Q & A with Issy Granger, Designer and Founder of Issy Granger

What do you love most about the brand you’ve created? 

I love that at Issy Granger, we design all of our own products so everything we make is unique to us. 

Have you always wanted to work in this industry?

Yes, I have always loved interiors and homewares and been keen to work in the industry. I think perhaps it goes right back to being a small child and creating furniture out of egg boxes for my Sylvanian families!  

What are you most proud of? 

I am proud of how the company has grown in the last three and a bit years. It has definitely been challenging at times but it is a journey I am extremely proud of and one that is still continuing! 

What advice would you give to someone keen to start a business but unsure where to begin?

Ask lots of questions. I have found that on the whole people love giving advice and sharing stories about how they started their own companies. The more people you speak to the more you’ll learn and will be able to gauge how best to start your own.

My own personal advice would be to set yearly targets and make sure you stick to them. Whilst the company might evolve and change it is good to have a plan that you can keep checking to make sure that you are heading in the right direction.

Who is one of your biggest inspirations – either professionally or personally?

My parents – both professionally and personally. My father has led the way in teaching me the importance of hard work and determination and my mother, as an artist, has been inspiring in showing me that you don’t have to take a conventional career path. They both inspire and encourage me daily.

If you could attribute your success to anyone who gave you your big break?

I don’t think there is exactly one person in particular, lots of people have helped in so many different ways. However, not long after I had launched my first collection of candlesticks, Gabby Deeming at House & Garden included the entire collection in their July/August issue and the result was instantaneous! So I am extremely grateful to her. 

What’s the hardest thing about your job?

It never stops! 

Which part of your job do you most enjoy?

Designing new products is definitely my favourite part. It’s when I can be truly creative and have fun exploring different ideas. There’s also nothing more exciting than when the finished piece arrives after all the months (and sometimes years!) of work and they are ready to be shown to the world!

Do you find it easy to balance work and play?

I am slowly getting better at it! Learning to switch off is definitely a bit of a challenge. When I first launched the company it was a 24/7 job but now I am beginning to separate my weekends from the working week.

Structure is important and giving yourself time to take a break will of course enable you to work better and more efficiently during working hours. It’s a tricky balance to get right – I am still learning!

Latest News from ISSY GRANGER:

The latest launch from Issy’s inspiring brand is a brand new ceramic trio inspired by the designer’s love of Ancient Greece and Roman art and pottery.

Issy’s childhood love of this historical era grew into an admiration for the strength of design and creation in their statues, sculptures and figures as Issy’s interest in art and design developed. In recent years, Issy would often find herself in the almost deserted (post COVID) British Museum, wandering through the Greek and Roman section being reminded of the stories she had so often heard as a child. It was here Issy came across a Roman plinth dating back to 100AD and was struck by the lively, musical characters of Marsyas and Mytro. The same figures who now proudly feature in the new collection. 

A key element of the collection, The Marsyas Jug, features an exciting collaboration with leading portrait artist and winner of the Young Artist Award at the BP Portrait Awards, Jamie Coreth, who re-imagined one of the figure’s form and dress. Jamie, who recently painted the first portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, also happens to be Issy’s fiancé so it was an exciting project for the young creative couple to work on together. 

Of the launch, Issy Granger said, “I wanted to combine my love of antiquity with modern craft and revive the ancient tradition of sharing myth and legend through ceramics. These pieces are designed to be more than just a piece of homeware, they offer their owners a unique opportunity to welcome a piece of art from that magical era into their home.”