Gainsborough's Legacy of Elegance
Gainsborough silk mill, the cover star for our UK Chic report, has been weaving elegant textiles since 1903. We delve into their history in an exclusive interview with creative director Tim Walters.
Fabric on the loom from Gainsborough’s House Medici collection
A preview of our Q&A with Tim Walters, excerpted from Report 19: UK Chic.
Tim Walters, creative director of Gainsborough
Examples from Gainsborough’s Sir John Soane collection
Designing Timelessness: A Creative Collaboration
Under the creative direction of Tim Walters, Gainsborough continues its 100+ year legacy. With managing director Neil Thomas and head of design Darren Yaxley, Walters brings forth designs that transcend time, drawing inspiration from the mill's extensive archive—one of the UK's premier textile libraries. One such collaboration is the recently released Britannia collection by Dame Zandra Rhodes for Gainsborough. With names like “O-Gee Whizz” and “Fabulous Frills,” fresh colorways and innovative styles demonstrate the breadth of possibility with Gainsborough. “While fashions come and go, many of the designs are timeless when recolored or reimagined for contemporary interiors,” Walters shares.
Examples from the Britannia collection by Dame Zandra Rhodes for Gainsborough
Gainsborough’s mill
“Each project we do is exciting as it starts as an idea, a drawing, some yarn colors, and then one day you start to see the first few inches appear on the loom and know it’s better than you could have hoped.”
- Tim Walters.
From the Gallery collection
The Essence of 2023 Collections
In 2023, Gainsborough unveiled two collections that epitomize sophistication. The Gallery Collection introduces “Wool Camlet,” a luxurious plain fabric designed for walls, curtains, upholstery, and accessories. The Sudbury Edit Collection, named after the mill's location, “[brings] back some designs that can be viewed as contemporary but have one foot in history,” he says.
Antique swatch book from the Gainsborough archive
The Gainsborough archive
Weaving Heritage into Contemporary Threads
With a robust archive at their disposal, Gainsborough effortlessly balances historical textile reproductions with contemporary offerings. Walters challenges the notion of 'contemporary,' emphasizing the seamless integration of designs with roots in history. “We look for designs that complement our previous offerings and give variety,” he explains.
Beginning a new project involves three key aspects: technical skills, weaving knowledge, and design experience. Luckily, Walters has access to the mill’s extensive archives. He shares “a bit of a joke at the mill—if I can’t be found, look in the archive room!”
“Our day books, which record everything we have designed and woven for the past 100 years, read like a who’s who of interior designers and historic buildings. Absolutely fascinating and a remarkable source of inspiration.”
The dyeing process from Gainsborough’s mill
Sustainable Innovation: Weaving a Greener Future
Gainsborough takes pride in its sustainable initiatives, from using biodegradable natural fibers to implementing an exhaustion method in dyeing. The mill recently introduced bespoke fabrics dyed with sustainable, plant-based dyes. “These dyes are scalable, repeatable, and of the quality required by the interiors industry,” Walters states.
The Soane Damask from the Sir John Soane collection
Detail of the Soane Damask
Navigating the Color Spectrum
Color selection, a delicate art, is approached with sensitivity. Gainsborough's ability to create jewel-like colors in silk is balanced with market considerations. Walters acknowledges the influence of the fashion industry while embracing the opportunity to produce unique, short-run colors tailored to designers' visions. Surprisingly, vivid colors aren’t new to the mill. When discussing color in the archive, he reveals “our forebears really did live in Technicolor!”
