ABOUT US
Vigour and Skills was founded by Clement and Beatrice out of a shared desire to bring people closer to the objects they live with and to the hands that make them.
The platform brings together independent makers working across the UK. Each piece is handmade and chosen through time spent getting to know the person behind the work, their materials and the way they work. The focus stays on care, process and the quiet decisions that shape an object over time.
As digital tools and automated systems increasingly shape how we live and shop, the value of skilled, manual work becomes clearer. Spending time in makers’ studios and workshops allows us to share how things are made in real conditions, using real materials, by people who know their craft. This gives customers the space to slow down, look more closely and choose with a better understanding of what they are buying.
Alongside the online platform, the Vigour and Skills studio in Burford hosts workshops, supports ongoing collaboration with makers, and provides a space where these relationships continue to develop. It remains a practical extension of the work done online.
Vigour and Skills supports a way of buying that values time, skill, and attention.
OUR MISSION
“To re-shape how we shop, with a focus on sustainability, storytelling, and craftsmanship.”
V+S is a community of makers with shared values of sustainability, longevity and enduring quality.
Designed to last a lifetime: Vigour and Skills is proud to stock meticulously crafted items made from sustainably-sourced materials.
Creativity with a conscience: We hold ourselves to account by partnering with makers who work to the highest environmental standards.
Determined to make a difference: By choosing Vigour and Skills, you’re helping to re-shape the way we shop as a society, and celebrating process over mass production.
Proudly sharing every stage of our makers’ creative process with our customers.
Get to know our makers: Detailed bios and behind-the-scenes videos open the door to our world of creatives and their crafts.
Transparent and traceable: By documenting our makers’ slow production process from beginning to end, our customers can see exactly how their items have come to life.
A highly personalised shopping experience: We connect you with our makers so you’re consulted in every step of the creative process.
Championing local business: Each of our artisans have their own network of suppliers that you’re helping them to support.
Filling lives and homes with objects of singular beauty.
Exceptional, one-off pieces: Every piece we stock has been thrown, painted, woven, spun, whittled, blown or dyed in its own unique way.
Bespoke creations according to your specifications: Many of our items are made-to-order by our makers, guaranteeing a truly individual version for you to love.
A world where every item has a story to tell story to tell: Everything you buy from Vigour and Skills is sure to spark a conversation – and every conversation helps to preserve our makers’ crafts.