OUR STORY
Silk & Sorcery founder Jo Mcdonald has a blended career, forging skills in both event floristry and the art departments of the film industry. With 15 years freelancing for some of London’s most famous and prestigious florists, and 8 years in film industry art departments for TV, cinema and commericals. Set dressing, set building, prop making and styling. Combining these skillsets to transform spaces. Jo has always preferred to hand make the things she wears, gifts, or adorns her home with. Forever inspired by the possibilities that lie within quality, natural materials. She has combined her adoration of flowers, plants and the natural world, with her passion for handcrafting, using the skills she has acquired in her fields. Delivering unique and unforgettable floral installations, backdrops & props. Along with these sustainably plant dyed pieces of textile craftsmanship. Talismans of nature. Something to keep once your wedding bouquet has withered back to the earth. Our home decor creatively bringing the natural world into your home to cheerish, and ode to these ancient natural dye practices.
THE HISTORY OF COLOUR
Humans have coloured they’re crafts long before the invention on synthetic dyes. These ancient practices of extracting colour from the natural world began thousands of years ago. Some such as indigo dye goes back as far as 6000 years.
The curiosities we create are inspired by these traditions, whilst constantly learning and evolving. Experimenting to find new natural materials, creating lush palettes signature hues, textures and patterns. By extracting pigments and tannins from roots, nuts, berries, flowers, tree bark and foliage to name a few. Many of which are foraged locally or grown in our garden. We are always looking to discover New Zealand native dye materials too, our native flora is abundant with colour. It feels like true alchemy. Immortalising these ephemeral materials into textile talismans. While respecting mother earth in the process.
Our silk ribbons are talismans of nature. Something to keep once your wedding bouquet has withered back to the earth. Our home decor creatively brings the natural world into your home to cheerish, an ode to these ancient practices.