How did House of Frisson start??

Hello,

I thought this would be the best topic to kick off this blog and to share with you lovely people some facts on how this beautiful (and yet recent) journey began. 

Some of you may already know a bit about my background, but for those who have just landed on this odd little world of House of Frisson here you will find a glimpse on how it all started.

My name is Luciano Rocha. I'm a Brazilian guy who chose London to call home. Not long after graduating in architecture I felt the need to change scenery and explore the world outside my country. I was certain that I would fall in love with London once here, and it did happen straightaway.

Why? Because I'm a creative person by nature and I love the buzz of being in a city where there's so much to be inspired by, inspirations coming from everywhere and anywhere. London is the place where the things that interest me the most happen first, before going to other capitals. 

Once in London, I started doing short courses in various creative subjects, such as life drawing, illustration, screen printing, fashion designing, styling, and most recently a level 2 BTEC in fashion.

So, how did House of Frisson start, Luciano?

I was automatically just about to type in that it was purely by chance. But thinking closely, was it really?

I guess I had accumulated so much creative knowledge and life experience from living in such a cosmopolitan and cultural city and travelling to many parts of the world that it would happen one day. Somehow. I just wasn't sure what!

And it was when everything had to stop completely, and there was nowhere to go, and absolutely nothing to distract me, that some deep emotions connected with lost memories took over me. This was during the first lock down in 2020. It was then that I felt mentally and emotionally drained and bored with my professional life so far.

In that summer, I came across a decoupage book at home among a hundred of other books scattered around the house. An idea flashed out just there whilst I was flicking through the pages. I thought it would be a good makeover technique to apply on a lamp table that was displeasing me due to the colour clashing with other furniture in my living room. So, I decided to stain varnish the wood top and then make a collage artwork on it.

That was it! The embryo of House of Frisson was about to be born.

               

               

 After this enjoyable and successful first attempt with the table, I started looking at other surfaces I could apply collage on. Even discarded ceramic plates didn't escape from my experimentation.

 It was actually there that my imagination sparkled brighter. When realising that a discarded plate could work as a blank canvas to accommodate my collage designs, and then be displayed on the wall. I would consequently be prolonging the life of an object that would most likely end in landfill. It sounded good. So, when businesses resumed after the first lock down, I started taking regular trips to my local charity shops to source for interestingly shaped plates. 

After receiving some positive feedback from family and friends I thought I should try selling some of my creations online.

But I kept the first ones I made and they are still displayed on my wall to this day.