Pattern in Textiles
In a beautifully appointed studio on the grounds of Chateau Dumas in the south of France during the Selvedge Magazine textile retreat, we were graced with the presence of a master pattern designer and got to watch her in action, awed by the fluidity of her movements, seemingly simple and yet so hard to mimic.
Sarah was part of the acclaimed duo with her sister Susan Collier and their patterns are everywhere. They rose to prominence in the 60’s when they designed for Liberty of London, leading to their designs being used for the first ready-to-wear collection of Yves Saint Laurent and winning many awards, including the typically male dominated Duke of Edinburgh’s prize for design in 1984.
They are known for painting all of their pattern designs by hand, which they continued to do exclusively despite advancements in printing technology. They believed patterns done by hand allow for variations in color and rhythm that a mechanical process can not replicate.
Leaning in to the fabric with her paintbrush, she lets the movements of her body determine the rhythm of each stroke.
Now it was our turn, and we all played with the concept, graduating from long reams of paper to fabric as the week progressed.
As a visual artist whose focus has been primarily portrait and figure-based, I had a difficult time divorcing myself from imagery and being satisfied with mark-making alone. Sarah was keen to my struggle, and encouraged me to try and find ways to incorporate pattern within that context.
I love to draw from old photographs, so I used the bust of a 20’s actress in costume and incorporated a minimalist pattern which I painted on to an antique linen textile that I acquired earlier in the week.
