Up Up Light by Emily Green and Dale Hardiman.

Up Up Light in progress in Emily Green's studio.

Emily Green and Dale Hardiman in Emily's Melbourne studio. Photo - Lucy Feagins/The Design Files.

As far as we're concerned, Melbourne designer Emily Green really can do no wrong.  Since launching her vibrant accessories label just over three years ago, Emily has taken the art of polymer clay (aka FIMO) craft to a whole new level, and has built a seriously impressive little business which now employs three fulltime staff.  Emily's distinctive handmade beaded necklaces have now gathered a loyal following both locally and abroad, and are stocked in over 65 shops across Australia, New Zealand, Italy, the USA and the UK.  We do love a local success story!

So, when these new lights popped up on Emily's instagram feed last week and I must admit my heart skipped a beat.  A collaboration with young Melbourne designer Dale Hardiman, the Up Up light combines Dale's industrial design expertise with Emily's unique hand-rolled polymer beads.  The result is basically the closest thing we can imagine to buying an Emily Green necklace for your HOUSE.  What a stellar collaboration!

Though it may appear relatively simple in its construction, in fact the Up Up light has spent a long time in development.  Dale first contacted Emily in December 2012, initially with an idea to create a slump moulded lampshade using polymer clay. After many emails, meetings and experimentation with materials, spaced out over the past 18 months, the design changed form several times - beginning as a pendant light, then a stacked desk light, and back to a pendant light!

The 'hoods' for the lights were custom designed by Dale, and are locally manufactured - the aluminium and copper hoods are spun in Lilydale, whilst the porcelain hoods are hand thrown in Kilsyth.  Of course, all the polymer clay beads are hand-made in Emily’s Northcote studio, where the final components are assembled.

'In developing the Up Up light, we wanted to work from the same idea as Emily’s beaded necklaces, where we have a basic design that we can develop over time by varying colour palettes, textures and materials' says Dale. 'We really developed the light to work around the beads, so most of the work focused on how we could produce a product that Emily could manufacture from her studio long-term'.

'In all sincerity Dale has been an absolute pleasure to work with!' says Emily of this inspired collab. 'The project has truly been collaborative, in that we have worked together and consulted one another on all elements of the design and development of the light. It’s been a great learning experience to work with someone who has an industrial design background, and has such a broad understanding of materials and processes, as well as a can-do attitude! It has also been a nice change to share the big task of designing / developing / making with another designer'.

The Up Up Light is priced at $249.00.  It will be launching officially at Fitzroy store Dagmar Rousset this Friday, and is available to buy through Emily’s webshop.  Down the track, Emily and Dale do plan to wholesale the lights through select local retailers.

Up Up Light by Emily Green and Dale Hardiman Product Launch
This Friday June 20th, from 6.00pm

Dagmar Rousset 
30 - 32 Easey st
Collingwood

Ps. I promise we will follow up soon with a separate story about Dale - but in the meantime, do check out his other work at LAB DE STU and Dowel Jones... can you believe he's only 22!?

Up Up Light by Emily Green and Dale Hardiman.

Up Up Light by Emily Green and Dale Hardiman.