Posts in Behind the scenes
All Tied Up in Neckwear

While attending the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science during the early 1980s, I often frequented the Salvation Army thrift store in search of Harris Tweed jackets and thin neckties. I strove to play the part of an intelligentsia-minded glam rock dude who took his cues from Bryan Ferry while humming Joe Jackson’s “Look Sharp.” Take a journey with me into the history of neckties and their fabrics.

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Lace: A Timeless Beauty and Symbol of Power

The first major installation in New York on lace in more than 40 years: Threads of Power: Lace from the Textilmuseum St. Gallen exhibit at the Bard Graduate Center (September 16, 2022 – January 1, 2023) captured the attention of textile enthusiasts everywhere. Exhibition curators Emma Cormack and Michele Majer answered all of our burning questions about lace, while contemporary lace artist Elena Kanagy-Loux, offered her personal take.

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Change Underfoot: Interview with Jodie Fried of Armadillo Rugs

Charting new waters in ethical and sustainable rug design, Armadillo was a natural choice for our Made in India Report. Co-founder Jodie Fried tells The Textile Eye about her big career pivot, being the first Australian and American rug maker to achieve B Corp status, and what slow living means to her.

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Going with The Grain: Q&A with Lison de Caunes, the Grande Dame of Straw Marquetry

Report 13 cover star Lison de Caunes – granddaughter of Art Deco master André Groult – tells The Textile Eye about growing up in her acclaimed grandfather’s design studio, reviving straw marquetry savoir faire, and why the material is so popular for furniture and interiors today.

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On the Fall 2021 Cover: Ferrick Mason's New Naturalism

Nature has been the great Muse for centuries, and it is no less impactful today. Pattern designers turn to the natural world for inspiration, with current renditions offering personal and textural takes on trees, leaves, landscapes, and waterscapes. Pratt Institute-trained painter Alex Mason is no exception to the call of the wild. The result is Ferrick Mason, a hand-rendered fabric and wallpaper line full of graphic, abstract repeats and references to sinuous flora and fauna. The brand graces the cover of Staying Power: Iconic American Designs of Today and Tomorrow, with an interview in the “The New Naturalists” theme.

But Alex Mason wasn’t always in full bloom.

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Craft that Sustains: Interviewing Caralarga, our “Handmade in North America” Cover Star

The beauty of handcrafted objects of the highest quality has always been appreciated by interior designers—and is more appealing than ever to end consumers eager for a break from mass-production and tech. While the appreciation for the handcrafted has waxed and waned in the US, Mexico never strayed from the commitment to hand craft. Building on deep roots, Mexican designers like Caralarga are forging a new tradition of sublimely modern and socially responsible design.

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