Meet the designers from Top Drawer Spring 2024

Discover the forefront of design at UAL's showcase in Top Drawer, spotlighting emerging talents. As a premier UK trade event boasting over 30 years of industry experience, it's strategically timed to coincide with peak buying seasons, guaranteeing optimal exposure.

Our exhibit showcases a wide array of products, spanning from interior decor, homeware, and lifestyle items to cosmetics and jewellery. Join us as we introduce some of our standout designers at Top Drawer!

Chuchu Illustrations

Chuchu Illustrations was founded by Leire, an artist based in London. Driven by a profound love for nature, Leire finds comfort in drawing cute animals and plants infused with a playful charm to spread happiness in our day-to-day lives. These illustrations take the form of enamel pins and various forms of stationery such as sticker sheets and washi tape. Each item is lovingly packaged at Chuchu Illustrations studio.

"I'm an artist from Spain and Denmark, now based in London after graduating from Chelsea College of Art with a Fine Art degree. Growing up with tons of Japanese cartoons really fuels my creativity. Top Drawer was a blast—I got to mingle with other artists, meet buyers, and hear what people think about my stuff. All the feedback and info I got? Super helpful. Now I've got a clear idea of what tweaks to make to my products."

Ghost & Bonesetter

Ghost & Bonesetter was established in Belfast by international printmaker and multimedia artist, Karen Daye-Hutchinson. Working with metal has always been Karen’s ‘thing’, and what started out as one-off pieces of jewellery from their recycled etching plate, has now turned into a sustainable business using recycled precious metals. All jewellery is lovingly crafted by hand using traditional methods and each piece is unique. Inspiration comes from a rich Irish history, storytelling, and artistic narratives from their own etching art practice.

“I loved the mentoring we got—it was so supportive and really helped us gear up for Top Drawer. I'd definitely encourage everyone at UAL to give it a shot!”

Verena Mueller

Verena Mueller Illustration combines art with a passion for self-love, self-care, and mental health awareness. Using their own experiences as inspiration, Verena creates prints, greeting cards, mindfulness journals, colouring pages, and card decks that inspire and uplift others. Their commitment to sustainability through the use of eco-friendly materials further aligns their art with their personal values. Also offering custom designs, Verena Mueller Illustration welcomes any collaborative projects.

"Being a part of this has opened up great networking opportunities with fellow creatives. Plus, it's given me valuable insights into what customers are looking for and a peek into the minds of our audience."

Liz Workman

Liz Workman creates hand-made porcelain homeware that is both quirky and elegant. The collection of vases, bowls, lamps, and spoons is inspired by classic blue and white ceramics. The vases also reference the female form or Cycladic idols and celebrate the imperfections or marks we all carry on us from the life we’ve lived. Each piece is decorated with hand-drawn repeating patterns of dots, lines and circles to create beautifully unique, tactile and decorative objects for the home. With sustainability in mind through sourcing local materials when available and using as few resources as possible, the pieces are made to last and to be enjoyed in the home for years to come.

"I specialise in working with porcelain, crafting each piece individually, ensuring its uniqueness. This event has been incredibly welcoming. While I've participated in other markets and events before, this is my debut in the wholesale scene, and the feedback has been fantastic! It's sparked a ton of ideas for my upcoming pieces. Overall, this experience has been immensely valuable for me."

Seronga Art

Seronga Art is designed by Tanzanian illustrator, Precious Seronga. Creating “Afro-Maximalist” prints that celebrate an aesthetic of excess, women of colour and African textiles, the prints depict women of colour in states of opulence and elegance, through a balanced maximalist style of vibrant colours and patterns. The illustrations and digital prints celebrate the founder’s African heritage and aim to educate the western community and empower Africans in the diaspora.

"It's been a fantastic learning journey. I've had the chance to chat with seasoned individuals, soaking up their wealth of experience. It's really helped me understand pricing strategies and maximizing profits. I'd absolutely recommend this experience to anyone looking to grow!"

Nevernew

Nevernew London is the realisation of decades of experience in the design, development and production of luxury goods. With the planet in climate crisis, they re-evaluate their role as designers and makers by recovering and transforming unwanted natural, luxury, materials directly from manufacturers. The materials are often imperfect, sifted and sorted into the reject pile by other brands. Working with manufacturing understanding, and with great craftsmanship and care, they make what was once ready to be thrown aside, into truly covetable leather goods.

"Top Drawer has been incredibly beneficial for me. I've had some wonderful conversations and gained valuable insights into my own pricing strategy. I highly recommend seizing this opportunity; the support leading up to the show has been nothing short of amazing!"

Want to take part in Top Drawer? Find out more on our website.