Designer moves in to Shrewsbury market
A former designer for TV and film sets is forging a new creative career designing and handcrafting her own range of accessories and products for the home.
Alison Staples, who worked in the art departments for a number of iconic TV series and films, began selling her designs at craft fairs last year and has now opened a permanent shop within Shrewsbury Market Hall.
Romy Design, located on the gallery floor of the market, also doubles as Alison’s studio where visitors can browse her collection of glass, textile and leather handcrafted products and see her making them.
She creates a range of quirky and distinctive items from unusual geometric glass planters and fun knitted tea cosies to leather accessories including bags, wallets and cases.
Alison, who also offers a freelance graphic design service alongside special commissions for handcrafted goods, studied theatre design at Nottingham Trent University before going on to have a career in the film and TV industry.
“I worked within the art departments, set dressing and creating props. The work also involved a lot of graphic design. I could be designing anything from fictional newspapers, road signs and wallpaper to wine and beer labels, logos and branding for fictional companies,” she said.
Alison worked on British TV drama programmes including the series Heartbeat, Shameless and Hustle. She was also involved in with the movie The Damned United – the story of Brian Clough’s heroic stint at Leeds United – where she organised photo shoots with the actors for use in fictional newspapers she created as props.
She gave the work up after seven years to go travelling around Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia. When she returned to her home town of Shrewsbury she launched herself as a freelance graphic designer.
“I’ve always loved designing and making, so I began crafting items that I wanted myself such as glass planters, bobble hats, little leather accessories, fun wallets and purses,” said Alison.
“One thing led to another and I started selling them at craft fairs last year. Customers would ask me whether I also had a permanent shop and I started thinking that perhaps it was something I should look into. Opening a stall within the Market Hall was ideal because it has such a great atmosphere and a number of designer-makers are already based here.”
