always some kind of festival or celebration going on. For me
it is a great place to live because it combines the best of the
city (great cafes, galleries etc.) with the country (I can walk
the kids to school, run around the lake, grab a coffee and be
at my Mac by 10am!). I do feel a bit isolated sometimes, especially
in my work, but I have lots of crafty gal pals in Melbourne who
keep me from going insane.
L & A
What was your childhood like? has it inspired you and your work?
Lark
I grew up in a town in the North of England that had once been
magnificent but had been left to crumble and decay. It had such
a strong sense of the past, with beautiful faded shop signs, redundant
factory buildings and the remains of bombed-out houses, I think
it had a real effect on me. And although the town was poor, it
still had these amazingly rich libraries and museums.
My Dad really encouraged me to read books - I loved picture books
and I have collections of vintage Ladybird books, Enid Blyton,
and favourite illustrators from the 1950s-1970s that I go back
to often when looking for inspiration.
I was totally immersed in the popular culture of the 70s as a
child - sitcoms, Carry On films, Diana Dors, Twinkle comics and
Sindy dolls - and I think this probably comes through in my work
too.
Finally, as a child I was surrounded by crafty ladies, nannas,
aunties and friends of my mum who each had a particular skill.
And my grandad too, he made clippy rugs. Making things has always
been a normal part of life for me.
L & A
Have you always been into vintage and why do you prefer it?
Lark
Yes, as a teenager in the 1980s I collected vintage clothes and
linens from jumble sales, it was easy then to find stunning 1950s
print dresses or 1940s housewife aprons. I have used these in
my work both as inspiration and material. I also have huge collections
of books, vintage sewing patterns and board games, baby toys,
old cards and postcards, and my home is full of vintage items.
I just love the colours and materials used in vintage items, and
their uniqueness at a time when everything is so mass-produced
and easily available.
L & A
What are your passions?
Lark
Collecting things, colour, food, my home, and showing my kids
that there is an alternative to all the unimaginative toys, unhealthy
food and dull movies that are constantly marketed to them.
L & A
What do you like to do in your free time?
My work is also my hobby, so a lot of my 'free time' is spent
making things for Lark, or blogging with like-minded crafty friends.
On the rare moments when I'm not Larking I love being with friends
and family, eating, rummaging in junk shops or reading magazines
in the bath.
L & A
Describe your office and your favourite things in it
Lark
I work from home so my work tends to flow into all of the rooms
in the house (eg the vintage playing cards I use as packaging
for hair accessories live in the bathroom, which has a 50s seaside
theme). My main studio is in a kind of large beach hut in the
garden - our home used to be a guesthouse and it has three of
these little old Victorian buildings outside. The walls are lined
with decorative pressed metal, and it's all very colourful and
chaotic. I create and make most of the new designs for Lark in
here, so it is filled with stuff that I love. At the moment my
favourite things are my collection of vintage handicraft books,
some 1960s baby toys I recently found with 'hippy trippy' illustrations,
samples of my new knitted toys (I can't stop playing with them!),
my Dad's football trophies, and, as always, my stash of vintage
books and fabrics.
L & A
What goals do you have and where do you see yourself and Lark
in 5 years time?
Lark
My main goal is to keep enjoying it. Now that I have quite a lot
of stockists there can be occasional days when I am just stuck
at the fax machine and not really creating anything, so I am always
trying to ensure that I keep a good balance and don't forget what
inspired me to begin Lark. I am fortunate to work with some fantastic
shop owners like Tanya from Lily and Agathe and Pip from Meet
Me at Mike's in Melbourne, who inspire me to keep creating. I
also work with an amazing fair trade organisation, who help me
with knitting and crochet, and I would love to be able to continue
supporting them by growing Lark over the next few years. I hope
that in 5 years time I am still here, making things and loving
it.
L & A
You've got one hour and $200 to do whatever you want - on your
own - what do you do?
Lark
I would head off to the Mill Markets at Daylesford, which is a
huge and very cool vintage store with hundreds of different stalls.
After perusing my favourite stalls and feeding my addiction for
vintage books and homewares, I will have a large glass of wine
in their retro cafe and enjoy my purchases.
L & A
It's a toasty afternoon in front of the fire - who are you snuggling
and what DVD are you watching?
Lark
I'll have my hubbie and our two cats on the sofa with me and we'll
be watching Lukas Moodysson's film 'Together', which always puts
a big smile on my face.
L & A
You've put on a fifties polka-dot dress.. with tulle petticoats..
and you're going out.. where are you going, who with and what
will you be doing?
Lark
A lunch date with my best pal, who lives in Cambridge - why not?
