If you’ve been in the design industry a long time, you might remember Malabar fabrics, which in the mid-1980s introduced to the UK the astonishing colour and wonderful craftsmanship of Indian textiles. When its British founder Peter Sterck died in 2019, the brand moved to the US and is now owned by Lyn Girdler, previously its long-term employee. There’s a new chapter to the story now, as Malabar is now once again available in the UK thanks to a partnership with Design Centre showroom George Spencer Designs.

The fabrics are the epitome of slow design, using yarns that are hand-dyed and then dried in the sun, before being hand-spun on a traditional loom; a weaver will weave an average of 5m a day. Vibrant cottons in plains, checks and stripes were Malabar’s initial staples, but now its collections include embroideries, appliqués, sheers, silks, chenilles and velvets. Pictured above are (left to right) ‘Chimichanga’, ‘Tinkareni’ and ‘Tiwi’: if joy could be expressed in textile form, perhaps this is it.

Third Floor, Design Centre East