Karen Nicol is known for designing for Clements Ribiero, Marcus Lupfer and Jasper Conran and so we were thrilled when she designed some pieces for People Tree’s Spring/Summer 2010 Collection. People Tree founder Safia Minney caught up with her in her workshop to discuss her extensive career, the importance of craft, and the collection’s hand knitted production in Nepal.

SAFIA MINNEY How did you become aware and interested in People Tree?

KAREN NICOL I’m a visiting professor at the Royal College of Art and People Tree’s work came up from the students, when in the first year they took on a project on the theme of “social issues”. Textiles can often be concentrated on the detail and these projects help students look more widely.

SAFIA When did you start making or designing clothes?

KAREN At the age of 14 my mother said she’d never buy me and my sister clothes again. She gave us each a basic block (pattern) so we could adapt it to design and make our own clothes and bought us any fabric we wanted from the market. It was really empowering – we could buy cheap fabrics, end of rolls, leftovers, that kind of thing and we always had original clothes.

SAFIA What do you do in your own life to be green and ethical?

KAREN Much of our shopping is at car boot sales – I trawl through old boxes and find the most wonderful things and materials that other people don’t have. We recycle a lot too. And we buy what we can at the local farmers market – it’s such a joy to see the quality of the fresh fruit and flowers.

SAFIA What would you hope to achieve working with Kumbeshwar Technical School in Nepal and working with their hand knitting skills?

KAREN When we are designing and producing things here in my studio we all sit chatting and gossiping and I think the same is happening in Nepal, where they’re making the same things! I think it’s wonderful. I love the whole human interaction that producing craft brings.

SAFIA Could craft be used as a new way to advocate for change?

KAREN Yes I hope so. I’ve worked with a lot of initiatives in the past, but the products are always beautiful but too ethnic to have a large market in the West. That’s why I love what People Tree do, making really desirable clothes whilst helping the artisans to help themselves.

SAFIA What inspired your Spring collection with People Tree?

KAREN “Stumpwork” of the seventeenth century – an embroidery technique using detached buttonhole stitch, the stitches are padded to give a three dimensional effect – very popular in Britain during King Charles reign. I love nature, so I went with a flower and fruit theme and am so delighted that women have the skills to be able to do this work all by hand in Nepal. I was so thrilled to see the samples!