47 textiles today

 

Photos from 47 textiles today.

One week left! It’s your very last chance to catch this exhibition at Hikarie in Shibuya. Presented by D&Department project, this exhibition showcases textiles from across 47 prefectures in Japan. Link represents the prefecture of Kanagawa, where Link furoshiki are hand-printed. What a great idea, and it is a great privilege to be included!

47 textiles today

Start : 21st, November 2013

Close : 2nd, February 2014
Opening time : 11:00〜20:00
Address : 8F 2-21-1 Shibuya Shibuyaku Tokyo 〒150-8510

Link – at the Centre Pompidou.

‘Objects’, ‘Folded Paper’ and ‘Dots’ Link furoshiki are now available at Centre Pompidou in Paris! http://www.centrepompidou.fr/

Link – Winter 2013.

Yay, Link’s winter furoshiki are out! Please take a look …

My latest design ‘Dots‘ is available in blue, black and rust. The design continues along the theme of folding and wrapping. Hours of paper folding and experimenting went on behind the scenes, which was a lot of fun … perhaps I’ll share some sketches at a later date.

Also launched this winter season is ‘The Hida Express‘, another beautifully intricate design by Hannah Waldron (designer of the Maze furoshiki, Winter 2012) based on a train journey she took through the Japanese Alps.

Quill

“#2 of our top ten treats for mums… A silk-cotton furoshiki cloth to wear as a scarf, tie into a spring-time bag (below) and plenty more ideas in store. Don’t forget – use code LOVE10 for a special 10% off until 8th March.”

http://www.quilllondon.com/home-office-desk-accessories/furoshiki.html

Update … Link

 

It’s February 2013 already, and this blog has been so neglected!

There’s been a lot of activity amongst the Link collective since I last wrote. 2012 has been busy! We saw the introduction of Link’s popular leather carry strap (designed and handmade by director Kyoko), some beautiful work from a new collaborator in London, Hannah Waldron, who also presented with Kyoko at PechaKucha Night in Tokyo. A fresh collection of new furoshiki designs and colours, and some really great photos from photographer Martin Holtkamp.  An interview with Link’s printers was published online by spoon-tamago in July, giving a rare look behind the scenes. To end the year, Winter colours were released and Kyoko flew to New York where she ran a small Link furoshiki workshop.

2013 is already underway, keep your eye’s peeled for more …

How to build a city.

I love this work by at swim-two-birds. Collage made from paper trash, then embroidered. Beautiful.

Wrap yourselves up in love.

Link furoshiki are still for sale at Plastica, Etsy and Loopto.

Print Textile Festival of cocca 2010

Photos from www.cocca.ne.jp.

Recently I sent some work to Tokyo, to my favourite printed textile store, cocca. They were inviting work for a summer competition: ‘Print Textile Festival of cocca 2010’. I feel very excited and honoured to discover that I have been awarded two prizes for my work – a Jury Prize, selected by Eguti Hiroshi (representative of a bookshop UTRECHT in Nakameguro) and cocca Special Prize “seeing Japan from abroad”.

There will be an exhibition, from Tuesday 24 to Sunday 29 of August, displaying the prize winners works at their shop in Daikanyama. If you’re in Tokyo please check it out!

Special thanks to my friend Jun for helping me out with translating all correspondence. x

At last … LINK is officially announced!

After lots of work, we are very excited to officially announce the launch of our limited edition furoshiki!

Two original designs, hand-printed in Japan on 100% cotton. Please take a look at our site: http://thelinkcollective.com/.

Work in progress

We just received a photo from our printer in Tokyo showing our new project in progress … I’m very excited. I’ll announce more about it very soon!

Osborn Shoes

Osborn Shoes – designed in Brooklyn by Carla Venticinque-Osborn & Aaron Osborn, these very unique shoes are handcrafted by artisans in Guatemala City. The fun and beautiful fabrics range from hand blocked Kente cotton fabric, to thick woven cotton from India and almost certainly some Guatemalan fabrics in there too. Wow.

Aiko

I’m not a big fan of tie-dye, but I think this sweatshirt by Aiko is beautiful.

+81 jinbei

Take a look at +81. Keiko made this really lovely tiny jinbei for her new born daughter using some space-to-think fabric. It makes me so happy to see this fabric being so beautifully used. I can’t wait to see it being worn … more pictures to come!

Work in progress

Sample

Chair

A couple of weeks ago I found this chair at the Rose Bowl flea market. It’s Danish and made of Walnut. When I bought it, it had a hideous covered seat – dirty pale pink with a faded floral pattern from the ’80’s I suspect. This got me excited … it meant I could reupholster the seat myself, with some of my fabric!

This is the first time I’ve upholstered something. I replaced the old layers of rotting fabric, disintegrating foam, wadding, old staples and masking tape and covered it with one of my space-to-think geometric fabrics.

I’m pleased :-)

Girard Geometrics

Alexander Girard (1907 – 1993) is another favourite designer of mine. Girard’s work combined the timeless lines of the modern with the playfulness and bold color of Latin American folk art.

These geometric designs are very similar to the Anni Albers Eclat design here.

The following are available at Maharam:

Facets 1952

Double Triangles 1952

Checker 1965

Checkersplit 1965

There is a beautiful cushion, covered in a limited edition lined fabric design by Girard, in the Eames Office in Santa Monica that I have been yearning after for ages. Every so often I go in and gaze at it!

The official agent to the Estate of Alexander Girard responsible for re-introducing Girard designs to the contemporary marketplace is máXimo.

Plyprint

Showers 1958, as seen here.

Alexander Girard

Eclat

Eclat was designed by weaver and printmaker Anni Albers. She originally designed it in 1974 as a printed upholstery, but now Knoll Textiles has reintroduced the pattern as a woven textile named Eclat Weave, available from Knoll for $61 per yard.

I absolutely love this fabric and was so excited to spot it in Elle magazine. In fact I’m a big fan of Anni Albers work in general and aim to write another post about her very soon!

Blooming spoons.

Quick design submission, based on spoons and flowers. Last day to vote on www.spoonflower.com

Pattern Factory

The other day an exciting parcel arrived at my door – a copy of Pattern Factory (aka ‘Pattern Department‘ in Japan) by Ayako Terashima, published by Collins Design.

It’s a beautifully selected and put together book, showcasing patterns by contemporary artists and designers. I know Ayako has been working hard on this project for some time now. I’ve been waiting to see the results ever since she invited me to shoot the designer & director Mike Mills in his studio, for the book’s chapter on ‘Ideas, Process + Output’ back in February.

‘Pattern Factory is a colourful showcase of outstanding contemporary patterns by the worlds leading artists and designers, including Takeshi Murakami, Julian Opie, Keiichi Tanaami, Perks and Mini, So_Me, and many others. In addition to an archive of more than 150 vibrant and distinct patterns, this visually stunning volume includes exclusive interview pages – featuring Mike Mills, Eley Kishimoto, Lizzie Finn, Sousou and Fabrick/Medicom Toy – which unveil the artists’ working processes and sources of inspiration, along with photographs of their studios and factories.’

A refreshing collection of unexpected and unusual pattern designs; be ready for a lot of nice surprises in this book!

Salvia (‘Mori’ – detail)

Will Sweeny (‘Metal Storm’ – detail)

Peter Jensen (Illustration & Print design by Kathryn Dale – detail)

Lizzie Finn (featured in Chapter 2: Ideas, Process + Output)

Mike Mills (featured in Chapter 2: Ideas, Process + Output). Studio photography by Lucinda Newton-Dunn.

Fabrick’s screenprinting workshop (Kyoto)

Eley Kishimoto – A/W 2005

Plate by Lizzie Finn