This story is part of Ensemble’s colour week, presented by Resene‍

Anyone who’s followed Ensemble since inception will know how wholeheartedly we embrace colour. This colour week we’re delighted to share the musings, inspirations and tips of five people who also appreciate the joy of a bold palette, both in their personal lives and their work. From interiors to art, clothing to makeup, you’ll find something for everyone. 

Emily Hartley-Skudder, artist 

Tell us about your relationship with colour, and how it may have changed over the years.

When I was a little girl I loved all bright colours, especially pink and purple which was the colour of my first bike. I then went through a phase where I was like, “ew pink” and I didn’t want anything to do with it. I often think about that time – I was probably trying to pretend I was older and cooler, and reacting against the femininity and girlishness of pink. But since that phase I’ve really embraced colour. I excitedly decorated my room as a teenager, picking out a peppermint green mis-tint for the wall colour, a very bright multi-coloured duvet cover, a baby blue sheepskin rug and a cerulean blue metallic lightshade. It was a lot.

What’s your favourite colour?

I love celeste, the pale turquoise greeny-blue colour. But I’d have to say pink is my all-time favourite. It’s still quite a loaded colour and I enjoy playing off that in my art practice; really reclaiming it. I also wear a lot of it! 

I did an exhibition called Pussy Bow (2018) as a feminist reclamation of sorts where everything was pink. There were hand basins, shower heads and an absurd satin gynaecology chair. 

Pink is also a super commercial colour, especially when you think about the ‘pink tax’, where products marketed to women are often more expensive than the equivalents for men. I often examine this his/hers split used by advertising campaigns in my work, critiquing the way gender divisions are emphasised as a marketing tactic.

Any colours or palettes you find particularly inspiring?

Pastels are definitely my favourite. They are so delicious and soft and look good with everything, I reckon. They remind me of lollies and ice cream – what’s not to like? 

I also love colour combinations that people find particularly dated or gross, like the orange, browns and greens of the ‘70s. The avocado coloured bathroom suite is a particular favourite of mine, as people really love to hate it. They’d say it’s a home-decor trend which ‘taste forgot’. 

I collect a lot of retro coloured bathroomware for my installations, and really enjoy the mix of repulsion and attraction in people's responses. You’ll find an exquisite avocado corner spa bath in my current exhibition Splash Club at the Hocken Gallery in Ōtepoti Dunedin, on until May 18.

Colour plays a big role in your mahi, your art and your own self-expression. What do you hope to convey with your use of it? 

It definitely does! I’m a painter as well as making installations and readymade sculptures, so I spend a lot of time mixing oil paint to get exactly the right colours in my still lifes. I often replicate the colours and textures of materials that will be seen close to the painting, so it’s important I get a precise match. I find this process really satisfying.

Art here in Aotearoa has a history of being dark and broody, so I feel it’s still quite pointed to use a lot of colour. I like to challenge the idea that colour is unserious or childish and you can’t make ‘sophisticated’ art in pastel colours. 

As David Batchelor writes in his book Chromophobia (2000); “...colour is made out to be the property of some ‘foreign’ body – usually the feminine, the oriental, the primitive, the infantile, the vulgar, the queer or the pathological… colour is relegated to the realm of the superficial, the supplementary, the inessential or the cosmetic… Colour is dangerous, or it is trivial, or it is both.”

I’ve always made artwork around domestic subject matter, starting with dollhouses and moving on to creating life-sized faux-domestic environments in gallery settings. My use of pastel and bright colours along with retro furnishings is definitely strategic when making ‘interior decor’ choices for my installations. I aim to draw attention to how conservative home-decor is these days here in NZ; the grey, blacks and whites used to cover up any sort of uniqueness or hint of earlier styles, in order to make it more palatable for the next property buyer.

Frances Lowe, founder and designer Loclaire

Tell us about your relationship with colour, and how it’s changed over the years.

I’m a very visual person, so a lot of my memories are based on colour. Some of my strongest childhood memories are from visiting Hong Kong, a place that is so richly saturated in colour: the matte browny-pink of my aunty and uncles’ apartments, the glistening canary yellow topping of a bolo bao (pineapple bun), flashing blue and green neon foot massage signs, the ubiquitous red, white and blue woven carry bags that would come back with us on the plane, more and more battered each time.

Do you tend to be drawn to specific colours for specific areas of your life – say fashion, makeup, interiors, or art? 

I like colour to either be a disruptor – bold and unapologetic - or a more subtle tonal approach to explore layering and texture. I think the former naturally works really well with interiors, since it involves larger, often standalone objects. For example, we have a bright red couch in our lounge that brings energy and warmth to the space. I just looked through my saved folder on Instagram and a lot of my interiors images also have warm reds – to me this colour feels both modern and timeless, and quite comforting for the home.

Fashion and makeup could go either way for me. I’ve tended to lean into tonal layering in the past, although I did recently buy a lilac eyeliner which has been fun to play with.

You have incredible style. How would you describe your style - and your approach to wearing colour?

My style is a bit 90s and a bit nostalgic, mostly boyish, but every now and then super feminine. I was obsessed with Sailor Moon and Hello Kitty growing up, both of whom I think are super stylish and use colour in very provocative ways.

Your brand Loclaire uses colour in thoughtful ways. Can you describe that approach to colour in your mahi? It also tends to be more in the made-to-order category. Can you explain why?

To geek out for a second, I love how colours interact with each other, and how they can come together to create new and unique colours. For this reason I’m always immediately drawn to yarn dyed checks, jacquards, interesting marled knits and the like, which can create amazing combinations and visual illusions. I also love textured fabrics for this reason – the way light and shadow can transform a flat colour to something with depth and tactility always gets me.

From a business perspective – colour is such a personal thing! For this reason (one of many) our made-to-order model works so well, as it allows me to test out new colours and combinations without the pressure of holding stock. I also love working with custom clients for this reason – it’s a lot of fun sourcing requested colours that I would usually not be looking for.

Are there any artists, designers or homeware brands - local and international - that you think have a particularly interesting use of vibrant colour in their work?

I’m obsessed with Italian furniture brand Mattiazzi - they use colour in such a bold yet playful way, that still honours the provenance of the materials. One day a bright red Clerici Chair will be mine.

I also forever love local artist Henrietta Harris – I remember the first time she introduced pink streaks on top of her portrait paintings – it was so shocking but ingenious.

Chloe Julian, founder and designer Videris Lingerie

Tell me about your relationship with colour, and how it may have changed over the years?

I really believe colour has the power to change how you’re feeling and how others around you feel too. A bright shade can enhance your mood in a similar way to using a sun lamp for seasonal affect disorder. The receptors in your eyes send signals to your brain which can trigger an emotional response. It’s very powerful. 

I haven’t always been drawn to colour though. Like many, I went through my black-only phase as a teenager. Before I launched Videris and was researching colours, I read about how wearing black for teenagers is so common because it’s a time of discovering your identity, and black is a very protective colour.

Colour plays a crucial part in Videris. What compelled you to make it a key pillar of your business?

I started to connect with colours and tap into their benefits when I was under a lot of stress in my last job.

I was wearing a lot of black and someone suggested I wear certain colours in different situations to empower myself. I was aware colour was used in marketing and advertising, to encourage people to act or feel a certain way, but hadn’t thought about the effects of wearing it. 

I started to introduce more colour into my wardrobe and it not only shifted my mindset, people interacted with me differently. From this experience the seed that became Videris was born.‍

Do you tend to be drawn to specific colours for specific areas of your life - say for fashion, makeup, interiors, or art?

Fashion’s where I embrace brighter colours the most, in both my lingerie and clothing. For interiors I love more muted colours like soft pinks - we have a pink HAY sofa that brings me much joy. I also have a lot of indoor plants and cut flowers from my garden in my house; there’s always a lot of green and flowering hoya and orchids.

How would you describe your style – and your approach to wearing colour?

I love wearing an outfit with varying tones of the same colour and often find I wear a full green or full pink outfit unintentionally. I also love wearing blocks of contrasting colours: orange with blue, pink with green.

When it comes to fashion and homewares, are there any other brands or designers that you think approach their use of colour especially well?

In fashion I love how Rejina Pyo combines colour and textures in an interesting, fresh way. I also love Penny Sage. For homewares, HAY use colour really cleverly and Sutram bedding has the most beautiful palette too. 

Any tips for people wanting to have more colour in their life?

Start with your lingerie! You can wear a bright bra or knicker and feel the benefits of wearing colour. If you are going to see your bra strap then you may as well make it cute and colourful!

Kath Gould, makeup artist

Tell us about your relationship with colour, and how it’s changed over the years? 

I’ve always had a love of colour through makeup and art. Colour can evoke so much feeling, drama,  atmosphere and tone. 

I think my approach is perhaps more thoughtful and considered these days. I’m really into researching colour theory and taking inspiration from unlikely places. 

What’s your favourite colour? 

Oh no, don't make me choose! I think black is so universal and classic (although technically it’s a shade, not a colour). It’s always a safe bet and then you can inject other pops of brighter colour around it. I’m a metal gal from way back so I need to stay true to my roots. 

Colour is a big part of your mahi, what’s your approach to it as a makeup artist? What kind of shades are you or your clients most drawn to at the moment? 

I love to create my own colours; I’d rarely use one colour straight out of a palette or tube. I use a lot of  cream products, which enables me to customise and tweak. This season I’ll be incorporating more soft  peachy pinks, warm pinky greys, and lots of pastels into my fashion makeup. Although these colours  sound ‘cute’ they can be subverted with the use of stronger, spikier lines – so I’m looking forward to playing around with that concept. 

In terms of more wearable, everyday looks, I’ve seen a shift out of bronzy  brown palettes to warm greys and mushrooms. The perfect ox-blood lip shade is my current quest. 

Does colour spill over into ‘real life’ – do you wear lots of colour yourself, or incorporate it into your home? 

I usually stay pretty classic: black, white and denim. But lately I have started to inject some more colour into my wardrobe and get a bit more adventurous. The overall palette of my apartment is pretty neutral so most of the colour comes from art – like a dreamy painting I commissioned from artist Matt Sinclair. 

What would be your advice for someone wanting to incorporate more colour into their makeup routine? 

If you’re feeling hesitant then start small. Try a stronger lipstick or a delicate blue eyeliner, wear it around the house a couple of times so you get confident with it. If you’re still hesitant then take it for a trip to the gas station or supermarket – get used to seeing and wearing it. There are no rules, you can wear or  do anything. Just do it with confidence.

Simon Lewis Wards, artist

Tell us about your relationship with colour, and how it’s changed over the years.

Being a teenager in the 90s, colour was big. American culture was a huge influence in Aotearoa and we looked to brands like Ralph Lauren, Helly Hansen, Nautica and Benetton who all championed bold, bright primary colours. A lot of thought went into matching outfits to sneakers, and I expressed the vibrant colours I was seeing in 90s hip hop culture in my graffiti.

I’m ashamed to say my relationship with colour hasn’t changed much. I still dress the same – but my 11-year-old daughter is now wearing what we were 30 years ago.

What’s your favourite colour?

Olive green.

Colour is a big part of your mahi, what’s your approach to it as an artist?

If I’m patient and listen to the work, it’ll often tell me what colour it wants to be. I’m developing a more abstract body of work and am finding the pieces dictate subtle, industrial tones. 

Casting glass is notoriously hard to source but I’ve just started working with a Czech foundry; their palette is a lot more earthy, almost brutalist - with colours like dark amber, steel green, khaki and rose.

On the other hand, the candy works are about pure, simple, unpretentious joy. Using literal expressions of colour to elicit a visceral reaction, transporting you back to a specific taste, memory or place where you can sit for a little while and forget about your grown-up worries.

Are there specific artists – local and international – that you think have a particularly interesting use of vibrant colour in their work?

I’m always excited to see Judy Millar’s new work; she’s represented Aotearoa twice at the Venice Biennale, no big deal! Her use of colour feels physical and layered, you’re always discovering more each time you look.

Swedish-Chilean sculptor Anton Alvarez is my ultimate art crush; in his work he extrudes huge columns of twisted and warped clay from a self-constructed 3-tonne press. The porcelain is pigmented or glazed, the bright, rich palette is fresh and unexpected, especially in that world of endless beige ceramics.

Does your use of colour translate into real life – do you wear lots of colour yourself, or incorporate it into your home?

We live deep in the Waitakeres so we tend to translate those earthy, natural tones inside, but I like bringing in pops of colour through art and objects. I don’t worry about how it’ll fit in with a theme, if it’s a beautiful form in a great colour it’s going to work. 

One of my favourite pieces at home is a massive doughnut shaped ottoman by Sabine Marcelis for Hem. It’s in my second favourite colour: cotton candy pink. It's a bit silly, very fun, and everyone who visits is drawn to it.