About me
Christopher Kelly is a London based designer working across set design, prop making, fashion design and education.
Projects
- Favotell, pop up shopFavotell is a Chinese fashion agency representing high end brands from Shanghai and Beijing. In Autumn 2015 they brought the fashion brands to London to introduce them to the european market via a pop-up shop in central London. Favotell commissioned me to create an innovative design for the interior and an instillation to work at the front of the shop encouraging shoppers in to the store. My designs took inspiration from the wooden structures used when building a house or shed. I took this ide
- Greenpeace, Save the ArcticAs part of Greenpeace’s 'Save the Arctic' campaign my latest work for them comes in the shape of giant Lego. As prop maker my brief was to create environmentally positive giant Lego blocks that look and function exactly as the original blocks. I created the Lego blocks from FDA approved laser printed, corrugated card. Each block was digitally designed in Adobe Illustrator and cut by Zund G3 plotter, the 300 blocks were then individually constructed by hand. The Lego blocks were then built in to a Snowy Owl, Polar bear, Walrus and a 'Save the Arctic' slogan. The giant Lego creatures were used in the 'Save the Arctic' protest outside Shell's head quarters on the South Bank in London. Due to the success of the Giant Lego blocks I was commissioned by Greenpeace, Belgium to create a Giant Lego brick wall for protest in Belgium. From design to build this project was completed in 3 weeks.
- The Independent on Sunday, New ReviewMy role working with the Independent on Sunday magazine and Wilma photography is to create innovative and attention grabbing sets for a series of products that appeared in the magazines weekly interiors feature. We worked at great speed creating 4 final images per day with no prior knowledge what items we would be working with. I love to work in such an invigorating and responsive way, allowing the products to inspire the environment that best promoted them.
- Greenpeace, Save the ArcticI have worked with international charity Greenpeace on the ‘Save the Arctic’ campaign for the past 3 years creating innovative and attention grabbing props to aid them in their plight. My latest creation was 5 large-scale iceberg/arctic ship floats that would be used as part of a public protest outside London’s Shell HQ. My brief was to create 5 floats to accompany my previous creation ‘Aurora’ the giant marionette, each float would work as part of he polar bear lair. My design concept was to
- BarbicanMonster is a divisive piece of theatre for the Barbicans black box theatre. The piece was filmed and screened in the Barbican cinema for industry executives. Conceived and directed by Eelyn Lee, I worked closely with her to art direct the piece. Based on the works of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, the mood of the show was of evolving macabre as the Monster slowly became ever more deformed. I created Sets from Cardboard and prosthetics from clay and masking taped packing blankets to evoke a natural and changing environment.
- An Ealing Trilogy, National Portrait GalleryMonster is a divisive piece of theatre for the Barbicans black box theatre. The piece was filmed and screened in the Barbican cinema for industry executives. Conceived and directed by Eelyn Lee, I worked closely with her to art direct the piece. Based on the works of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, the mood of the show was of evolving macabre as the Monster slowly became ever more deformed. I created Sets from Cardboard and prosthetics from clay and masking taped packing blankets to evoke a natural and changing environment.
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Work history
Prop Maker & Set Designer
I have worked on various freelance projects for international charity Greenpeace but most famously I created a specially commissioned super-puppet polar bear, the size of a London double decker bus and weighing around three tonnes, will be the focal point for the UK leg of Greenpeace International’s day of action to protect the Arctic on Sunday 15th September 2013. The huge bear, which needs 15 puppeteers to operate and 30 volunteers to haul it through the streets of London, will be passing some of the capital’s most iconic buildings and will be followed by thousands of people on foot and by bike.
In a unique collaboration with Greenpeace, Aurora, the three tonne polar bear, has been designed by Christopher Kelly in consultation with leading props designer Simon Costin. The bear is being manufactured by Factory Settings, whose previous work inlude the Paralympic opening ceremony and the London 2012 closing ceremony.
Prop Maker & Set Designer
I have worked on various freelance projects for international charity Greenpeace but most famously I created a specially commissioned super-puppet polar bear, the size of a London double decker bus and weighing around three tonnes, will be the focal point for the UK leg of Greenpeace International’s day of action to protect the Arctic on Sunday 15th September 2013. The huge bear, which needs 15 puppeteers to operate and 30 volunteers to haul it through the streets of London, will be passing some of the capital’s most iconic buildings and will be followed by thousands of people on foot and by bike.
In a unique collaboration with Greenpeace, Aurora, the three tonne polar bear, has been designed by Christopher Kelly in consultation with leading props designer Simon Costin. The bear is being manufactured by Factory Settings, whose previous work inlude the Paralympic opening ceremony and the London 2012 closing ceremony.
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Skills
- Fashion
- Advertising
- Events
- Theatre
- TV
- Art Direction
- Public Art
- Sculpture
- Costume Design
- Design
- Pattern Making
- Sewing
- Outdoor Campaigns
- Set Decorator
- Illustrator
Education
Fashion Studies
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BA Hons fashion studies 2.1
Course included: fashion design /construction
Business & marketing and 1 year industry
experience
Fashion and Textiles
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BTEC National Diploma in Fashion & Textiles. Distinction & student of the year.
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