OUR HISTORY

Discover the journey of the brand

Founded in 2012, we have been on an incredible journey to refine and redefine the value of craft on an international level. Read below about some of our key and most memorable milestones that have helped shape the brand and business.

2010: Where it all began

In 2010 Catherine Lock, Co-founder of The New Craftsmen, went on a road-trip around the British Isles to discover and connect with our craft traditions and heritage, and understand what is being made by hand on our island. Over 5 months, Catherine met with talented makers in the nooks and crannies of Britain - from slipware potters of Devon to fishermen ‘gansey’ knitters of the Outer Hebrides - listening to their story and learning more about the meaning and significance of their craft. What she discovered was a network of distinct craft cultures defined by region, materiality, and history; all making beautiful pieces but with very little opportunity to have their work sold, understood and valued. It was from this journey that The New Craftsmen began.

2012-2014: The Mayfair pop-ups

2011, Catherine was joined by Mark Henderson (Co-founder and Chairman) and Natalie Melton (Co-founder and Managing Director from 2012 to 2018). With their various experiences in craft, they felt that makers needed a more constructive route to market - a platform for their work to be celebrated and their story to be told in an authentic way. There was also a firm belief that there was a growing audience who wanted a more emotional connection to the objects surrounding them in their homes and a desire for the human touch in the creation of them.

The passion & enthusiasm for craft chimed with the values of Grosvenor estates, one of the leading landowners in Mayfair, who offered a succession of pop-up spaces, helping the brand to build a strong and loyal client base who supported the brand mission.

2014 - 2022: Growing a global brand

The New Craftsmen moved into a permanent home on North Row in June 2014. The showroom was a unique space where the progressive presentation of craft could be enlivened and activated further combining product, service and experience. The company, under the leadership of Yelena Ford, started to build a team with a dedicated trade services offer dedicated to the needs of interior designers, architects and boutique hospitality and supported the more ambitious integration of craft into various interiors spaces.

As well as running a showroom and trade service, we undertook ambitious partnerships with brands and places to showcase craft in unexpected ways and grow our brand. This included the Artist’s Retreat at Chelsea Flower Show (2015); showing twice at Decorex International creating a VIP lounge for House & Gardens (2015) and a 4-part installation called Craft House (2016); a groundbreaking collaboration with Burberry to create Maker’s House followed by an experiential campaign - A Home for All - at Selfridges.

Present

In November 2022 The New Craftsmen brand relaunched under the dynamic new stewardship of internationally renowned gallery owner Sarah Myerscough and former TNC Product Director Kathy Lacour, as Managing Director.

Their aim is to introduce exciting, innovative and authentic crafted collections synonymous with the ethos and spirit of this established name in the craft world, a name that has always focused on quality of making by British makers. Their promise is to showcase the most exceptional creative collections within the craft market today, as they move forward to a bright new future.

We look forward to presenting a new craft story, one which embraces cutting edge developments in the industry, engages new audiences, and heralds the value and relevance of craft and the handmade in the interior spaces of today.