Studio Visit: HOPEWELL

I was introduced to HOPEWELL and its founders Eliza Kenan and Claire Oswalt through one of my closest friends Jessica – and loved everything about what they were doing. A design studio creating gorgeous textiles both modern and nostalgic, its spirit stems from the Hopewell Exchange System, a Native American trade route through which materials from far and wide were transformed into handmade goods, then traded.

I learned how to sew as a little girl making quilts with my best friend’s mom, and they have always held a special place in my heart. I love the idea of quilts finding their way back into homes in a new modern way…and HOPEWELL is the answer. I asked Eliza and Claire to share a bit about the origin of their brand, as well as some of the details of their creative space and process, and hope you enjoy. XXJKE

The Brand

R+T: First things first, how did you meet?

Claire: We met in Central Park at a picnic.

Eliza: It all began on a picnic blanket in 2001!

R+T: Tell us about how HOPEWELL came to be…and the story behind the name itself…

Claire: Eliza and I had been talking about a creative venture for some time, we just didn’t know if it was going to be a small pop-up shop of our homemade crafts, or a branding firm. We ditched all our ideas and decided to just design and make some quilts together, and see how they sold. They sold quickly, so immediately we looked into production and how to make it into a business.

“Hopewell” was the result after a night of brainstorming. It is the name of a town near to where Eliza grew up, as well as a compound word of two positives. We liked that. But when we dug a little deeper, we discovered that “Hopewell” was the name of a Native American trade route running up the eastern seaboard in which they were using to trade crafts. And voila, no more searching for a name was needed.

Eliza:Claire and I have been friends for many years and we always had a lot of creative respect and admiration for each other in addition to just getting along well. Once we both became mothers our art focused conversations shifted to “How do we juggle this??” So we thought we’d try starting our own thing and delve into being small business owners.

R+T: Can you share a bit about the essence of the brand? What roles do both your backgrounds and tradition play in your textiles?

Claire: The essence of HOPEWELL is American made, quality products developed from approachable, yet highly considered design. The American mentality at present is built around that which is cheap, quick, and easily replaceable. We wanted to create heirlooms for future generations – that which one could treasure, care for, and make a part of their family’s story. Quilts inherently carry some of these values, and we wanted to just give them an update.

Eliza and I both come from families of craftsmen. Art, craft, and the value of an object is an idea we both grew up with. Our work dives into the nostalgia of our upbringings.

R+T: What are some of your greatest influences and inspirations?

Claire: To put it simply, art. We look to art from every era for inspiration, from early outsider art to the newest in Japanese packaging…but most obvious would be mid-century art and design, and The Bauhaus.

Eliza: We are lucky to be surrounded by friends and family members that create beautiful objects and lifestyles. I don’t think we would be able to do what we do without our community; especially our LA creative community.

R+T: What is your favorite part about designing textiles?

Claire: The collaborative nature of designing with a partner. Your idea that may be seemingly concrete could get shuttled into another unexpected universe before your very eyes. Sometimes remnants remain, or sometimes they disappear altogether, but regardless, the process was necessary in reaching the final product.

Eliza: For me it’s like solving a puzzle. There’s geometry, scale, and a balance of color that all need to harmonize. Sometimes that balance is quick and sometimes we need to tweak it for a few days.

R+T: If you had to, could you choose a favorite?

Claire: That’s hard, but if my life depended on it…I have the very first quilt we ever designed and made – it’s based on Josef Albers squares, and the colors are rich and masculine. It is the only one with diagonal quilting, done by Eliza, and it has a hand-stitched label that only our One of a Kinds carry. It was the beginning of it all and a very special quilt.

Eliza: I kind of fall in love with everything we make at one point or another. Right now I’m crushing on our new linen Tea Towels.

The Design Workshop

R+T: If you could summarize your creative space in five words, they’d be…

Claire: Colorful, Dense, Relaxed, Inspired, Musical

Eliza: An oasis off the 101

R+T: How long have you been in this space and how did you find it?

Claire: We’ve been there a little over one year. Eliza found it just by driving by and calling the agent listed.

Eliza: It’s about 2 miles from my house and a 10-minute walk to daughter’s school. I love being able to walk!

R+T: When we first moved into the space, it was filled with…

Claire: I’d say dust. Just dust. And a rattan-woven stool that I asked the manager to hang on to.

R+T: What was your inspiration for the design of the space?

Claire: I’ll let Eliza answer this one. She is the architect, and came into it with designs mapped out on the computer. She also designed our cutting table, which immediately ramped up production exponentially.

Eliza: It’s really a functional space. 1/3 showroom and display area, 2/3 workshop. It’s only 600 square feet so it is much less ‘designed’ than optimally occupied.

R+T: How do you balance having a functional studio that also looks great?

Claire: We are not always successful at this balancing act. At times, we have to prioritize function over visuals, and those are the days we keep the blinds pulled low. But realistically one must embrace the messes. There can be some real serendipitous moments within the messes where this fabric scrap falls on top of this old sketch and magic! – you have a new idea for a quilt.

However, luckily for us, the products themselves are nice design elements. Stacks and stacks of quilts are a fun thing to have lying around at times. The neat freaks in us, just demand that the stacks are stacked nicely, that’s all….

R+T: Tell us about a typical day in the studio…

Claire: Regardless of where we are in the production calendar, a typical day starts with a cup of coffee and a quick meeting regarding what needs to be accomplished that day. Eliza and I both have children that require us to leave for 3 o’clock pick-ups, so it is important that we use our studio time to our complete advantage. If we are designing, then there really is no set routine. We trust our instincts and move about the studio as we see fit. Sometimes this involves painting at the drafting table, and sometimes this involves a whole color palette of paper being spread out over a large surface… Other days we spend our entire day in front of the computer on Photoshop. With only three people running the business, we take on several roles, meaning that your day can get derailed pretty quickly. We try to remain flexible.

Eliza: I come in at 9, if it’s a Thursday we mentally prepare to listen to Serial, and I go through my checklist. I always have a checklist. A typical day usually involves some sewing, pattern design in Illustrator, maybe silk-screening, and avoiding emails.

R+T: Is music a part of the process? Who might we hear playing on any given day?

Claire: Kinks, Arcade Fire, Etta James, Pixies, Police, Paul Simon, Janis Joplin, Hank Williams…gosh, this list will do on for days. Eliza and I are both music enthusiasts and (thank God!) have similar tastes in music. There is almost always music playing in the studio. I will usually request something I can sing along to, much to Eliza’s chagrin.

Eliza: I really don’t mind her singing and I think she’s ok with my dancing.

R+T: Do you order in or go out to lunch when working? What are your favorite nearby restaurants?

Claire: Despite being in Hollywood, we only have a few places from which we order. Unlike our tastes in music, Eliza and I do not share similar taste buds, so there are very few restaurants where there is overlap in taste. We laugh about it and make do.

Most of the times we order in, but if we have received some good news, we will try to take an extra hour to celebrate our small successes.

Eliza: Can someone please open up a good Italian place in Hollywood?

R+T: What are your three must­-haves in the studio?

Claire: My laptop, sharpened pencils, and something to sing along to.

Eliza: Sharp rotary blades, natural light, snacks.