We want to welcome the newest arrival - Studio Humbug to our carefully curated collection at Fritz Porter. To give you a better sense of what makes Studio Humbug so special, we sat down for an enlightening Q&A session with the creative mind behind this vibrant brand, founder and designer, Katie Cary Here’s what we uncovered:
For those of us newly acquainted with For those newly acquainted with Studio Humbug, founder and designer Katie Cary cut her cloth in the world of fashion where she founded a shoe and accessories line in 2015. It's whilst working here that her love for colour and pattern was born as she worked first hand in developing textiles for footwear and RTW designs. Studio Humbug originated from an increasing interest in the interiors world, coupled with a desire to produce more sustainably on a made to order model from suppliers in the UK.
Diving right into our conversation, if you were a character in a movie, who would you be?
K: I would have to be 'Monsieur Gustave H' from Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel. Aside from the visual delights that any Wes Anderson film conjures up, the character profiling in this film is sublime. I feel like we could all do with having a bit more of a 'Monsieur Gustave H' attitude to life, and it's definitely something I aspire to.
Name one thing you have done that was truly "life changing".
K: When I was 23, I launched a shoe brand, which I ran for over a decade. It was successfully stocked by leading stores and won industry awards. At the time, all my friends were going to work for large corporations, so it felt quite renegade starting something of my own when I was so fresh out of university without financial backing. The freedom to dictate my own work stream, hire my own employees, and create something that I could then see random people wearing on the street was invigorating and addictive. This decision to pursue an entrepreneurial path impacted many life decisions—it allowed me to get a dog early on as she has always come to work with me, work and socialize with industry people I've always admired, and ultimately it allowed my husband and I to escape London and put down roots in the English countryside with our family ahead of when we thought we would.
Please tell us how the name, Studio Humbug, came about.
K: Humbug was chosen because we celebrate all things linear and striped, just like our namesake, the pretty little sweets from your childhood. I also love the indie/offbeat connection to the rock band the Arctic Monkeys, as it was the name of their third album. There's a certain edge to all our designs; I could never design anything too 'twee'. The 'studio' part highlights the collaborative nature of the company: rather than selling a finished product, we sell design pieces to trade who then go and create something magical from our fabrics and wallpapers.
What is something you have not yet done that you really want to do?
K: Visit Scandinavia. Following the COVID years and then starting a family, I'm really missing seeing the world at the moment, and long haul seems like a distant memory. I used to travel a lot for work and pleasure when I was younger, and I'm looking forward to getting out there again and being inspired by all the amazing creativity. My husband gets a sabbatical with his work next year, and I think we're planning on taking the girls and enjoying a Scandi Summer on the lakes.
Discover the vibrant and distinctive designs of Studio Humbug available now at Fritz Porter. From the eye-catching stripes to the high-quality craftsmanship, there's something inherently magical about each piece.