A Ripple or a Splash?
Biophilic design, inspired by nature, is closely associated with natural materials and botanical references – but patterns and motifs that take water as their starting point make just as strong a connection to the outside world.
Famed architect Peter Marino’s collection for The Rubelli Group looks to the ultimate watery destination, Venice, to create his new collection. Rubelli’s home city is honoured with three silk jacquards (including ‘Tiepolo’, pictured above) featuring flowing linear designs, echoing the magic of light on water. Sales from the collection will partly benefit Venetian Heritage, which is chaired by Marino.
“Venice for me is magical and it aligns with one of my main obsessions: light,” says the architect. “I want light in all of my work, and the light on the water in the canals makes me absolutely crazy with joy.”
Ancient and deeply traditional – it has been produced since at least the Middle Ages – moiré is also appearing on the design radar once more. Thesign’s ‘Boheme’ (above left; available from Altfield) has a dramatic two-tone effect, while Zinc Textile’s ‘Athénée’ (above right; available from Romo), comes in a palette of jewel-like colours.
Zinc Textile has also explored the wavy, watery moiré effect, but with a twist, as part of its Pantelleria collection. Named after the tiny Italian island of the same name, the range has been inspired by the melting-pot of cultures to be found there, and includes ‘Bonsulton’ (above), a rich velvet printed with a moire-like pattern.
Anthology’s latest collection includes ‘Ripple Stripe’ (above left; available from Harlequin), a fluid, painterly interpretation of light on water, while on the neutral side, Etamine’s linen voile ‘Le Lagon’ (above right; available from Zimmer + Rohde) features a meandering chain stitch, and owes its name to a print of the same name by Henri Matisse.
Altfield, Second Floor, Centre Dome
Harlequin, First Floor, South Dome
Romo, First Floor, North Dome
Rubelli/Donghia, Ground Floor, Design Centre East
Zimmer + Rohde, Ground Floor, North Dome
