I wanted to finish out my week of guest blogging by mentioning Neisha Crosland – a textile designer whose work I first fell in love with way back when I was applying to Art School. I read an article about her in a magazine, and loved the style of her home and the look of the interior of her shop and thought the patterns she was producing were so different and fresh! To be fair, this was probably back when the ‘wallpaper revolution’ was beginning in the UK {and the rest of the world}, when people has finally tired of complete minimalism in their interiors and wanted to get a bit of oompf back into their homes!

I very briefly mentioned Neisha back last year in my first round as guest blogger – but I felt it fitting to expand a little more today.

CLICK HERE for the full post from abigail and more images!

Crosland studied graphic design in Chamberwell School of Art but after falling in love with textiles after visiting the V&A Museum in London, she transferred to a textiles course and graduated from the Royal College in 1986. Many of her designs went on to form the basis of top selling collections for big hitters like Osborne and Little – but she later branched out on her own and launched her own brand in 1994. Encompassing textiles, wallpapers, and accessories {from knitwear and handbags to corsages and scarfs under her second brand Ginka!} her work has remained vibrant, eclectic and ever changing.

I think what I liked about her work originally, and still do all these years later, is that I felt it would be classic and would age well. That if I papered my home in it, I could live with it for a long time and it would be a comforting and stimulating back-drop to life, rather than something which would overwhelmingly dominate it!

Anemone was one of my favourite patterns from her collection and I would still love to paper a room with it!

I also love that many of her textiles are incredibly opulent – adding real grandeur to an interior, and a nod to the past. I think Crosland’s love for historical textiles {namely “18th century brocaded ‘bizarre’ fabrics, the canvases of the Russian constructivists, and 1920’s geometric textiles”} really comes through and this background knowledge helps her own collections have context and a sense of belonging in the grand scheme of design. In a lovely turn of fate, the museum that first inspired her to become a pattern designer now collects her work into their archives.

If only we could all achieve such dreams! ;)

All the designers I have covered this week have aspects of their style or business approach that I really admire and find truly inspiring as I embark on launching my own textile pattern and home-wares collection with my boyfriend Ryan Bell. Pattern and textiles has always been my main area of interest even when designing jewellery – so it is hugely exciting to actually be able to pursue one of my greatest loves in a real way. I am excited to imagine that the work we produce could be joining such a long legacy of amazing designers – and I hope we will do that legacy justice!

I hope you have enjoyed the posts this week, and will have found some new favourites amongst the topics covered! Please do stay tuned to my own blog for details of our new venture as it emerges, and, of course, plenty of peeks of jewellery as it is produced at the bench!

Thanks so much for having me!