Kate Leach’s Essoldo brand debuts on cards, fabric and book publishing
Kate Leach had a pinch me moment recently when the Woodmansterne head of marketing popped into her local garden centre and saw her very own card designs in the publisher’s greetings display for the first time, fanfaring her own brand Essoldo Design.
And her inaugural Ebb & Flow fabric collection produced under licence by US company Windham Fabrics has seen orders placed for 48,000 yards while pre-orders for her book, Creative Abstract Watercolour published by David & Charles, are already pushing it up the book charts, even though it’s not on sale until March 2024!
“It all started back in lockdown when, sick of making banana bread, I brushed the dust off an old watercolour set that had been unused for 20 years and started painting,” revealed Kate, who has a degree in textile design and surface pattern, but whose career has been in marketing and retail, having joined Woodmansterne almost six years ago to head up the publisher’s marketing.
“I have absolutely no intention of giving up my day job!” she laughed, “working at Woodmansterne is incredibly inspiring. I just love being around the studio and have learned so much from watching the experts at work.
“I also feel incredibly lucky that md Seth Woodmansterne has allowed me to work four days a week to enable me to spend one day on my passion project of Essoldo Design.”
Kate has been selling her Essoldo prints, calendars and other products on Etsy but, until now, has steered clear of greeting cards out of respect to her employer.
“I was so delighted when a couple of my designs were selected for Christmas by the Woodmansterne team which led to the everyday Essoldo capsule collection. I just hope they sell now!” she added, very pleased to have seen them on sale at Ayletts Nursery in St Albans.
Since founding Essoldo in 2020, named after the converted 1920s art deco cinema she was living in at the time, Kate has built a 115,000-plus Instagram following for the brand and sold her work in more 35 countries worldwide and now has licensed products available across the UK, Europe, and the USA.
The designs, including the greeting cards, reflect Kate’s inspirations: “I’m inspired by nature, from flowers and greenery to gemstones and jewels. I’m obsessed with embellishment – as my jewellery collection will pay testament! – so my work features a myriad of dots, decorations and, most importantly gold, although silver, pearl, copper and gunmetal occasionally make an appearance.”
The six everyday Essoldo cards are part of Woodmansterne’s latest release of new designs.
“I still can’t quite believe this is happening to me. I started my working life as a graduate trainee at John Lewis, working in the stationery and greeting card department of its Watford store and now I have cards featuring my designs on sale in its stores! It’s all a rather lovely dream come true,” admitted Kate.
