Inspired Image: Caroline of Zouzou Design

Hello! The wedding was amazing, the rain stayed away, and I'm back home in Des Moines. I'll share a bit about the wedding tomorrow, but for today I'm jumping right back into regularly scheduled content with an instant heirloom Q&A with Caroline from Zouzou Design. Enjoy!

Where do you live?
I live in Edinburgh in Scotland.

Tell me a little bit about what you make.
I design and make little fabric Russian, Japanese and Scottish dolls, also digital collage bookmarks and brooches using images of the dolls.

How did you decide to start your line of dolls?
I've always liked Russian nesting dolls then a few years ago I discovered Japanese Kokeshi dolls and thought it would be fun to make them in a different medium, fabric instead of the traditional wood.

How did you learn the craft?
I studied fashion and garment construction at college.

Did you have any teachers who became mentors along the way?
I've never actually had a mentor as such, however I have an Etsy shop and find the Etsy community to be a great source of information and inspiration.


How does your creative process work?
I'm never short on ideas for new products and have a concept of what I want to achieve before starting out. When designing a doll for instance, I will begin with the face before making a paper collage, then work on drafting patterns and making calico samples until I get the size and shape I want. Finally I decide on the fabrics I will use.

Where do you find your inspiration?
Like most artists and designers I find inspiration in every day life, however I love fashion and 1950s &60s surface pattern design and they certainly influence my work.

What's the best part of your day?
Although I find I'm more creative in the evening I prefer not to stick too rigidly to routine.

What do you like to do when you're not working on your creations?
When I have time I like to get out of the city and into the lovely countryside outside Edinburgh, also I enjoy reading and catching up with friends.

Do you have a favorite product in your shop right now?
Naturally I like all my products and am always looking to move forward. At the moment I'm working on a digital photomontage print of the Russian dolls which will be in my shop soon.