Celebrating summer on the terrace with Olivia Sewell
In conversation with Olivia Sewell
Soutine’s terrace gets an artistic glow-up this season: Olivia Sewell, the creative mind behind our new look, tells us more…
This summer, our terrace is channelling the special relationship between Parisian café culture and artistic expression, with a selection of limited edition napkins, coasters and menus created by artist-designer Olivia Sewell. Her playful designs are perfect for relaxed summer days, tipping their hat to artists like Matisse and Chagall, while retaining a fresh and contemporary spirit. She shares the details…
Tell us about this collaboration?
France is one of the main themes within my work, especially Paris and the South of France: the food, the lifestyle, the je ne sais quoi. With Soutine’s French influences and artistic back story, it felt like the perfect combination. Plus, at the start of this year, I began working on my first collection of tablecloths, so the timing felt serendipitous. I’ve also designed a picnic tote which will be filled with local goodies to take away – ideal for lazy afternoons in the park.
What appeals to you about café culture?
Oh, I do love a café. Coffee, friends, people watching, good food, a glass of rosé in the sunshine. A place I feel very at home. Formal or informal: a good café is whatever you want it to be. I spent a little time in my early twenties working in a tiny café in Byron Bay, Australia, and adored my time there. There’s something very romantic about café culture.
What was the starting point for your designs?
I delved into the history of the restaurant, looking into its namesake, French-Russian painter Chaïm Soutine, plus the stories behind the paintings on the wall and the area’s artistic heritage. I also considered the menu and everyone’s favourite Soutine dishes. And then I focused on the location – nestled in the middle of St John’s Wood, just around the corner from lovely leafy Regent’s Park. There was so much inspiration – it was narrowing down the subjects and motifs that was the tricky part.
‘These designs were all about keeping things foodie, playful and chic. I wanted the pieces to really highlight the thought-out details of the restaurant itself, from the little lamps you see perched on the bar to its famous ‘Coupe Lucian’ dessert…”: Olivia Sewell
How would you describe your overall design style?
Playful, spontaneous, effortless. I actually started painting by using a long stick with a paint brush taped to the end of it (in true Matisse style!). This was back when painting was still just a hobby. It was during this time that I realised how much I loved the ‘mistakes’ in paintings, the ink blobs and lines that shouldn’t be there but somehow complete the artwork. It’s about character over perfection, and lines painted on a whim.
Where does your daily inspiration come from?
Books, travel, food and favourite artists (think Picasso, Matisse, Warhol, Chagall). Funnily enough, I also find a lot of inspiration from the artwork my children make. I love their imaginations and how they portray objects and animals on paper. It’s so naive and fun.
Tell us about your own dining table at home?
Whether we’re eating inside or out, my favourite way of dressing it is to throw a big tablecloth over it and lay it with all of our mismatched crockery and napkins, cutlery and candles. Flowers are fun; I also like a big bowl of lemons or oranges. It’s never overly formal as I don’t want anyone to ever worry about spilling their drink.
What have been some of your most unusual commissions?
The most unusual project I’ve worked on was to create labels for tuna tins for a couple getting married at an old (and very romantic) tuna fishing port in Sicily. Each tin had the guest’s names on the outside with little gummy fish sweeties and the table numbers on the inside. Commissions like these mean my days are busy, varied and very full but that’s just the way I like it.
Soutine x Olivia Sewell terrace will be launching on Monday, 16th June. Sign up to our newsletter to be one of the first to hear about our exclusive picnic tote bag and summer campaign.
