Read the interview by Darren Clanford of Material Source

Chatting to Ella Doran designer, photographer, and mark-maker.

Read the full interview at Material Source

Watch the conversation replay of 'What We Need Now'

Replay Ella Doran and jewellery designer Sian Evans as they discuss what we need as people and small businesses to survive and even thrive moving forward in this moment.

Moderated by Charlene C Lam, NYC-LDN content consultant and curator of The Creative Edit.

A conversation with East London designers Sian Evans and Ella Doran, with curator and creative business consultant Charlene C Lam of The Creative Edit. Part of the Shoreditch Design Triangle during London Design Festival 2020.

Redesign and Reuse: Ella Doran, Duncan Riches, Sophie Thomas, Urban Upholstery

‘Clean Up Plastic Camo Chair’ revealed at Solid Floor East

Ella Doran and Urban Upholstery join forces to showcase their stunning ‘Clean Up Plastic Camo chair’ viewable at Solid Floor East during Shoreditch Design Triangle 2020

Urban Upholstery and Ella Doran have celebrated the circular economy and material re-use and re-design by giving new life to old furniture for over 10 years.
The project started with an abandoned chair from the streets of Hackney. The chair was de-constructed back to its core frame and re-upholstered during Shoreditch Design Triangle 2018 live at The Old Bank Vault art gallery, alongside a group of school children from Shoreditch Park School.

Clean Up Plastic Camo chair Thames London.

7a Ezra Street,
London E2 7RH,
UK VIEW ON MAP

Mon - Fri 10 - 6 pm Sat 12 - 6 pm Sun 10 - 2 pm

The textile design was born from a further collaboration between Ella and Sophie Thomas.
The design depicts waste plastic collected by Sophie from beaches around the world. Together they created artful arrangements of these almost jewel-like pieces. Ella photographed them to then create the textile design, the nature of which is only revealed under close inspection.
The fabric tells the negative back-story of plastic pollution with a new message of re-use and hope.

Visit the showroom at Solid Floor during the festival to view the chair in all its splendour. The chair is available to buy as a unique one-off piece and we welcome further commissions, just get in touch.


There will be a podcast discussing the full story of the chair and the textile at 3pm on September 14th, featuring everyone involved, from Ella Doran and Sophie Thomas to Andrea and Patrizia of Urban Upholstery, as part of the Shoreditch Design Triangle podcast series.

from sheep to seat, fleece to floor at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park

From Sheep to Seat, Fleece to Floor follows the journey of sheep wool, from shearing to scouring, design to spinning, to create an exhibition of beautiful bespoke furniture, furnishings and photographic prints, all of which are available to buy. An homage to local products, suppliers and processes, the exhibition highlights the importance of the circular economy in reducing waste and sustaining livelihoods and traditions.

Following a residency at the Park in 2016, which culminated in new product ranges for YSP Shop, Doran worked with the Park’s neighbouring farmer to amass wool from the sheep that reside in the Country Park. After scouring by Haworth Scouring, the wool was transformed by British manufacturers, Camira and Alternative Flooring, and features Doran’s Waterlake design, a distinctive and colourful pattern which mirrors the movement of the lakes and plant life at YSP. The exhibition is accompanied by a short film by Paul Wyatt.

Both British Wool and Campaign for Wool are our project sponsors, along side Camira Fabrics and Alternative Flooring, follow Ella’s journey on instagram @elladorandesigner, as she develops the work, and visit this website for updates and information for the exhibition opening 15th June 2019.

You can watch a short trailer here!