Introducing Lois Callis-Smith, designer & maker behind Punto Belle
Other than buying fabric, one of the best things about this year’s Handmade Fair at Hampton Court was meeting new designers and retailers. At the event, it was an absolute pleasure to meet the exciting new designer and maker, Lois Callis-Smith who, having built her business and brand from scratch, is the proud and deservedly successful owner of Punto Belle.
Firstly, I’m curious to know where Lois got the name Punto Belle from. She explains. “When it came to deciding a company name I wanted something that was quirky and had a ring to it. I spent quite a while trying to find the right name. Punto Belle means ‘beautiful stitch’ in Spanish. “
It matches perfectly with beautiful and striking fabrics which Lois designs before using them exclusively to make her own handbags, make up and travel bags and gadget cases from her home studio on the outskirts of Leeds.
I caught up with Lois, fresh from the success of the Handmade Fair and asked her how the weekend went for Punto Belle. “The Handmade Fair was amazing,” she told me. “Probably the best craft/gift event I have ever attended. The atmosphere was fantastic, all the visitors generally seemed like that they were having a great time and loving learning new skills and crafts through the workshops and seminars happening throughout the different tents within the fair. I was so impressed that I have signed up for next years, which I am already super excited for.”
Lois at this years Handmade Fair at Hampton Court
I could not be happier for Lois. In a sea of artisans and makers, her bold, bright and daring designs shouted out to me at the fair. Seeing how polished and unique her stand was, I was interested to know where Lois had started and how she got to where she is today.
“I have always been a very creative person,” she explained. “When I was a young girl I’d get asked what it was that I wanted to be when I grew up. I would always reply ‘I want to be an artist’. The idea of making a living from doing what I love the most was such a dream for me. I worked my way through school and college, studying as many creative subjects as possible, before realising that textiles would be my creative path in life. I went on to study textile design at University, focusing on print and incorporating my passion for working in 3D and sculpture.”
And so in 2012 Punto Belle was born but it was quite a different path that Lois started on to what we now see today.
“In the beginning the business looked a lot different than it does today. I mainly focused on free-machine embroidery - making appliquéd tote bags and purses, along with framed embroidered abstract artwork and sewn cards. I experimented with different processes and sewing skills before I really started to focus on the travel accessories.”
“I read a lot of books and watched a lot of online tutorials to learn how to make all kinds of bags and accessories; I eventually dropped all of the embroidered work and moved on to making a collection of bags and accessories using printed cotton fabrics."
As it is her own designs that make Punto Belle so unique, I was interested to know at what point Lois decided to design her own textiles. She explains, “For a long time I struggled to find designs that I really liked and that reflected my personality. I’m a lover of bright, bold, statement fabrics with clean, sharp, lines and geometric repetition but the design that I craved so much just did not exist. So I did something that I wished I had done from the start and that was design my own. My first collection of fabrics, ‘Go Geometric’, was released in August 2013. As the title suggests, the designs were inspired by my favourite kind of pattern – geometric."
Make Up Bag from the Go Geometric Collection
“This was the first time that I had ever designed and produced digitally printed fabrics,” she continues. “Until then I was used to the traditional method of print, such as screen printing, stencil printing and batik. Finding a digital print producer was something that I took my time with; to make sure I found the right one. It was very important that the colours were bright and the lines were crisp.”
Since then, Lois hasn’t looked back as the impact of using her own textiles has had a great impact on the success of Punto Belle.
“Since designing my own fabrics business has rocketed. I had no idea how strong the impact would be. My small business transformed into a real brand, with people recognising my work through my fabric designs and my handmade products. My fabrics gave me a voice and I wasn’t afraid of shouting about it. “
What happened next for Lois is what every small business owner dreams of. “The last year has been such a success for me. I’ve been able to quit my boring 9-5 office job and fully focus on Punto Belle, which really was the icing on the cake.” She adds, “I achieved my life goal, my childhood dream; I became a full time artist, at last.”
Lois now works full-time in her home studio
So now Lois designs and makes all her textiles and products in her beautifully inspiring home studio in Cookridge, just on the outskirts of Leeds in West Yorkshire. “I am lucky enough to have a spare room and I have converted that into my creative space.” Lois said, “My studio is actually the biggest room in the house and, of course, the most important. After all, it is where I spend almost all of my time. The best part of having the studio in my house is the fact that, in winter, I can go to work in my cat onesie.”
Work in progress in Lois' home studio
When I first met Lois I was so bowled over by her designs and I had projects starting to form in my head. Her designs were everything I look for in a fabric – bold designs and an abundance of colour. If I’m honest, when I realised her textiles weren’t for sale, I was so disappointed. However, getting to know Lois and her business better, I understand why her designs are exclusive to Punto Belle. I ask her how important exclusivity is to the success of her business and she explains.
“I get asked by the public all the time if they can buy my fabrics and when I say I’m sorry but I do not sell them I do get a lot of sad and also puzzled looks. My decision to keep my fabrics exclusive to me was an easy one to be honest. I love that my fabrics are unique to me - it makes my work even more special and my customers love the idea of owning and gifting something that can’t be found elsewhere.”
“I see the same fabrics being used over and over again and I didn’t want to fall down that hole. The thing that I love most about having exclusive fabrics is that when I’m at gift fairs and craft shows I can 100% guarantee that no one else will have the same fabrics as me. It is that individualism and uniqueness that really drives me. It’s what makes me stand out from the crowd.”
And Punto Belle really does stand out from the crowd indeed. With designs that give her products such an exclusive look, I’m interested to know where Lois gets her inspiration from.
“When designing a new collection I always start with a theme in mind and I usually have visions of what they’ll look like before I even start. It generally doesn’t take too long to design them as I really enjoy it and I don’t do it very often, so I really knuckle down and allow myself to let go and go with the flow of the designs, so to speak.”
“I always design 3 fabrics per collection, which come to think of it is a rather unusual thing for me to do as I always do things in even numbers.”
Lois' first Collection for Punto Belle: Go Geometrics for Spring/Summer 2013
Lois' follow up Collection for Punto Belle: Deco for Autumn/Winter 2013
Lois’ Spring/Summer 2014 Floral Frenzie designs are a lot more soft and gentle than her first Collection, Go Geometric. I ask if this is a conscious move away from geometrics.
“My floral fabric collection was very difficult for me to design and took the longest out of all my fabrics in the past,” Lois explains. “I am not a huge fan of floral fabrics to be honest and I have always avoided drawing flowers because I think they are very predictable and they do not excite me as much as, say, a heavily geometric pattern would. I know floral fabrics are very popular; they always are, so I wanted to create a floral collection but with a Punto Belle twist.”
Floral Frenzie Collection for Spring/Summer 2014
“By using numerous contrasting bright colours, thick line work and a busy overlapping composition, it still allowed the floral fabrics to reflect my personal style of pattern making. Overall, I’m very pleased with the way they look and my decision to design the floral fabrics was very welcomed as this whole collection has been extremely popular since the day it was released.”
With a number of Collections under her belt, is there a more popular design, I ask. Lois replies, “From my first collection the most popular fabric was ‘Candy Crush’, until this summer when I released the floral fabrics and since then ‘Sunshine’ and ‘Waves’ have been extremely popular."
Recently, Lois had been working on her new Collection for Autumn/Winter 2014 and she is extremely excited for her new fabrics. You can almost feel her excitement as she discusses them!
“The theme for this collection is based on the favourite childhood magic stick, the Kaleidoscope. The Kaleidoscope expresses everything I love most within pattern - reflection, symmetry and geometry. I've had great fun designing them. I have had the idea for Kaleidoscope fabrics in my head for so long; it feels great to finally get them onto fabric.”
Now the designs are complete she can turn her attention to making. “I am working on my whole product range made up in my new fabrics, so keep yours eyes peeled.”
Preview of Harmony from Lois' Autumn/Winter 2014 Collection, Kaleidoscope for Punto Belle
Shooting Time: Recently made up Large Make Up Bags using Harmony
With two distinct disciplines to her business, designing and making, I ask Lois if she has a preference for one or the other. “I love sewing and I always have.” She smiles, “Both my grandma and my mum used to make their own clothes when they were younger, so the sewing machine has been something that has always been in the house. My mum taught me how to sew when I was a little girl and for some reason I had a fixation with the sewing machine and always wanted to play on it. That feeling is still with me today. I find sewing really relaxing and enjoyable, even thought I sew for hours upon hours per day I never seem to get tired of it. I enjoy constructing them, as I see them as a functional form of sculpture and it allows me to work in 3D, which is what I have always enjoyed.”
The Punto Belle Collection is based on bags and useful travel holders and purses and I wonder if this is where Lois’ heart is or if she will branch out but it seems she will remain with what is proving popular and who would blame her?
“My products will always remain based around travelling as it is something I love to do myself and luckily there is a huge market for practical travel accessories for use in everyday life. I like to think that I help people travel in style with creating fun and colourful products. Plus, there are way too many brown and black travel accessories out there! I love to think about my products travelling all over the world, all the time. It’s such an exciting thought. I still have lots of ideas for nifty accessories up my sleeves for the future - the possibilities are endless.”
My favourite: Punto Belle's gorgeous Circle Bags
I adore Lois’ designs, especially the gorgeous Circle bags. Its hard not to think that over time they may be looking at us from department stores across the country. In fact, this year, Lois was invited to the interview stage of Liberty Open Call. I asked her how nerve wracking it was and how the whole process went for her.
Lois arrives for her interview for Liberty Open Call
“I was extremely excited and could not believe that I had made it to the interview stage. Having never done anything like this before I had no idea what to expect. I knew that I had 2 minutes to ‘sell’ my work to a panel of judges. I had a speech written and practiced. I knew exactly what I wanted to say and I was sure what I would do well, but of course as soon as I entered the judge’s hall my heart was in my throat and I became extremely nervous. I completely forgot everything that I had memorised, so I improvised.”
“I feel as though the interview could have gone better to be honest,” she admits, “But I still feel that I did well. My judge told me he loved the makeup bags in particular but as they had just released a series of makeup bags in their own Liberty fabric they would not be able to take me on. I was disappointed, of course, but I gained a whole load of experience. I know the next time I get the opportunity to go to an open call what to expect and hopefully I’ll be more relaxed. I know that I will try again in the future, as to be a stockist of Liberty London would be incredible.”
So what next for this burgeoning young business?
“The future of Punto Belle is looking bright, quite literally, and I am extremely excited for its future,” she says proudly. “I put 100% into my business because I absolutely love what I do and I would not change it for the world. I have a motto in life and that is – ‘if you believe, you will achieve’ and it is my belief that has got me to where I am today and I know that it will take me wherever I want to go."
With her unique talent and dedicated determination, I know Lois will take Punto Belle to even greater success. Speaking to Lois today feels like I am talking to someone on the brink of great things and I am so excited to have met her at this early stage in her career.
There is, however, one last question I cannot help but ask. Will she ever sell her textiles?
“I am looking into starting to design fabrics to sell,” Lois answers encouragingly, “As it is something that I really enjoy and, currently, I only get to do it twice a year which is a real shame. I will never sell the fabrics that I have used with Punto Belle products, nor will I ever sell fabric designs that I intend to use in my own products.”
“I am not sure when but it is definitely something that is on the horizon.”
You can’t blame a Fabric Magpie for asking!
You can see Punto Belle this month at:
This weekend (14th-16th November) Living North Essence of Christmas Fair at York Racecourse, York
Next weekend (22nd-23rd November) Showcase Spectacular at The Corn Exchange, Leeds
And of course, next years Handmade Fair at Hampton Court