"Homeware is something we have been designing slowly and thoughtfully." Shrimps' founder Hannah Weiland tells Hello! Fashion, of her new capsule tablescaping range which launched this month.
"It started around 2021 when we designed some beautiful knitted blankets and hot water bottles." These were a big success for the brand during the pandemic, "I wanted to design more pieces however I didn't want to rush the process. Fortunately with homeware time is on your side, as all the pieces are seasonless," she explained.
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"Aina Carafi photographed the pieces in this beautiful, traditional setting," Hannah explains.
Hannah and her team spent time developing ideas and perfecting the designs, with no obvious deadlines which was, "a fun change compared to the fast paced fashion seasons," she says. The designer shot to fame after leading the conversation on cruelty free fashion with her quirky range of faux-fur coats back in 2013. This winter she is planning on wearing, "The Dexter Trench coat, it is our first ever trench style and I am loving wearing it."
Now her cult favourite brand’s new offering is not a coat but instead the 'Alvaro Tableware Set' which includes four placemats representing the Hannah’s four favourite meals of the day; 'Eggs' for breakfast, 'Pasta' for lunch, 'Cake' for afternoon tea and of course 'Shrimps' for dinner.
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Hannah Weiland photographed by Lily Bertrand-Webb
"I love setting the table, my husband normally cooks and I do all the decor and take it very seriously." Hannah’s husband is Arthur Guinness, a scion of the Guinness brewing dynasty, they share a two-year-old son, named Marlowe, "Now I have Shrimps placemats, it is even more fun to lay the table. I particularly love laying a beautiful breakfast table, we try to eat breakfast as a family (with our toddler) most mornings, and having a vase of beautiful flowers and crocheted placemats on the table make it even more enjoyable, even if it is very early in the morning."
The placemats feature an organic colour palette
Inspired by traditional Catalan table settings, the designs feature an organic colour palette and natural materials, "I love traditional table settings, and looking at other cultures and understanding how they do things," Hannah reveals, "I love the natural materials used, the earthy tones, and the beautiful simplicity to it."
The 'Shrimps' placemat represents Hannah's favourite shrimp tacos
So of course, the placemats with their boldly crafted food names in hand crocheted bobbles, (a Shrimps knit technique that they use throughout their collections) boast a esoteric humour that the Shrimps brand is known for…. and we had to know exactly what each one represented? "Eggs - Boiled with marmite soldiers, Pasta - Spaghetti Aglio e olio, Cake - A Victorian sponge cake with fresh strawberries and cream, Shrimps - Shrimp Tacos, always!" Hannah happily confirms.
When can we come over for dinner?
The collection is available exclusively on www.shrimps.com
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