Embracing The Female Form: A Conversation with Studio Bust Founder, Mads Montagu-Andrews
Studio Bust was born from a desire to commemorate the transformative experience of pregnancy, led by founder Mads Montagu-Andrews as a pioneering celebration of feminine beauty.
Offering individuals the opportunity to create custom statues of their own form through cutting-edge methods, Studio Bust embraces the avant-garde by utilising a fusion of modern 3D printing technology and traditional casting techniques for clients to immortalise their essence in a sentimental, personalised sculpture that is also a timeless objet d’art.
Whether capturing the journey of pregnancy or embracing personal liberation, Mads and the Studio Bust team craft unique pieces of home decor that encapsulate the essence of each individual at a distinct moment in time. La Coqueta spoke to Mads, to learn more about her journey so far.
What inspired the inception of Studio Bust?
When I was pregnant with my first daughter, I sat for a drawing and it was when I was pregnant with my second and searching for a different medium that Studio Bust was born.
Inspired by my Mother in Law’s beautiful sculpture collection, I was drawn to Bronze, but wasn’t sure we had the space for a life-size cast in our London Flat, or the budget to sit with a traditional sculptor. Thus after much research, I launched Studio Bust. We combine the best of modern technology with age old casting techniques to create bespoke sculptures, scaled to a size that suits our client’s homes.
Can you guide us through the typical client journey when collaborating with Studio Bust?
Each Bust starts with a 3D scan, taken during an hour-long appointment hosted by a female member of our team at our London Studio or one of our Global Pop-ups.
During our appointments, clients have a chance to see our finishes in person, there are quite a few options to choose from - bespoke colours, materials, sizes and plinths, and we know how nice it is to see and feel things in the flesh and also have the optionality to choose something that feels authentically ‘them’.
Clients are then 3D scanned in a private room, with each scan only taking 20 seconds, we like to try a number of poses and review each digital render on screen to ensure they are a part of the process and confident in the pose that is put into production.
After the appointment, the digital files are then edited by me from our Hampshire Studio. The 3D scan captures the body as a whole, and so part of my ‘maker’s mark’ as the Artist and Founder is ensuring things like where we cut the arms is consistent with our aesthetic.
Given the personal nature of our work, it’s really important to me that as much of the process is done in house - we 3D print from our Hampshire Studio and have an incredible team of women who hand sand and finish each Bust. Our Legacy Busts are cast in Bronze at a Foundry next door to our Studio and then finished and packaged in house.
Could you delve into the narratives behind the Legacy and Liberty collections?
What core principles or values drive Studio Bust's operations and client interactions?
Our concept is still relatively new and highly personal, so it’s of huge importance that our clients know they can trust us. We want every touch point to reflect this - whether it’s on our website, our socials, interacting with our team or during an appointment. It’s vital that clients feel safe and supported during their appointment and it’s incredibly rewarding when we see clients leaving feeling confident and empowered.
We’re so honoured clients have chosen to not only capture a moment in time with us, but invest in a work of art made by Studio Bust, and so whether they’ve chosen a Lacquer or a Bronze, quality is paramount.
How many locations does Studio Bust currently operate in?
We regularly host appointments in London, LA, NY and Paris and spend the rest of our time travelling to meet demand. This could be anything from a home visit in Belgium to a pop up in Toronto, but regardless of where we scan our clients, everything is made in Hampshire, where we can ensure the highest quality.
Who is Studio Bust's clientele? (Just pregnancy, or adult women of all ages and sizes celebrating their body?)
We welcome women of every age and every stage. Whether it’s a milestone birthday, a longed for pregnancy, an anniversary, pre or post surgery/illness or just because, it’s so wonderful to meet with clients and create a work of art of that captures a moment in their lives.
Balancing brand development and parenthood can be demanding. How has this journey been for you?
It’s certainly been a juggle! I was a Pastry Chef at Spring Restaurant before having children and starting Studio Bust, so whilst I've always been creative, starting my own business has been a very steep learning curve. Studio Bust was a couple of years old when my third daughter was born and I didn’t take much maternity leave, which really highlighted the importance of a support network - we thankfully now have a wonderful nanny, family nearby for last minute help and have grown the team at Studio Bust, which has transformed my work/life balance enormously!
For parents aspiring to launch their creative studio or brand, what valuable advice would you offer?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help! I loved reading Anya Hindmarch’s book ‘If in doubt, wash your hair’ when I was newly navigating life as a mother and business owner. It resonated on so many levels, but I really appreciated her guidance on spending money on childcare. I know that I cannot effectively parent three children under the age of 5 and run a business at the same time and when I give dedicated time to one, I really see the benefits. Obviously there are days when this isn't the reality, but ensuring we have proper childcare support in place has been one of my greatest learnings - I work more efficiently, have time to look after myself and in turn, my children benefit too with quality time from whoever is looking after them.
What is one thing you know now, you wish you had known earlier?
To trust my creative instincts.
What are your favourite La Coqueta pieces this season?
I made the mistake of showing my eldest daughter the La Coqueta website and she was absolutely enthralled, I think we ended up looking at every item so it was definitely hard to pick favourites! At 5, she seems to have a busier social life than the rest of us and thought the Ivory Gardinia Dress was party perfection, especially paired with some metallic Mary Janes. I love the Orange Floral Lourdes dress and the Blue Floral Silvana and think the canvas espadrilles and velvet Mary Janes are heaven.
What does the future have in store for Studio Bust?
We’re always looking at ways to extend global availability as we reach new audiences in different parts of the world and with the world of 3D Art expanding rapidly, we’re always on the lookout for new and innovative materials to incorporate into our offering.
I recently created a sculpture of my 9 year old niece and it was incredible to show her how we use the technology and give her a tour of our Studio and Foundry. It’s been such an honour to see client’s returning to capture subsequent milestones in their lives and so incorporating capturing their growing children feels like a natural extension, watch this space!
