Sharni Lockwood is the designer behind The Kinship by Sharni. She uses strong, uncompromising women from literature and history as the inspiration for her quirky illustrations.
What got you started making / creating your designs / products?
I started these little drawings in March 2020 – I was on furlough because of the pandemic and, like most people, I needed a creative outlet. In 2023, we officially got off the ground as THE KINSHIP BY SHARNI.
I bring together a selection of empowering quotations and hand-drawn pen illustrations (think Elizabethan ruffs and chunky boots alongside dungarees, crop tops and pleated skirts). I salute celebrated women from history including Jane Austen and Christina Rossetti, whilst also bringing to the forefront lesser-known pioneers, from Sophia Duleep Singh and Fanny Eaton, to Anne Lister. It’s a visual anthology of women framed within an imaginary neighbourhood.
I really believe in its endeavour: to celebrate historical women in a fun, cheeky and smart way.
How would you describe your designing / creating style?
Sometimes I just get the urge to draw and doodle, and before I know it – a print has formed!
An initial pencil sketch kicks everything off: I mock up an overall template (position the figure / refine the outfit / decide the spacing of quotation, etc…).
My favourite part is designing the outfit. I try not to repeat designs. I’m inspired by Elizabethan silhouettes (ruffs, corsets / doublet and hose / buttons / full skirts). I like to land what the outfit is, paying attention to the little details (a buckle on a dress or a specific neckline).
Once everything is finalised, I’ll start afresh: first in pencil and then in pen for the final design.
What is your motto?
Authenticity is key.
I’m a history geek and THE KINSHIP BY SHARNI is innately authentic to me. It really speaks to what I love (history) and what I believe in (championing disenfranchised voices).
There are so many women in history who are unsung, or who have been completely forgotten and it feels important to shine a light on them – even if it is just in the form of a print or card. It hugely aligns with what I believe in terms of underrepresented voices today: we need to widen the frame and change the narrative, shift the perspective on who gets monopoly on success. I care deeply about who that can speak to.
If my drawings can contribute to someone discovering a bad ass woman from history that they’re not familiar with, then that’s pretty cool.
What was your first success with your designs / products?
The first time I made a sale was exciting. The thought of people spending their hard-earned money on something that I created is really heartening.
And people saying that they like my work – or following my Instagram page – means a lot to a small, humble business.
Tell us about your design process
It’s very much driven by what I’m inspired by. It could be a character from a book (for example Helen from The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë); or the poetry of Phillis Wheatley. Or I’ll hear a quotation that speaks to me which then is my starting point. I re-read The Rover by Aphra Behn recently and I found the line, ‘My power like lightning in my eyes’, which I really liked and I then designed a print around that quotation.
I’m also inspired by song lyrics – I’ve been recently working on a print by the musician RAYE. The line ‘There is no wrath like a woman scorned’ was my kicking off point. And I’ve also designed series inspired by Female Rock Icons.
In a nutshell, it all comes from me and what I enjoy. And it hopefully speaks to other people too!
How important is the environmental sustainability of your products?
Super important. When researching printing companies, substantiality was very much at the forefront of my thinking. The company I use deal only in paper and card that is 100% recycled / part recycled, and are all either FSC certified or 100% alternative fibres. I like that, with recycled papers, there are variations: sometimes you find tiny flecks which add to the character of a print or a card.
What has been your most interesting commission?
I’ve just been commissioned to create a series of designs for a Queer Relationship Therapy Practitioner. My designs will sit on her website. I’m really excited about it.
