Tabitha Ringwood x Kimberley

September 27, 2020 by Richard Hudson

Kimberley’s story

No one knows as well as Kimberley and her husband just how cold, inhumane and senseless the UK’s housing system can be.

It was Christmas 2015. Kimberley was 34 weeks pregnant with her second child, and she’d just received an eviction notice from her landlord. The date they wanted her to move out was just three weeks after her planned caesarean.

Kimberley and her family had lived in their privately rented home for two years, the longest period they’d been able to stay in one home for a very long time.

But now it was chaos. Kimberley visited the council who told the family they would have to find another place on their own. Kimberley visited estate agents, trawled websites, but for each DSS-accepting property that became available, there would be dozens, if not hundreds, of people applying for it. Their bureaucratic nightmare would only get worse. The council wouldn’t help the family until the next stage of the eviction. Then they were told to wait for a court date. Then they had to wait for the paperwork. And then the judge's decision. And then the bailiff’s letter.

“It felt so impersonal. We were just the next one on the list, and there was so many. It’s cold, unfeeling and so hard to jump through all the hoops. You’re constantly fighting.”

“I spoke to the Helpline at each stage. They gave me the support I needed every step of the way. That’s what Shelter do: they give you the confidence you need and they make sure you know your rights.”

Operating in a system that feels designed to grind you down, having someone in your corner makes all the difference. In September 2016, nine months after receiving their eviction notice, Kimberley and her family moved into social housing.

About Kimberley’s shoe

“Making meaningful, personal connections to our surroundings - and the ability to be able to emotionally integrate yourself and your family within unfamiliar surroundings - is no easy feat.

My partner for the Shoe Have Names project, Kimberley, is a woman at the centre of her family. She embodies courage and strength whilst moving from property-to-property with limited space, accepting constant change, whilst providing comfort and protection for those who rely upon her. Longing to find ties that connect us to our home, wherever that may be, can feel like a relentless struggle.

Kimberley talks about an excitedness for finally being able to decorate their own space, which is something many of us can relate to. The clothes you wear obtain your smell and your touch, your shoes embody your very being as they also experience the journeys that you take.

By not just helping Kimberley’s family find a home, but by rebuilding a sense of belonging, the significance of the work carried out by Shelter cannot be praised enough. Shelter helped Kimberley’s family to find a place that they could make their own.

Obsessed by the history of things and their personal journeys, I have handcrafted the ‘Kimberley’ shoes out of re-purposed materials from my old sofa; panels unstitched, padding cut, cushioning re-shaped and its surface re-decorated.

This sofa, like they often are for many families, is an integral part of home. The surface of the leather from this sofa tells a story in the wear from its previous users; worn, stretched and shaped over time. This sofa already embodies two different chapters within its lifespan, and I am excited to follow its next journey as an upcycled pair of shoes.“

Tabitha Ringwood

Explore Tabitha’s work online

See Tabitha Ringwood’s Instagram

Visit Shoes Have Names at New Brewery Arts

The exhibition is open from 30th January to 2nd April at New Brewery Arts. It’s free to visit.

Support Shelter charity shops

This exhibition first appeared at a Shelter boutique in London. We wanted to connect shopping, fashion and craft to tell stories of homelessness. Whenever you pre-loved donate clothes, or buy from us you’re helping Shelter fight the housing emergency that is devastating lives.

To donate clothing and items to our charity shops via post, for free, simply download a free postage label. Or you can find your local Shelter charity shop here.

To find out more about Shelter, click on the links below:

Shelter Website: http://england.shelter.org.uk/
Campaigning: http://england.shelter.org.uk/campaigns
Support us: https://england.shelter.org.uk/GetHelp
Get help: https://england.shelter.org.uk/get_help

Shoe update: delivery!

August 25, 2020 by Richard Hudson

I’m pleased to say our fourth addition to the exhibition arrived last week from Tabitha Ringwood. As is my privilege, I’ve had a sneak peak. It’s incredible what Tabitha has created from her recycled sofa. Take a look at her previous blog posts if you are not aware of the source material!

By next week we should have all the exhibits and we’ll be whizzing them off for a photoshoot as the final preparations for the show begin.

Many thanks to Tabitha for spending the many hours it’s undoubtedly taken to create these wonderful shoes. I’m looking forward to reading her thoughts on the project and how the shoes reflect Kimberley’s story.

Richard

Ideas and development

July 13, 2020 by Richard Hudson

Here is a great update from Tabitha taking fully recycled secondhand leather sofa parts to form new material for the Shoes Have Names shoe.

Tabitha says: “Sofa’s play an important role in the comfort of the home and will add a luxury upcycled finish to the final shoe - which talks about positive sustainable futures.”

Here she shares concept drawings and some pictures of the shoe in development. You can read her previous project blogs here.

The concept drawings

shoes have names development paintings.jpg

Bringing my concept to life - thanks sofa!

Tabitha

Instagram

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A new beginning

April 14, 2020 by Richard Hudson

I am an enthusiast for objects with a story; obsessed by the history of things and the journeys that they have lived. An element of this infatuation is encompassed within the markings that the material has gained, how it has worn or weathered over time, as well as how the object can be taken apart and re-assembled, re-formed or reshaped to fulfil its next purpose.

As part of my practice, I make my shoes using reclaimed leathers: material off-cuts and scraps from commissions or collaborative projects. I often take apart irreparable shoes and reuse their components too. The materials I will be using for this project come from an upcycled sofa that my husband and I had to sadly throw out. In order to utilise these individual components, of which there is an abundance, we broke the sofa down and took it completely apart. I kept all of the materials, in the hope that there would an ideal moment to draw upon them, so that nothing went to waste - this project felt like the perfect opportunity to finally commit to using them.

Our sofa, like they so often are for so many families, is an integral part of home. The sofa often becomes the place where we relax, come together, laugh, talk, catch up, cuddle, interact, play, lose half of your belongings or loose change! The surface of the leather from this sofa embodies the wear of its previous users; worn, stretched and shaped over time by lounging bodies and comfy bottoms! Scratches from watches or phones or metal buttons from jeans mark its surface. This sofa was given to us second hand so already embodies two different chapters within its lifespan so far and I am excited to start its next.

I love the differing tactile responses the components that we removed can create - the softness of the exposed inside foam is fun and enticing, the hard and curved nature of the springs is strong and purposeful, the worn leather is adaptable and curious, the structure of the wooden base foundation is solid and sturdy. Its design reflects that of a functional shoe. The stability, hardness, ability to mould to the body, with the elasticity and comfort to enjoy the experience. What I love about the true nature of ‘the sofa’ is that its purpose outweighs its aesthetic. Its internal composition is just as important as the outside.

I work as sustainably as possible with all aspects of my work and wish for my customers to have a continued relationship with their shoes in the same way that I have devoted to making them. It’s important to love the flaws that a handcrafted item will naturally possess and view these as celebrations of personal touch, in much the same way that we fall in love with the marks that display the fond memories experienced through the use of a sofa and its reflections of life at home.

But first thing’s first – how to turn this cream leather red…

Tabitha

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It’s personal

March 19, 2020 by Richard Hudson

Making deep, meaningful yet personal connections to our surroundings and the ability to be able to emotionally integrate yourself and your family within unfamiliar surroundings is not always an accomplish-able feat.

My partner for the Shoe Have Names project, Kimberley, is a woman at the centre of her family. She embodies courage and strength whilst moving from property-to-property with limited space, accepting constant change, battling the unwanted upheaval of her family and their belongings, whilst constantly striving to provide comfort and protection for those who rely upon her.

Longing for some semblance of security can feel like a relentless struggle – trying to find minute ties that connect us to our home, wherever that may be. When that connection is finally made, Kimberley talks about an excitedness for finally being able to decorate their own space, which is something many of us can relate to.

The clothes you wear obtain your smell and your touch, your shoes embed your very being and they experience the journeys you take. This issue may sound cosmetic, but the project begs me to question whether we can ever truly call an environment our home if it does not embody our identities. Through not just helping Kimberley’s family find a home, but through rebuilding their confidence and feeling of belonging, the significance of the work carried out by Shelter cannot be praised enough. Shelter helped Kimberley’s family to find a place that they could make their own - a positive conclusion leading to the beginning of a new colourful life. Home, as a concept, is something which requires bonds and connections that tie together trust, individuality, security and permanence: the core idea of which will be reflected in my design and process.

Tabitha Ringwood

Website