Kate Banazi and Joanna Fowles · Line On The Side

Cushions by Line On The Side - a new collborative project by Sydney textile designer  Joanna Fowles and screenprinting queen Kate Banazi!  Photo - Phu Tang.

Kimono by Line On The Side. Photo - Phu Tang.

Line On The Side studio details. Photo - Phu Tang.

Kate hangs a newly dyed blanket up to dry.  Photo - Phu Tang.

Joanna Fowles in her Rosebery studio, with a stack of beautiful L.O.T.S cushions.  Photo - Phu Tang.

After our interview with incredible Sydney textile designer Joanna Fowles on Friday, we're following up today with a separate post about Joanna's newest project - a collaboration with fellow textile designer and screenprinting queen Kate Banazi!  Line On The Side (or L.O.T.S for short) is their unique collaborative project, born out of a mutual passion for hand-craftsmanship, screenprinting and textile design, and connected, to some extent, by instagram! 'We were both bizarrely following each other on instagram, and then randomly met in The Standard Store in Surry Hills last August' explains Joanna. 'We hit it off, and the idea of a collaboration blossomed. Now she can’t get rid of me, we share a studio space, and a collaborative idea has now become a business'. L.O.T.S' first product range inludes a collection of seriously stunning hand dyed, hand made cushions, blankets and kimonos! 'The collection will grow and evolve, with no set product, technique or season' says Kate. 'We just want to keep collaborating, experimenting and creating'. All L.O.T.S items are designed with a meticulous attention to detail by Jo and Kate in their Rosebery studio, and made in Australia with an emphasis on fostering relationships with local skilled makers. We asked Kate Banazi a few more questions about this inspired new project -

How did L.O.T.S come about, and what was your original creative vision for this project?

We both wanted to collaborate, and the idea of producing small batches, or L.O.T.S formed. 'Line On The Side' as a name seemed to sum this up. Each item we produce is a limited edition considered piece. We wanted to create beautiful products, combining our love of print, but unlike the other work we both do, this is a project with no constraints other than ensuring each piece fulfils a mutual aesthetic, and is made locally. We don’t want to produce great quantities, even if something is a pre-ordered product, there will only be a small amount made.

Both you and Jo have very distinct printing styles – how do you mesh these two styles for L.O.T.S?

Through lots of discussion and experimentation. We have spent months developing our ideas together. Everything is structured 50:50 - we make all creative decisions together. At present we are focused on hand dye methods, and we plan to expand on this as we evolve and utilise our shared love of screen printing on some pieces. We do not feel limited by product, technique or season - the whole idea of this project has been to produce small batches of what we like, when we can, and to take the opportunity to work with local makers to help us see our ideas take shape. L.O.T.S can be purchased online at lineontheside.com, and is sold exclusively at Koskela in Sydney.

Kate Banazi pricing the latest batch of L.O.T.S cushions.  Photo - Phu Tang.

L.O.T.S studio details.  Photo - Phu Tang.

L.O.T.S cushions in the studio.  Photo - Phu Tang.

A well earned cuppa in the studio!  Photo - Phu Tang.