Common Practice

Feminine Literacy, a design exhibition curated by Doyenne Studio 8.11 - 7.12 Custom Lane 1 Customs Wharf, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6ALh @custom_lane Private View: Friday 7th of November, 6–8pm RSVP via Eventbrite (link in bio) Feminine Literacy is an exhibition reclaiming the word “feminine,” dismantling the connotations usually assigned by patriarchal ideology while restoring the depth and meaning of the feminine approach. Drawing from eco-feminist theory, regenerative practices and inclusive approaches, the featured designers embody a shift from domination to collaboration and from extractive systems to restorative ones. The exhibition presents a paradigm shift, moving away from the notion of design as an isolated practice and looking toward design as a practice of coexistence by exploring themes of interconnected wellbeing, systemic thinking, coexistence, and collaboration with other organisms and wisdom-keeping through craft, land, and heritage. Featuring: Agne Kucerenkaite @makewastematter Alis Le May @alis_le_may ALMA Futura @_almafutura_ Anna Zimmermann @annazimmermann.eu Resting Reef @restingreef Aurore Brard @aurore_brard Cancellato UNIFORM @cancellatouniform Eve Eunson @eveeunson Jessica Redgrave jess_redgrave Lameice Abu Aker @ornamental_by Lena Bernasconi @lenaberna Linda Ammann @li.maaaaa Mathilde Wittock @mwo_design Mireille Steinhage @mireillesteinhage Monika Dolbniak @monikadbn Trisha Gow @stuckwithaname Paula Camiña Eiras @paula.camina Rameshwari Jonnalagedda @_se.rame Rosie Broadhead @rosiebroadhead_ Sanne Visser @studiosannevisser Scottish Fungi Dye Group Studio Sarmīte @studio_sarmite Silke Hofmann silk_hofmann Veronica Collins In partnership with: Common Practice @common___practice With the support of: Kenoteq @kenoteq GF Smith @gfsmithpapers Poster Design & Identity: Giulia Saporito @giulia.saporito Type: Set in Manuzio by @selinabernet Special thanks to: LS Printing @landsprinting House of Juba @houseofjuba

Feminine Literacy A design exhibition by @doyenne.studio (WWW) Women Work Wear by Lena Bernasconi @lenaberna Most objects are designed according to male standards, often making them unsuitable for women. The issue is particularly evident in personal protective equipment such as masks, glasses, protective clothing, and shoes: when these are not adapted to women, they provide less protection, hinder tasks and may even cause injuries. The project consist of work pants designed by and for women, specifically tailored to the needs of female woodworkers such as carpenters and cabinetmakers. They combine protection with comfort, adaptability, flexibility, and a contemporary aesthetic, aiming to close the gender gap in safety equipment. Showing at Custom Lane @custom_lane 8th Nov - 7th Dec

Feminine Literacy A design exhibition by @doyenne.studio Dyed in the Wool by Veronica Collins @culross_yarn The project explores the natural colours, behaviour, and textural qualities of fleece and wool from several of the designer’s own sheep. It samples a variety of applications to illustrate these qualities.
In commercial sheep farming, this fibre is considered of no use, as
it does not even cover the cost of clipping. Here, however, it is given attention and value. Fungi dyes are used on ‘waste’ Gotland sheep locks, uncovering beauty in both form and colour through the use
of simple, traditional, and often discarded materials. Showing at Custom Lane @custom_lane 8th Nov - 7th Dec

Feminine Literacy A design exhibition by @doyenne.studio Playwear by Monika Dolbniak @monikadbn The Playwear Collection was developed with a focus on the sensory experiences of neurodivergent individuals, particularly children. Grounded in inclusive and empathetic design principles, the project reimagines conventional weighted clothing — often clinical in appearance — by bridging therapeutic utility with aesthetic expression. Strategically placed compressive and weighted panels provide gentle pressure to soothe anxiety, while 3D linear structures invite tactile engagement and palm stimulation, offering a discreet outlet for fidgeting. This piece was co-created in collaboration with autistic children and their parents from Poznan, Poland, ensuring that lived experience shaped both the research process and final outcome. Showing at Custom Lane @custom_lane 8th Nov - 7th Dec

Feminine Literacy A design exhibition by @doyenne.studio Minimal Matter by Rameshwari Jonnalageda @se.rame Minimal Matter is an exploration into the logic of natural form, an architecture that listens, adapts, and learns from its environment. These forms, drawn from the mathematics of balance and flow, appear throughout the natural world: in the membranes of cells, the curve of a leaf, the tension of a soap film. They are not only beautiful; they are inherently efficient, responsive, and ecological. Through the act of 3D printing with clay, the project brings this geometry into the real, grounding it in the earth. Each piece becomes a quiet proposition: a structure not fixed in meaning, but open to weathering, to moss, to insects, to interpretation. The surface becomes a host, not a boundary. Showing at Custom Lane @custom_lane 8th Nov - 7th Dec

Feminine Literacy A design exhibition by @doyenne.studio SollSo by Linda Ammann @li.maaaaa SollSo is a glassware set consisting of a water glass, a wine glass, and a cleaning container, specifically designed for people with physical disabilities, without making any aesthetic compromises. It combines functionality, stability, and elegant design offering a safe and enjoyable drinking experience for everyone. At its core, the project promotes self-determination and participation, particularly for people with para- or tetraplegia. The glasses make it possible to sit at the table and use the same high quality objects as people without physical limitations. In this way, inclusion becomes visible and naturally integrated into everyday life. Showing at Custom Lane @custom_lane 8th Nov - 7th Dec

Feminine Literacy A design exhibition by @doyenne.studio Resting Reef by Aura Murillo and Louise Skajem @restingreef Resting Reef is an award-winning death-care service that turns the ashes of those who have passed into beautiful memorial reefs that restore marine life. Death care hasn’t changed in 100 years. It consumes land and it’s polluting, with practices like deforestation and excessive use
of toxic materials. Burial spaces worldwide are at full capacity, but most importantly, the industry no longer reflects what families want. With Resting Reef, families can arrange a service directly or via trusted partners where they select a marine site for their loved one’s ashes to be memorialised. They collaborate with the local community to craft and carefully place the reef on the seabed, then provide families with regular updates on its progress. Showing at Custom Lane @custom_lane 8th Nov - 7th Dec

Feminine Literacy A design exhibition by @doyenne.studio Hair Innovation by Sanne Visser @studiosannevisser The UK alone ‘grows’ an average of 6.8 million KG of human hair each year. This incredibly strong, lightweight, flexible, oil-adsorbent, and biodegradable material is currently being wasted, choking drains, filling landfill sites, and releasing harmful greenhouse gases. It is available in any locality without the need of extra land, energy or water to grow. Studio Sanne Visser transforms these natural fibres into new materials using ancient and traditional knowledge and crafts. Resulting into yarns, ropes, textiles, composites and more, to be used across design and architecture. She is determined to explore how the multiple meanings of hair can be cherished, respected, and celebrated, while also developing regenerative systems and sustainable practices. Showing at Custom Lane @custom_lane 8th Nov - 7th Dec

Feminine Literacy A design exhibition by @doyenne.studio Feminist Welding Club by Anna Zimmermann @annazimmermann.eu 
@the.welding.club Stepping into metal workshops, the only women present were often the ones on ‘titty’ calendars. Women, trans, and genderqueer people remain underrepresented in metalwork; welding being just one instance of a larger structural problem of opportunities being gate-kept by men. The Feminist Welding Club challenges gender stereotypes and disrupts the tropes of who is made to feel comfortable in the workshop.
Through open welding sessions, and the community that forms around them, the club demystifies the ‘macho’ image of welding, showing that metalwork is more than a skill; it’s an opportunity for exchange, creativity, and community. Showing at Custom Lane @custom_lane 8th Nov - 7th Dec

Feminine Literacy A design exhibition by @doyenne.studio embrace3 by Silke Hofmann @silk_hofmann embrace3 is the third iteration of embrace, an ongoing design exploration into breast support clothing. The project develops individualised breast support through methods such as 3D body scanning and modular engineered knitting, involving garment wearers directly as experts of their own experience in identifying and shaping new design possibilities. Showing at Custom Lane @custom_lane 8th Nov - 7th Dec

Feminine Literacy A design exhibition by @doyenne.studio Underground Network by Trisha Gow This work explores the hidden world of mycelium — the vast underground network of thread-like structures that nourishes plants and sustains ecosystems. Using wool dyed with fungi, the weaving interprets this unseen system of life and connectivity. The fungi are carefully sourced and identified in order to protect their environment, highlighting both the fragility and resilience of the natural world. Through this practice, the piece brings attention to an overlooked dye source and the intricate interdependence between fungi, plants, and humans. Showing at Custom Lane @custom_lane 8th Nov - 7th Dec

Feminine Literacy A design exhibition by @doyenne.studio Solar Blanket by Mireille Steinhage @mireillesteinhage Solar Blanket is a heated blanket that uses solar power to provide warmth and alleviate the challenges faced by people in vulnerable and disadvantaged situations caused by fuel poverty, homelessness, and displacement. It offers a lightweight, off-grid heating solution that is designed to focus heat towards the user, minimising energy waste. The solar panel can effectively capture sunlight in various weather conditions. It can charge a power bank, which not only powers the blanket but can also be used to supply energy to other objects in your surroundings. By harnessing renewable energy, it provides warmth and safety for those in need, connecting design with meaningful change and advocating for a more equitable, sustainable future. Showing at Custom Lane @custom_lane 8th Nov - 7th Dec