London’s makers open their doors for winter shopping

The studios of Cockpit Bloomsbury open twice yearly, and when they do, London’s finest craftspeople emerge with their wares. From 27 to 29 November, over 170 artist makers will welcome visitors during Open Studios, a rare occasion to step behind the scenes and encounter the hands that shaped each piece.

Gold catches light differently when you hold it. The sculptural rings in hand glow with deliberate geometry, their architectural shoulders rising from the band with structural precision. Elsewhere, dark tourmaline drops dangle from delicate gold hooks, their matte surfaces pitted with organic texture, or a broad cuff wraps itself in an intricate lattice of gold wire studded with pearls, each one held in place by hand.

Cockpit is a social enterprise offering funded studio space and business support to makers across all disciplines. What distinguishes this event is the chance to hear directly from the craftspeople themselves: their inspiration, their process, the journeys that led them to their work. Jewellers sit alongside ceramicists, fashion accessory makers, textile artists and those working in homewares and beyond, each with their own story embedded in what they create.

The studios at Cockpit Bloomsbury open from noon to 6pm across the two weekends. This is shopping that honours the maker, where each acquisition carries not only beauty but the assurance of direct exchange with the person who conceived and executed it. For those seeking gifts with genuine substance and narrative, or collectors looking to acquire pieces with verifiable craft credentials, these are hours well spent in the company of London’s most considered makers.

Find full details at @cockpitstudios.

Imagery courtesy of Cockpit Bloomsbury (@goldsmithsfair).