Ronan Bouroullec Transforms Ceramics Into Fabric With Adagio

Jayne Lemon, owner of RuggedUp in Hyannis, transforms discarded fabrics into unique, handmade rag rugs, each imbued with personal history and vibrant character. Lemon's creative journey began after 19 years as a stay-at-home mother, when she discovered an interest in rag rug making through Instagram. She developed her technique by cutting long strips from fabric scraps and crocheting them into circular floor coverings. Her process involves selecting a primary fabric, such as old sheets or pajamas, and coordinating other materials to create a themed and named rug. These rugs are entirely made from recycled goods, sometimes even incorporating unusual items like plastic tablecloths. This practice echoes the historical tradition of rag rug making in America from the 1600s to the early 1900s, when fabric was a scarce and valuable resource. Lemon actively seeks fabric donations through social media. A significant donation came from a closing theater company in Wareham, providing old costumes that now add splashes of ballgown fabric to her creations. She extends her commitment to recycling beyond her rug-making: clothes deemed too good for cutting are donated to the Cape Cod Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop, and the top portions of donated jeans go to another artisan who crafts purses. Linens unsuitable for rugs are repurposed as animal bedding for local shelters. Her retail space, which opened on September 1st at 705B Main St., also serves as a studio and a consignment outlet for other artisans who create new items from old materials. This collective approach supports a broader recycling ethos. One such crafter unravels old sweaters to knit stuffed animals. Lemon's own rugs are prominently displayed, draped to showcase their colors, as their substantial weight of approximately 30 pounds makes frequent repositioning impractical. Each circular rug measures between 5 and 6 feet and is priced between $500 and $700. Currently, 36 unique rugs are available, with the exception of Lemon's very first creation, which remains in her home as it incorporates clothing from her children over the years. She also accepts commissions, maintaining the same pricing structure. Custom rugs, which transform customers' sentimental fabrics into lasting keepsakes, typically take about a month to complete, depending on demand. Lemon personally creates each rug using only her crochet hook, emphasizing the artisanal and labor-intensive nature of her craft. The finished rugs are spot-cleanable and are designed to soften with use, further enhancing their comfort and longevity. #RagRugs #RecycledFabricArt #HomeDecor #SustainableCrafts #ArtisanWork #TextileRecycling #HandmadeRugs

Rachel Doriss, a graduate of Barnstable High, has achieved her dream career as the design director of Pollack, a globally recognized woven textile company based in New York City. Her passion for textiles began in childhood, influenced by her weaver grandmother, Barbara Mitnik, who taught her various fiber crafts like bead weaving, crocheting, knitting, and traditional weaving. Most significantly, they spent time sewing together, visiting fabric stores, selecting patterns, and creating outfits. Doriss recalls often feeling unsatisfied with the limited fabric choices available, leading her to conceptualize her own design patterns without initially understanding the textile industry as a potential career path. Throughout high school, Doriss continued to sew most of her own clothes, also exploring fabric dyeing and batik. Upon graduating, her parents, John C. Doriss and Elizabeth Doriss, gifted her a new Singer sewing machine. She initially pursued fine art at UMass Amherst for two years before transferring to the Rhode Island School of Design to specialize in textile arts. It was during a junior year field trip to New York City, visiting various fabric companies, that Doriss realized the existence of a textile industry and the possibility of a career within it, a realization that shifted her perspective on her future. Doriss joined Pollack in 2000 as an associate designer, steadily progressing through the ranks to become vice president of design five years prior to her most recent promotion in May to design director. In this new role, she aims to infuse a fresh perspective and personal vision into the company's direction, anticipating a shift towards more saturated, fresher, and brighter colors in their textile collections. Pollack specializes in designing woven fabrics for upholstery and drapery, catering to both commercial and residential interior design markets. The company is known for its innovative and contemporary approach, consistently pushing the boundaries of textile design. Molly McGinness, owner of Molly McGinness Interior Design in Falmouth, highly regards Pollack fabrics for their durability, luxurious feel, and practicality for everyday living. Doriss's design process extends beyond just patterns; she prioritizes the fiber itself, considering its composition, the yarn's spinning method, and how it is colored. She also meticulously plans the construction of the warp and weft for the weaving process, sometimes starting with a pattern, other times with a specific yarn, or even an ethereal concept like how light interacts with drapery or how fabric moves and sounds. The three-person design team at Pollack exclusively creates their artwork by hand in the studio, using computers merely as tools. They believe hand-drawn designs offer superior control and subtlety, even practicing the increasingly rare skill of drawing in repeat, where a unit is repeated consistently, sometimes overtly and other times subtly. This meticulous process results in sophisticated, high-end fabrics, with prices ranging from $20 to $200 per yard for specialized materials like cotton velvet woven in Italy and embroidered in India. The company releases two collections annually, fall and spring, each featuring approximately 20 new fabrics with multiple color variations. Doriss and her team work significantly ahead, designing collections up to a year in advance. Once designs are finalized, they are sent to top mills worldwide, with lead times of around nine months to bring a fabric to market. These mills specialize in materials based on regional traditions, such as Belgium for linens, the UK and New Zealand for sheep's wool, South America for wool from sheep and alpacas, India for silks and embroidery, and Italy for silk jacquard and luxurious velvets. Doriss expresses deep satisfaction in collaborating with these experienced mills, drawing on their century-old traditions and her lifelong love of fabric. #TextileDesign #InteriorDesign #RachelDoriss #PollackFabrics #WovenTextiles #HighEndDesign #FabricInnovation #DesignCareer #CapeCodTalent

Designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have launched 'Losanges,' a limited series of unique enameled ceramic vases, which debuted at Design Miami/ 2017 for Galerie Kreo. These large vases are available in two distinct colors: a dark moss-like green and a mottled baby blue, with variations in height. The 'Losanges' collection continues the brothers' long-standing exploration of vase design, a theme they have revisited since their first combinatory vases in 1997. Previous notable collections include the Ruutu collection for Iittala in 2014 and the Cloud vases in 2015. Each vase within the 'Losanges' series is individually crafted, marrying the geometric precision of a generic form, characterized by its angles and bevels, with the inherent organic variations of artisanal production. This combination results in pieces that interact uniquely with light, reflecting it differently depending on the viewer's perspective and distance. The designers specifically aimed to evoke the 'sfumato effect' in these vases. Sfumato, a technique famously employed in Renaissance art, refers to the subtle graduation of tones and colors, creating a soft, vague, or blurred quality that eliminates harsh outlines. Art historian Clément Dirié further elaborates on this effect, noting the 'vaporous evanescence of the glazes and the depth of chromatic field.' He suggests that the scientific application of enamels contributes to a magical quality, producing vibrations that both emerge and complement one another within the ceramic forms. This interplay of light, color, and texture allows the vases to merge blurred and sharp elements, and to articulate the relationship between shadow and light, reminiscent of the delicate and fragile aesthetic found in paper architecture. The exhibition of 'Losanges' took place from December 6 to 10 at Design Miami/ 2017, a prominent global forum that convenes a diverse group of collectors, gallerists, designers, curators, and critics. This event is renowned for showcasing museum-quality exhibitions of twentieth and twenty-first-century furniture, lighting, and objets d'art. Design Miami/ balances commercial opportunities with a rich cultural program, featuring collaborations with design institutions, panel discussions, lectures by influential figures in the creative sector, and commissions from both emerging and established designers and architects. Held concurrently with the Art Basel fairs in Miami each December and in Basel, Switzerland each June, Design Miami/ has established itself as a leading platform for exhibiting, discussing, and fostering the creation of collectible design. The 'Losanges' collection embodies a sophisticated blend of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design principles, bringing an artistic depth to functional objects. #RonanErwanBouroullec #LosangesVases #EnameledCeramic #SfumatoEffect #DesignMiami #GalerieKreo #VaseDesign #CollectibleDesign #ArtisanalCraftsmanship