We spent a beautifully warm, summer afternoon in the East Sussex studio and shop of ceramic artists, Liv and Dom Cave-Sutherland. The sisters brought the new Daydress nightwear collection to life in this space which houses their beautiful collections displayed on antique furniture finds, treasured objects, a library of inspiring books and the sweetest small kitchen painted the colours of Greece. We invite you to learn a little more about these wonderful women and their designs.

How is life in Lewes? Any favourite spots?

D - Lewes is lovely, we’ve been here for 8 years and opened our shop 4 years ago! Lewes has an amazing selection of antique shops that we visit a lot for inspiration. The town also has a wonderful pub culture, there are plenty of independent, historic, cosy pubs to choose from. Our personal favourite pub is the Lewes Arms!

What was it that drew you both to working with clay after studying illustration?

L - We worked with air dry and oven bake clays before university, even as young kids. Sculptural work was the focus for our degree grad show, which we worked on together. However we knew that to refine the work and get it ready for the ‘real world’ we needed to move into ceramics. The transition wasn’t easy without resources like access to a kiln or money for a studio space! We were determined to do it though because there is something so satisfying about the endless possibilities of working with clay, and the knowledge that what you make could live on well beyond your lifetime. It’s the perfect medium to transform illustration into something for the home that has real permanence.

What guides you in your design process and how do you work together to explore ideas, or do you tend to design separately?

D - Mostly we work on pieces separately, with the exception being collaborative work with other brands. Ideas can start with something as simple as digging out a beautiful piece of embroidery in an antique shop, reading an inspiring quote, or finding out about an intriguing story or myth. We don’t often do a lot of drawing and planning ahead of the making, but we usually have very clear ideas in our minds of how a design will look.

How important are antique and vintage refs to your work?

L - It’s a key part of our design process, we strive for a timeless look that isn’t too led by trends (obviously selling our work is our livelihood, we do have to keep one eye on trends!). Almost all our work is rooted in the history of crafts, be it textiles, ceramics, wood carving.

What is a favourite piece you have created?

L - Recently I made three ‘Daughters of the Sea’ vases. I used real shells to create texture on the piece, and looked at ancient Greek sculptures of goddesses to inform the ‘Daughters’ on the vases. I had a lot of fun sculpting kelp, coral and shell handles, and decided when they came out of the kiln to smother them in silver, the overall effect is really beautiful.

D - I think my recent favourite pieces have been a series of six circus performer candlesticks I
made earlier this year. Inspired by vintage circus posters and costumes, I think I managed to
imbue each one with quite a lot of character and charm!

How did the female form come to be so central to your work?

D - The reason is probably not what people might expect! In 2015 we were both working on our final project at university in Bournemouth, about seedy UK seafronts (think bright pink sunburnt figures and punch and judy shows). Figures, both male and female, were either in swimwear or completely nude, and the response to this work was beyond anything we had experienced up until that point, so we ran with it!

Your shop has a lovely relaxed atmosphere, like a beautiful home, was this the feeling
you wanted to create?

L - We knew it had to be a comfortable space because we’d be spending half of our lives there! We sometimes work long hours, and pop in on the weekends, so it needed to be somewhere we really wanted to spend time. When we moved in four years ago we had a tiny budget, so all the furniture was sourced from facebook marketplace and eBay. It might be that this unpolished, cobbled together look contributes to the relaxed feel.

Describe your personal styles

L - We love clothes, and our (shared) wardrobe feels a little like a passion project or a collection. We studied A-level textiles and even both considered studying fashion at university. We are often dyeing and altering our clothes ourselves. We love to wear florals, embroidered pieces, waistcoats, earthy colours. We’d say we’re quite feminine and bohemian dressers.

D - We’re definitely not minimalists and aside from a few basic separates like jeans and white shirts, we really love clothes that are unusual in some way. We’ve definitely reached the point where we don’t worry about our outfits being ‘too much’ or getting the occasional bemused look!

Nighties or PJ's?

L- I love PJ’s for mooching around the house, but for sleeping it’s nighties for me. I don’t think beds are the right place for waistbands!

D - I keep it seasonal and just wear PJ’s in the winter and nighties in the summer!

And finally - Which was your favourite piece from the Daydress nightwear collection?

L - Definitely the Jenny Sleeveless Nightie. I loved the patterned pieces too, but something about the simple pintucks and trims on this dress got me. The subtle stripe on the cotton is so gorgeous, and it was just really comfortable!

D - The Eponine Pajamas, just so whimsical and cute! I felt like a character out of a storybook wearing them.