Local designer swaps silk for steel

Castlereagh based brands, Urban Cross Stitch, and The Urbanite Home, both established by Belfast born Phil Davison are set to exhibit in NYC at the New York City’s Con Artist Gallery on 22 August and in London at Craft Centrals’ Total Fabrication Exhibition, 15-24 September.

Thursday 7 August 2014

A Central Saint Martins graduate, and Couture Pattern cutter for leading London fashion houses, Phil opted to change his career direction in 2008, leaving the world of fashion to launch his own design business - Urban Cross Stitch (UCS).

Discussing his motivation Phil says:

"It was a humble beginning for Urban Cross Stitch in London's Brick Lane market. I wanted to give the traditional craft of cross-stitching a more urban, timeless feel by synthesising the craft with contemporary designs based on street art and pop culture. Over the last number of years the brand has evolved significantly and a large volume of trade is through online sales. As the business grew I was faced with some choices in terms of where the headquarters should be based. Having considered a number of logistical aspects, I opted to locate the headquarters in Castlereagh. Urban Cross Stitch still has very strong connections with the London design scene and hopefully with the forthcoming New York exhibit this will help to establish linkages with the US market."

Phil's expertise in the area of cross stitch was reinforced following the publication of his first book 'Twisted Stitches' which was well received in the UK, USA and Australia prior to being translated into French.

Explaining the background to ongoing brand diversification and the creation of The Urbanite Home Phil says:

"Urban Cross Stitch wanted to develop a range that was consistent with the company's founding philosophy and after considerable research and development, we designed a furniture range to harmoniously co-exist with our core textile pieces. With help from Patrick McDonald and Castlereagh Borough Councils’ Evolution Project, Urban Cross Stitch was able to develop “The Urbanite Home” range which specialises in repurposing old objects in original ways, takes items such as discarded oil barrels and crafts them into exquisite modern furniture. Spanning the realm of art and design, items are designed for durability and visual impact. Hopefully, though they also reinforce the importance of repurposing and recycling. I like to think of the designs as injecting life into our environment, both literally and aesthetically, whether they’re featured in a garden or in a postmodern interior space."

The Urbanite Home range has caught the attention of leading London craft organization Craft Central and this has resulted in the company being selected for the Total Fabrication Exhibition - an interactive exhibition of contemporary design for interiors with a material twist. The exhibition is part of London Design Festival 2014.

For further information on Urban Cross Stitch log on to www.urban-cross-stitch.com and to view some of the products produced by The Urbanite Home visit www.theurbanitehome.com

Orbit-Chair,-Mini-Rocker,-Red-Coffee-Table-2.jpg