Charlotte Kidger At Browns South Molton Street

From the 5th August 2020, Charlotte Kidger will transform the windows of our flagship South Molton Street boutique into a display case for Browns’ most iconic accessories. “If I think about the word iconic, it’s something that has been pioneering and influential to everything that follows thereafter,” the London-based artist says, an ethos that is reflected in her work, both in terms of its aesthetic and the conscious process she has developed. Already in high demand, Kidger’s impressive résumé includes working with friend (and Browns favourite) Bethany Williams and exhibiting at Make Hauser & Wirth in Somerset. Below we get better acquainted with this exciting young artist.

On becoming an artist…
Once I left my undergraduate course, I soon realised that the physical hands-on part of the creative process was something I really needed. It’s hard to describe, but I have always been obsessed with colour and materials and the narratives you can create with them. I decided to study an MA in Material Futures at CSM. We were taught to do research through making and this methodology has very much stayed with me and made my practice what it is today.

On materials and colours…
At the moment, I work specifically with a combination of plastic dust (collected as waste from CNC factories in the UK that make 3D plastic models) and hand-dyed resin. What’s great is that factories are now seeing their waste as a valuable resource to artists and designers, and they’re beginning to take responsibility for how they can reduce, reuse and recycle their waste streams.

I’ve always had quite a strong eye for colour and really enjoy playing with how it can be applied. I tend to be inspired when I’m mixing my colours. I’ll start adding the pigments and see them clash at first, then slowly mix together. I then take a photo and save for future reference.

On the importance of sustainability…
When I started my MA in 2016, I was becoming more aware of the shifts in material choices, requirements, and the heavy research and development that was being done into what things are made from and the processes behind them. Given that waste streams and the need for more sustainable materials was a central talking point, I decided it was only right to work with materials that already existed. A design challenge became very clear and my journey started there.

On her inspirations…
I’m often inspired when in nature, especially in terms of colour and texture. By contrast, I’m also influenced by quite industrial forms. I think the simple, bold forms of my pieces allows room for the attention to be focused on the materials themselves.

On the installation for Browns…
When the team contacted me to collaborate on a window display, I felt it was a great chance to develop some existing pieces that already fitted the “iconic” theme. The corrugated circular forms and broken textured edges have been referred to as Greek ruins before, and it’s always something I wanted to push further as a narrative and concept. The project with Browns has been one of the most fun yet as the colour palette really varies across all six windows.

Charlotte’s 19-piece sculptural installation will hold iconic accessories from the likes of Gucci, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and many more at Browns South Molton Street from Wednesday 5th August to Monday 7th September 2020.

Words by Sophy Davis Russell