Were you interested in craft when you were growing up?

I think I was always making something – either out of fabric, yarn or paper, or all three. My mum comes from a long line of dressmakers and milliners and was always into home crafts when I was young – especially textiles – dying, spinning, knitting, quilting and sewing. Dad is an ardent DIYer, and comes from a long line of carpenters. So where I’ve ended up in my practice, sort of makes complete sense.

Did you get into design through tertiary study?

Yes, but not until seven years after leaving school. It (industrial design) had only just been introduced into high school in my final year, and I failed miserably. So I went travelling instead. I had no idea that design could be a career, or that textile design even existed. It wasn’t until I started design school that I realised this was what I wanted to do.

You work across a range of media, do you have a favourite area?

It varies and is often determined by what the brief or project is. Repeating pattern, regardless of media is always a biggie – and this can be readily applied to numerous materials and end products in numerous ways. Industrial felt, wallpaper and leather are ongoing favourite materials.

Can you tell me a bit about your textile and jewellery design, and Craftcamp?

My design interests revolve around our national identity, material culture and everyday things, alongside an obsession with repeating pattern – more is more, less is a bore. I am particularly interested in how New Zealand’s culture is portrayed and packaged to both foreigners and locals particularly through souvenir products and objects; and how these perpetuated stereotypes can be challenged. My jewellery design is largely lighthearted, humourous and ‘conversational’. Bite-sized ideas, often tongue-in-cheek, that are appreciated by the wearer and readily accessible to the passing viewer. Craftcamp is a creative collective set up in 2002 with two friends. It has ebbed and flowed in sync with our individual practices, and may involve just one, or all three of us depending on the project and our other commitments. We have curated and participated in exhibitions, produced limited edition products and run crafty school holiday workshops for kids.

How do you find inspiration for new ranges?

My work is foremost firmly rooted with New Zealand’s culture, so inspiration comes from my immediate experiences – our flora, fauna, environments, customs and colloquialisms, and associated artifacts; appreciating that these are also part of a larger collective story, and will therefore also resonate with others.

Can you tell me about your interest in our national identity and how this is reflected in your work?

The state house first appeared in my undergraduate bogan-inspired collection over 11 years ago. It is still one of my most popular designs and has come back in various forms, including most recently a hand-printed bolster cushion. It has been elevated to iconic status, and original state houses are now being snapped up by my generation as quality first-time homes – a far cry from how they were viewed twenty years ago. I am interested in the artifacts and experiences that are elevated to iconic status, and how these can be presented in new ways, as well as our cultural artifacts and experiences that have been largely overlooked.

What is the inspiration for your current textile range?

My latest textile range uses ‘skins’ from Te Papa’s bird collection – these are digitally printed onto hemp/organic cotton and applied to a range of products. It aims to present these common native birds in this rarely seen form, and expose the care and beauty involved in preserving our natural history.

What are the best things about working as a designer in New Zealand?

For me, I guess it’s being able to work across a variety of disciplines and applications and not having to specialise solely in one area. For many local practitioners, this is almost necessary to survive. It’s exciting, and keeps things fresh and interesting. I am currently working on textiles for costume for film. I have just finished a collection of digital prints for local legwear company Lucy Lou, as well as a commissioned piece with artist Kingsley Baird for Cornwall, UK. And of course there are my own product ranges.

 www.genevievepacker.com