This Autumn Winter sees us introduce a whole host of new faces to our Blake Woman series and we can’t wait to share these inspiring women in all their fields.

First up is Parisian born artist Laetitia Rouget, aka Shoopy Studio. You may have discovered her from our We Few Pop Up last year where we fell in love with her illustrations or you may have found her through her collaboration with Anthropologie on instagram or seen pictures of her first solo show in London a few months ago.

We met her in her East London studio and home which she shares with her husband Nick. We hope you enjoy!

You are originally from Paris. Tell us how and why you came to London?

I first came to London to study illustration at Central Saint Martins when I was 19 years old, and never left!

Is London now home? Where?

Yes. London is definitely home now. I live next to Broadway market, and enjoy going to the market during the weekend, spending time at the book store or going for lunch at L'eau à la bouche, my favourite!

Your first job was in the fashion industry? Tell us more

I worked in the fashion industry for 6 years which was an amazing learning process. I designed embroideries and prints for various brands, and I was lucky enough to travel and talk directly with the factories. It was super exciting to design my own prints and have them produced but after a while I just needed to do something else where I could have more freedom and put more meaning into my work.

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When and how did you move into the art world and what made you become an artist?

I have always drawn since I was a little girl, so I guess, it was more who pushed me to have the belief in myself that I could do it as a full time job. This was definitely my husband, who calls me Shoopy. My instagram account first started as a joke (!) and slowly I started to get into it and the response has been great. Today however I consider myself more as a designer and/or creative than an artist.

You explore art, print, ceramics and upholstery - where do you get inspired?

Inspiration comes from so many different things such as books, artists, random people in the street, friends, travels etc.. anywhere! I like to change practice and learn new techniques, so for example at the moment I am trying to up-cycle a few lampshades I found in my mother's basement. What I am interested in is the process, and giving a new life to an old object.

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Your Bum love series is very popular. Is this your favourite? And where did the idea of her/him come from?

I always have drawn naked people since a very young age, and the Bum Lady arrived by accident when I first started to draw on ceramic plates. I thought it was better to draw my character from the back because I was shy to draw sexual images in an evening class. So I tried to find different way to reinvent my naked people, in a more subtle way.

The naked form especially female is having a real moment within the art world currently, why do you think this is?

Nudes have always been very important in Art but they are mainly drawn by men. I think today, women are keen to tell the story from their point of you, and try to find a new reinterpretation based on the combination of their shapes and emotions.

Your family is in the porcelain business, tell us a bit more

Yes it is a family business that my grandmother started a long time ago. My grandfather, my father and my mother have been working all their life for the company and of course this has been a huge influence for me. As a family we always paid a lot of attention to plates, and l'art de la table in general. And I guess, I am now interpreting it in my own way.

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Talk us through your typical day..

What I love about my job is that I never really have the same day.

I usually wake up early, reply to emails and organise things in the morning. In the afternoon I like to draw, paint, or go to my ceramic studio, but every week is different and it really depends on which project I am working on.

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Career highlight so far ..

My first exhibition was definitely the highlight of 2019. It took me a very long time to have the confidence to organise my first solo show, but I was so pleased with it. As an artist you are never sure how people will react about your art. I was really lucky to almost sell the whole collection in one evening.

What are you working on at the moment? What do you wish for the future?

At the moment I am working on commissions and I am trying to concentrate on a new collection of plates for December. I am organising a private view in my studio, so I need to produce new artworks for the special occasion.

I am also developing a new vase collection, and I am working on some very interesting collaborations for next year that I am very excited about. Watch this space!

Which piece(s) from the Blake Ldn collection do you love and why?

I love the Ardmore cable sweater in lilac for its amazing quality that will keep you warm all winter and its lovely colour block!