John Smedley Mural
A bespoke floor-to-ceiling painted landscape for this iconic British knitwear brand to mark their 240th anniversary.
John Smedley x Melissa White | Meet The Maker
Project Type: FLOOR-to-CEILING ARTWORK
Client: John Smedley Ltd.
Availability: Design used in knitwear and silk scarf
Size: Various according to product
Date: launched May 2024 at London Craft Week
Unveiled at London Craft Week 2024, this collaboration celebrates the legacy and longevity that defines John Smedley. With the joyful task of illustrating the brand’s past and present I revelled in depicting 240 years of innovation and craftsmanship.
My brief was to create a fantasy landscape that captured the feel of the Derbyshire Dales. Gently rolling hills and rivers provide the setting for Lea Mills, the home of John Smedley. But first impressions are deceiving and as you look closer you notice odd patterns, quirky details and strange landforms.
My first visit to the mill left me with a heartfelt appreciation for the familial legacy interwoven within the fabric of the John Smedley brand.
To reflect this, I interweaved recognisable references like merino sheep and sea island cotton plants with more obscure ones that only staff at the factory might recognise. Hence, the distant drum rolling down a hill is the one once used by the mill’s brass band, and the long johns on the line are those John Smedley is credited with having invented. Along with the spinning wheel these are items I spotted in the archive among 10,000 + items that make it the biggest knitwear archive in the world.
