Gabriella Marcella has created Balancing Act – a limited edition series of home sculptures. Stemming from her desire to work with new materials, she began by experimenting with scrap wood in the workshop of the Jan Van Eyck Academie. Process and learning were key aspects in the origination of the works, so Gabriella felt it important to share some of this experience through a set of assembly instructions. She hopes to trigger the "simple yet gratifying act of making”. The method for assembly is simple; after threading wooden parts along a wire, use your intuition to find the precise balancing point. The satisfying result can be displayed throughout the home.

Emer Tumilty’s limited edition print (run of 500) features joyful arcs that join up with imaginary cityscapes which are in turn intercepted by charismatic tubular shapes and scalloped edges. Together they combine to create a sense of movement and excitement. Her illustration is printed on to G . F Smith Zen paper using Pantone Neon inks. “The Local Heroes commission was a great opportunity to translate the geometric forms and bold colour combinations from my mural work into print. I wanted the design to feel vibrant, playful and contemporary, to reflect the work of the designers taking part in the exhibition.”

SÒLAS create sleepwear combining contemporary shapes and custom prints using high-quality fabrics. Their trio of silk sleepmasks with hand ruched bands feature the prints Teal Buttercup, Machair and Rhododendron. Drawing inspiration from the natural environment of Scotland and nostalgic childhood memories, the brand has a focus on minimal design, comfort and modern luxury.

Founded by Pete Sunderland and Ross Baynham in 2014, the Instrmnt studio launched with one simple product: Instrmnt 01, a minimalist steel watch which takes inspiration from the industrial design of the mid-20th century. The layout of Instrmnt 01 – unassembled with tools provided for the customer to build their own watch - has quickly become an iconic part of the brand, and the watch has earned acclaim from the likes of The New York Times, Dezeen, Wallpaper, High Snobiety, and The Sunday Times amongst others. Also being exhibited is a more recent iteration, the K-31 features a brushed silver casing and light grey vegan rubber strap manufactured in Italy.

Kolor are our specially invited guests from Berlin – the co-hosting city for the European Championships. The product design studio run by Tatjana and Uli hold values that are very close to our own at Local Heroes in terms of embracing diversity and variety in design. We admire their commitment to colour and functionalism and are delighted that their candle holder set is part of the exhibition.

The Kolor candle holder and discs are similar to stack and pile children toys – but for adults to mix and match to make their own personal favorite creations. Each set comprises a candle holder made of powder coated steel, (size ø11 cm) with accompanying discs made from powder coated aluminium (size ø 5/7/9/11cm). Every set comes in a preselected mix of colours and there are almost infinite options by adding more discs. Manufactured in Germany.

Laura Spring’s new 'Peas' and ‘Milkky’ prints are part of the designer’s 'The Good Life' collection, which is inspired by her recent research trip to Finland and combines bold shapes and eye-popping colours. These cheerful, modern pouches offer just that little bit of extra room making them an ideal choice for make up-lovers. A fun and playful burst of colour and pattern with a practical waterproof lining.

Dimensions: 17cm (h) x 20cm (w)
Materials: printed cotton duck with a navy 4oz nylon waterproof lining.

Glasgow’s Soizig Carey creates what might be termed modern-mystical artefacts using silver and gold. Her current collection, Estética will be exhibited with Local Heroes. This explores geometric formulas, rotating movements and, principally, the circle. Also on display are Soizig’s Madame earrings – the culmination of her collaboration with designer, Gabriella Marcella of RISOTTO. Soizig describes her work as drawing heavily from publications by artist, designer and inventor, Bruno Munari, and by mathematician and philosopher, Matila Ghyka. “They each explore geometry in art and nature and create visual case studies of shapes.

Scott Crawford draws his inspiration from Scottish architecture, Scandinavian minimalist interior design and the principles of Brutalism. An interior and product designer, Scott has designed a trivet made using poured jesmonite tinted to his own specifications in deep blue which features repeating circular forms and soft sculpted edges. The functional piece may also be used as a stylish plant stand or ornament.

Mhari McMullan is one of a trio of textile designers invited to design a special print for Made In Glasgow by Local Heroes. McMullan’s design brings together a series of handmade marks, symbols and sketches to create a tableau of negative and positive / black and white. The title sgrafitto refers to a form of decoration made by scratching through a surface to reveal a lower layer, typically done in plaster or in slip on ceramics before firing.

“I really like to work in a way that uses the same techniques but different materials - the pattern for this scarf was developed from designs on tiles I made during a residency working with ceramics at Scottish Sculpture Workshops, hence the name sgraffito”

Mhari’s design is printed on cotton voile and is part of a trio produced by the team at The Glasgow School of Art’s Centre For Advanced Textiles (CAT) – a perfect souvenir of Glasgow design and a practical and fun accessory.

Ruth Mitchell is one of a trio of textile designers invited to design a special print for Made In Glasgow by Local Heroes. Mitchell’s Sunset at the Cobbler depicts the Scottish mountain Ben Arthur – better known as ‘The Cobbler’ that is located near the head of Loch Long.

"Since I love the outdoors, I like to use elements of Scotland's nature in my design work but then add my own strange twist. The shapes in the middle are the outline of The Cobbler, but I've used my own colours to make the landscape look more surreal"

Her bold palette of coral, crimson and bright blues are rendered in soft gradients creating an image evocative of a sunset seen through a slight haze of heat and dust. This vivid print is translated to a cotton voile scarf produced in association with The Glasgow School of Art’s Centre For Advanced Textiles (CAT) – a perfect souvenir of Glasgow design and a practical and fun accessory.

Jennifer Kent created the Transit travel blanket especially for Local Heroes – it is designed to be used on the move and keep warm on flights or long drives. The Transit pattern derives from a historical knitting pattern which Jennifer has reinterpreted into a modern graphic design – confident in its simplicity and imbuing a sense of movement with its track-like repeat.

“This idea of using something from the past as a source of inspiration to create something completely new is a common theme in my studio’s work. The super soft quality of extra-fine lambswool fulfills the desire for comfort when travelling and Transit comes neatly packaged in a specially developed zip lock bag to allow you to easily pack away when not in use.”  

The Transit travel blanket has been designed in Jennifer’s studio in Glasgow and manufactured using 100% Super Geelong Lambswool in Shetland. The design comes in three fresh colourways - Navy & Ecru, Skye & Ecru and Flame & Ecru which feature on both sides of the blanket.  This piece is limited edition and only 50 of each colourway will be manufactured.

Cecilia Stamp’s candy coloured, powder coated lapel pins and earrings take their inspiration from Glasgow’s subway system - the third oldest underground system in the world. Cecilia utilises the industrial technique of powder-coating to bring her nuanced flair for colour to the pieces and to reflect the aesthetics of industry and transport at the heart of her commission. Wearers can combine the three complementary colourways of yellow, pink and blue with Cecilia’s lapel pins and earrings. “Consisting of only a circular line, the Subway network faithfully serves Glaswegians and tourists alike and is a part of everyday life. I wanted to use the language of industry to create a wearable accessible jewellery collection that acts as a souvenir of the city”

Run of lapel pins (in 3 colourways), Statement earrings - 3 colourways. Powder coated brass and steel.

Isabella Bunnell is one of a trio of textile designers invited to design a special print for Made In Glasgow by Local Heroes. Isabella is an illustrator and surface pattern designer living and working in Glasgow whose illustrations mix body-politics and bright colours with a sense of humour. For this special commission, her work can be enjoyed in the form of a square cotton voile scarf featuring a group of bathers enjoying a summer day.

“I love using bright colours and including humorous details in my work. Swimming is one of my favourite things to do, especially in the sea. I wanted this design to reflect the serenity you feel after bobbing around the waves and drying on a Scottish beach.”

Isabella’s line-drawings of ladies lounging on rocks or strolling along the beach are crisply printed on a soft peach background punctuated with blue and mustard yellow. The scarf is printed on cotton voile and is part of a trio produced by the team at The Glasgow School of Art’s Centre For Advanced Textiles (CAT). A perfect souvenir of Glasgow design and a practical and fun accessory.

Designed and manufactured in-house, in Glasgow, Banton Frameworks Profile Sunglasses are precision machined from premium Italian acetate and rotationally polished for a high quality satin matte finish. They feature hypoallergenic unipiece temples/arms that are fixed in place using stainless steel rivets with five barrel hinges. Banton Frameworks have designed built their own manufacturing methods to produce the finest eyewear that is “subtly distinctive, not attention grabbing, but it catches your eye”

Gego Sphere Ring
A shaped ring with a mesh pattern which create Moire patterns as the wearer moves around. Bold and sculptural, yet still easy to wear and available in a range of vibrant colours. Materials: 3D printed nylon, hand dyed in the UK. 3D printed nylon is a light, yet strong and slightly flexible material with a matt finish. 2 x 3.5 x 2 cm

Gego Statement Bangle
Sphere shaped statement bangle with a mesh pattern which creates Moire patterns as the wearer moves around. Bold and sculptural, yet still easy to wear and available in a range of vibrant colours. Hand-dyed 3D printed nylon is a light, strong and slightly flexible material with a matt texture. Hand aperture of bangle is 65mm or 69mm, aprox 100mm in diameter

Helio Fan Earrings
Fan shaped stud earrings with a mesh pattern which creates Moire patterns as the wearer moves around. Bold and sculptural, yet still easy to wear and available in a range of vibrant colours. Hand-dyed 3D printed nylon is a light, strong and slightly flexible material with a matt texture. Aprox 4cm across.

The Geo Mini watch by Paulin is classic but unique, with a polished, curved case, a retro-inspired dial and vibrant colour combinations of soft Italian leather straps – including Lavender, Orange and Cobalt. Paulin watches are designed in-house by sisters Eleanor, Elizabeth and Charlotte Paulin‎ inspired by their great grandfather; George Henry Paulin, a distinguished sculptor who worked throughout both World Wars across London and Glasgow. Established in late 2014, after 2 years of development, this contemporary design company specialises in high quality, design-led watches. Paulin source materials and components from all over the world, with a focus on supporting British manufacturers and using environmentally sustainable practises. Situated in Glasgow’s west end is the Paulin workshop, a creative space that acts as an office, shop, studio and leather workshop

Included in our exhibition is Paulin’s MoMA Exclusive Geo Mini. The dial’s bespoke numerals are inspired by Art Deco typefaces, expressed with perfect circles, straight lines and gaps and typography specially designed by typography by Imogen Ayres. Its compact size is suited to people with smaller wrists, or fans of discreetly sized timepieces. The Geo Mini has a Quartz Miyota movement, flat sapphire-coated glass and stainless steel case.

Materials: Stainless steel, Japanese Miyota Quartz movement.
Strap: Vegetable-tanned leather
Size Case: 28mm diam
Movement: Quartz MiyotaGlass: Flat sapphire coated
Water resistance: 5ATM
Case: 316L stainless steel
Case diameter: 28mm
Case thickness: 7mm
Strap width: 12mm

Glasgow based, Sicilian born designer Giulia Fiorista has brought the maximalism and imagination Italian design is so well known for to this exciting new commission for Made in Glasgow by Local Heroes. Le Zite [Sicilian for The Girlfriends] is a collection of 5 illustrations depicting the loves of legendary Italian designer Ettore Sottsass (1917–2007). Each drawing tenderly imagines how Barbara, Bobitza or Lina may have looked during the time period of their love affairs with Sottsass and is vividly translated into a soft, lightweight silk square. Elegant and enigmatic, the Le Zite collection of scarves by Giulia Fiorista is a dreamlike homage to a design hero.

Green Thomas were invited by Local Heroes to respond to two specially created palettes which they translated into one of their signature knits using bold blocks of colour mixed with micro patterns. The LOCAL scarf combines khaki, red, pink, blue and grey while HERO combines an electric range of summer blues, flame orange and mustard. “The Local Heroes commission allowed us to explore our love of colour. We wanted the two new colourways to have a unique mix of contemporary shades that combine to create something new and fresh.” Working with their trusted factory in the Scottish borders the duo have created a large, luxury size scarf, large enough to wrap around and around, travel with or drape over your favourite chair.

For Local Heroes, Trakke designed a new interpretation of their Banana bumbag in a special Salt & Pepper fabric made using stinging nettles that was first pioneered by the Swiss Army. “It’s a beautiful fabric but it represents something more. It’s iconic; a feat of wartime innovation and a design classic which blends function, style and weather-resistance with sustainability.” The twisted yarn used creates a mottled, almost camouflaged effect perfect for a product that’s smaller than a bag, but bigger than your pockets. The Trakke Banana bumbag sits close to the hip when worn on the waist and safely slung under one arm as a crossbody bag. Stow away your toolkit or hiking rations in the main compartment, and hide away your valuables in the concealed compartment on the back – perfect for a passport when you are on your travels.

Designers Rebecca Coyle of Love & Squalor and Alice Dansey-Wright have been invited to create a collaborative piece that captures the city’s sense of style as well as its weather. Their Glasgow Raincoat is illustrated with distinctive hand-drawn weather motifs by Alice while the coat’s shape and cut have been carefully designed by Rebecca. Together, the two designers selected fabric, decided on detailing and produced a prototype.

“The print of the raincoat is inspired by both Glasgow’s architecture and weather. Looking up at the buildings in and around the city centre and beyond there exists many meteorological references: suns, moons, ships, seasons – and a Glasgow raincoat would not be complete without a celebration of our beautiful but wet city!”

Working closely together – both designers have their shop, studio and homes only a 10 minute walk away from one another in Glasgow’s west end – the pair have developed a raincoat that complements the pared back, workwear style that has been developed at Love & Squalor and one which celebrates Alice’s large-scale, bold print. The raincoat is also one-size and unisex.

“We’d like the owner to feel that they possess a unique Glasgow design item – inspired by the city itself and designed and manufactured locally. The raincoat will only be available as a limited edition item so it’s rather special.”