FEATURE – Sustainable Styling Masterclass
Put Your Heart Into It – Sustainable Styling Workshop
Who doesn’t love a workshop? I for one am always eager to learn a new skill, gain new perspective & inspiration, meet like-minded people, drink wine and eat snacks! Recently I was invited to participate in a workshop that was the perfect combination of visual beauty and practical ingenuity.
The Sustainable Styling Masterclass, held at Big Bang Studio which backs onto the nature reserve of Merri Creek, adjacent to the iconic CERES Community Environment Park in Northcote, is the brainchild of Put Your Heart Into it founder, Laura Issell.
Beginning her career in Interior Design and Property Styling, Laura is now a Director, Space Designer, Event Manager & Stylist as well as a lecturer at the Event Management College. Now adding passionate workshop teacher to her list of accomplishments, Laura has created concepts, styled, and produced events for numerous well-known festivals, exhibitions and luxury brands.
In 2014, Laura founded Put Your Heart Into It after becoming frustrated with the excessive waste she encountered, creating magnificent displays for exhibitions and events, only to see the materials be discarded shortly after as landfill.
Sustainable Event Styling – putyourheartintoit.com.au
Laura’s passion is now directed at finding new ways to plan sustainable events, showing businesses how to implement environmentally positive change, and influencing and educating communities through her innovative workshops.
“I wanted to find a way to combine my passion for bringing people together to build community spirit with great design and my love for the environment.” Laura Issell, FOUNDER, Put Your Heart Into It
The workshop began on the back deck overlooking the neighbouring nature reserve, toasting the warm evening with a chilled glass of wine, and sharing our experiences and interests in a talking circle reminiscent of community gatherings.
Once positioned at our crafting stations, we were given some quick guidelines, and tasked to create our own version of a project, using as many of the props and decorations adorning the Put Your Heart Into It studio as we desired. The results were as interesting and different as were the people in the class, and some of the most valuable insights I received came from listening to the participants describe their process, and what had brought them to create the design we saw in front of them. With some feedback from our teacher and new perspectives to inspire us, we continued to create until the light faded.
Soon after we were introduced to the visual feast that is one of Laura’s signature grazing tables, consisting of locally sourced produce, organic dips, fruit and flowers which she’d masterfully organised into a still-life collage (pictured).
Grazing Plate; Photo: Sophie Newman
To finish, we re-calibrated and communed again, taking in learnings and wonderful new ideas from the group, just as wisdom has always been passed between people, and it was difficult to grasp that 3 hours had gone by already.
The Sustainable Styling workshop was certainly a Masterclass in the depth of skill and knowledge that Laura has to pass on, and I was especially grateful for the inspiration that came in so many different forms during the evening.
www.putyourheartintoit.com.au/workshops
Put Your Heart Into It host private workshops in their studio or your office, and have a wide variety of scheduled classes from wild floristry and craft, to bread-making and basket weaving. I’ve got my eye on their Make Your Own Sustainable Beeswax Food-wraps class as I was just contemplating an alternative to cling-wrap today, weren’t you?!
So be sure to stay tuned to their Facebook Page for regular updates and their We Teach Me page or website for upcoming events which run all year round.
Thinking about Sustainable Styling for your next event? Laura and her team will be happy to help you out! And I personally can’t wait to go back.
Founder: Laura Issell
Which sustainable workshop would you like to attend? Or maybe you’ve got an idea they haven’t thought of yet! If so, drop it in the comments below..
