This Textile Brand Is Blurring the Lines Between Runways and Interiors

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

The Pattern Collective, founded by Brittany Ellis in 2015, emerged from a recognized need for a platform for independent designers to exhibit their work, distinguishing itself from the dominance of large-name brands in showrooms. Ellis initiated the venture to provide an outlet for boutique, global textile, and wallpaper producers. Her initial success involved convincing Barneby Gates, a Great Britain-based studio known for its hand-drawn, traditionally printed, and sustainably produced wallcoverings and fabrics, to partner with her, despite her nascent business lacking a website, branding, or a formal business plan at the time. This partnership was a crucial step in establishing her company. Originally launched in Los Angeles, The Pattern Collective eventually relocated to New Orleans, a city Ellis found to be an ideal environment for her innovative design business due to its creative clientele and rich design inspiration. For the first seven years, Ellis single-handedly managed all aspects of the business, from sample management and email correspondence to website design, all while caring for her newborn. She began her operations from her 600-square-foot apartment, utilizing four large file cabinets. In 2021, she expanded into a small storefront and hired her first part-time employee. Today, The Pattern Collective has achieved significant recognition among designers and design enthusiasts, garnering features in prominent magazines and appearances on several television renovation shows. The company has supplied wallpaper for various productions, including 'Sulphur Springs' on Disney+, 'Harlem' on Amazon Prime, the 'Charmed' reboot on The CW, 'Mean Girls: The Musical,' and the 'Matlock' reboot on Paramount+. Annually, the business serves over 5,000 clients, keeping both its website and its by-appointment-only brick-and-mortar showroom in Metairie bustling. The inventory is continually updated with artisan products, featuring diverse lines such as Minna, a digitally printed textile line from Hudson, NY, known for its chic, cottage-core aesthetics, and Siouxsie, a dark, dreamy, art deco-inspired lightweight velvet by Anna Hayman of Sussex, England. Ellis continues to source products globally, yet she considers New Orleans her home and a core inspiration for her business. She highlights the city's vibrant creativity, layered history evident in its music, food, design, architecture, fashion, and personal style. New Orleans' appreciation for color and individuality, seen in both personal attire and home decor, aligns perfectly with The Pattern Collective's mission to offer unique and distinctive designs, making the company an integral part of the city's creative landscape. #TextileDesign #WallpaperDesign #InteriorDesign #IndependentDesigners #HomeDecor #NewOrleans #GlobalTextiles #ArtisanProducts #SmallBusiness

The latest lighting collection, a collaboration between HGTV veteran Leanne Ford and Target's in-house home brand Project62, has garnered significant attention from interior designers, stylists, DIY bloggers, and photographers. Leanne Ford is recognized for her ability to select unique lighting, evidenced in her previous projects and her personal farmhouse. The collection features wallet-friendly options such as woven floor lamps, metal dome pendants, and industrial brass sconces, offering a diverse range of styles. The article showcases ten ways professionals have integrated these fixtures into their designs, providing practical styling lessons. For instance, San Diego interior designer Michelle Janeen utilizes a metal dome floor lamp in a reading nook. The incorporation of a matte black fixture alongside whitewashed brick, warm wood, and a jute rug demonstrates how mixing materials can make industrial pieces feel less austere and more inviting. DIY enthusiast Megan Schlachtenhaufen's Wisconsin farmhouse illustrates how varied design styles—boho, mid-century, and contemporary—can coexist harmoniously by mimicking design concepts throughout the space. The same floor lamp used by Janeen adopts a contemporary tone in Schlachtenhaufen's living room due to a complementary chandelier. Latisha Carlson's Albuquerque dining room features Ford's natural woven pendant light, which seamlessly integrates with wishbone chairs and a live-edge wood table. This example highlights the effectiveness of a unified textural scheme to achieve design cohesion. Victoria Smith from SF Girl by Bay demonstrates how a perforated floor lamp creates a moody glow in a bedroom, elevating the surrounding art and furniture and defining a distinct lounge area. In Jen Streeter’s Indiana home, a basket light in a living room with string lights, a swing chair, and a disco ball showcases how a white painted light fixture can create a focal point against older architectural details like wood ceiling beams. Photographer Paige Jones highlights a basket fixture in her minimalist dining room, allowing its silhouette to be the central element. This approach suggests that incorporating natural wovens and smooth-edged silhouettes can offer a fresh take on classic trends like shiplap. Designer Brady Tolbert uses a black metal dome table lamp to accentuate soulful objects in his bedroom, such as a Pierre Jeanneret chair and a gallery wall, proving that affordability in design can coexist with high-end pieces. Kaylee Sossamon's Parisian chic entry features a two-toned wall mellowed by abstract prints and woven accents, demonstrating how pairing art and lighting on a console table can create a curated and welcoming foyer. SoCal interior designer Carol Estes achieves a beachy-vintage aesthetic in her hallway with a woven lamp on a washed wood console, with an oblong shape contributing to a casual, California-cool vibe. Lastly, Toronto-based realtor Audrey Larter pairs a coastal-cool floor lamp with a Hans Wegner Flag chair in a Scandinavian-inspired living room, illustrating that environmental context does not need to dictate design aesthetic. #LeanneFord #TargetCollaboration #HomeLighting #InteriorDesign #DesignTrends #HomeDecor #StylingTips #AffordableDesign #Project62

This article highlights the enduring legacy and contemporary excellence of British textile design, emphasizing the importance of supporting homegrown talent. It begins by acknowledging Britain's rich heritage in textile manufacturing and how a new generation of designers is upholding these traditions while infusing them with modern sensibilities. The piece encourages readers to consider British craftsmanship when updating their homes, whether through re-upholstering furniture, refreshing curtains, or redesigning sofa cushions, aligning with current trends of sustainability and upcycling. Various British textile designers and brands are featured, each with a unique aesthetic and approach. Ellen Merchant draws inspiration from William Morris and the British Arts & Crafts movement, creating hand-drawn botanical forms using traditional skills. Chelsea Gem, founded in Chelsea, offers abstract fabrics and wallpapers with a muted, contemporary palette, hand-drawn and printed locally, and sourced sustainably. Chelsea Textiles, established by Monica Perlhagen, specializes in recreating antique embroidery with authentic materials, now collaborating with prominent designers and furnishing prestigious hotels. Christopher Farr Cloth, known for its playful and colorful designs, draws influences from diverse cultures and 20th-century artists, focusing on fine materials and traditional craftsmanship. Clovelly Cloth's designs are inspired by Victorian botanicals and the Arts and Crafts era, hand screen printed in soft mineral colorways, with many designs also available as wallpapers. Cole & Son, a brand founded in 1873, is celebrated for its bold wallpapers and fabrics featuring distinctive patterns like tropical birds, tigers, and florals. Colefax & Fowler, a leading example of British textile manufacturing since the 1930s, is renowned for its quality and evolving range of fabrics and wallpapers that balance traditional English roots with contemporary flair. Designers Guild, a firm British favorite since the 1970s, is recognized for its versatility and stylish interiors, with collections that reinvent florals in luxurious jacquards and printed velvets. Fermoie, founded by Farrow & Ball creators, is committed to sustainability, using natural dyes and raw materials for its wide range of collections. George Smith, primarily a furniture maker, also produces responsibly-sourced, sustainable, and British-made upholstery fabrics in classic, understated designs. GP & J Baker, a Royal Warrant holder, has a long history of supplying fabrics and wallpapers to the Royal household, adapting its vast archive of designs to modern tastes. House of Hackney, known for its quirky and colorful patterns, offers distinctive designs inspired by its London roots and collaborations with various creatives. Jessica Osborne's fabrics are inspired by wild and natural environments, printed in England on 100 percent linen, featuring vibrant repetitive patterns in highly pigmented colorways. Madeaux, based in East Sussex, produces charming fabrics and wallcoverings inspired by vintage tapestries and British wildlife. Nina Campbell's textiles are recognized for their playful, feminine patterns and timeless appeal, blending traditional florals with bold contemporary designs. Osborne & Little, launched in the 1960s, is celebrated for its imaginative approach, quality, and creative innovation, offering a mix of contemporary and classic designs. Parker & Jules, founded by Nancy Parker and Juliet O’Carroll, creates vibrant and maximalist fabrics inspired by British homes, fashion, and folklore. Penny Morrison's distinctive and characterful patterns are a staple in stylish homes, featuring bright colorways and collaborations. Rapture & Wright is unique for its hand-printed designs, ecological production in Gloucestershire, and use of British suppliers. Rose Uniacke has expanded her collection with organic and recycled fabrics, drawing inspiration from various historical and artistic periods. Sanderson, since 1860, is known for its elegant hand-drawn designs, bold colors, and patterns inspired by the English countryside and global influences. Finally, Soane Britain offers fabrics and wallpapers inspired by founder Lulu Lytle's antique collections, made in British mills using traditional methods, with a custom service available. #BritishTextileDesigners #HomeDecor #InteriorDesign #TextileManufacturing #SustainableDesign #ArtsAndCrafts #LuxuryFabrics #HomeFurnishings #Upholstery