Polly Dickens
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RankingIndustry Expert
- Home is London
- Joined 13th December
- Viewed 33417 times
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About Polly Dickens
Creative Director of the Conran Shop, Polly Dickens inspires and surprises, with a Shop that is innovative and fresh, but always remains reassuringly familiar.
Polly Dickens
Following her appointment in 2004 Polly Dickens has been leading The Conran Shop team in rediscovering and reinterpreting the unique spirit of the UK’s leading design retailer. Her challenge is to build on the heritage, quality and integrity of the Conran brand and add real contemporary relevance.
Polly has a clear feeling for what is right and what is wrong, working on instinct rather than sales analysis. Her first ever job 25 years ago was as a buying assistant at The Conran Shop, she soon proved to be a natural, and a close working partnership with Priscilla Conran enhanced her innate aptitude and eye for exciting product.
Throughout her career to date Polly has helped shape the fashion and homewares landscape, working with leading retail brands including Liberty and The Source and providing consultancy for Armani, Crate & Barrell and Monsoon Home. She has travelled from Japan to India to source the most stylish buys and seek out the cleverest design inspirations. Her most recent role was as Design Director for Anthropologie in the USA before returning to the UK to rejoin The Conran Shop as Creative Director.
Design Tips
To make your table stand out when entertaining guests -make sure it's glamorous but not formal - the best looks are about the way things are mixed together. Right now pattern is hot, especially mixed in with simpler pieces - try black ceramic, which is another strong trend. There's also a lot of handcrafted pieces coming through. Look out for The Conran Shop's textured china 'wonkiware' in 'Black Lace' (£10.95 for a side plate), and our new 'Black Tulip' printed ceramics (£19.95 for a cup and saucer). The two very different techniques make for an amazing clash.
Lighting Tips
Candlelight is the best way to create atmosphere. Sprinkle a big bag of tea lights over your table for an inexpensive solution. Or for more of an investment piece check out our 'Drop' pendant by Cristian Cubina, which has large light bulbs with tiny LED filaments that don't feel like electric light. Hang it low over your table. Ingo Maurer also produces beautiful pendants, great for making a statement.
Candelabras - Every different shape and sort are big news. It's all about candlelight, but creating it in an interesting way. Think statement pieces that will last through Christmas, like the hurricane lamps from the Conran Shop (£39.95 each).
Repetition - The fussiness has gone from the table and the new look is much more graphic. Try a long row of one piece. An inexpensive way to do this is to line up candles - I like the Conran Shop emerald green cone candles for a festive feel (£4.95 per pair).
