Mingo Lamberti: The Holiday Collection

INTERVIEWED BY Lindi Brownell Meiring

Mingo Lamberti recently launched four holiday-inspired fabric designs – Hawaii (illustrated by Kronk) and Tropicana, Durban and Cabana (all illustrated by Muti).

The designs were rotary screen-printed on cotton twill using water-based inks. We decided to catch up with Mingo Lamberti’s Brad Hodgkiss to find out more about the brand’s exciting new homeware collection.

You’re known for your fun T-shirts and tops. What made you decide to launch a textile and homeware range?

Secretly, we’ve been attracted to patterns for a while now and these textiles allowed us to explore more. We also had a couch that needed some more colour and designing our own range of cushions sounded like an attractive project. In the past we produced a range of cushions called the Tea Cup Collection with Pearly Yon, which were limited to panel prints. By rotary printing the Holiday Collection as a continuous pattern, it allowed us to use the fabric in different ways.

We’ve therefore made cushions, deck chair covers and duffel bags (in collaboration with Dark Horse). We’re in the process of making backpacks and some tote bags and we’re also looking at manufacturing umbrellas in the near future.

What inspired the prints featured in the Holiday Collection?

• Tropicana was inspired by retro tropical patterns seen on curtains or upholstery in old-school seaside holiday homes. We gave our pattern a new take on a jungle scene – if you look closely you’ll see the foliage has come alive and is starting to devour some of the creatures that live there.
• Durban was, of course, based on SA’s very own subtropical city on the east coast. The pattern draws on nostalgic Durban imagery in an abstract, graphic manner.
• Cabana was loosely inspired by late ’60s Californian cabanas, drawing on the feeling of idyllic poolside relaxation. We mixed up scenes, objects and architecture to create these geometric designs.
• Hawaii is a retro take on life on the islands. It’s all about that real summer holiday feel.

Are you planning on expanding the range anytime soon?

The Holiday Collection is complete and is a limited edition run. There is still fabric available, which can be made into various items, but we won’t be printing anymore. The fabric is available to purchase per metre.

Where can our readers get hold of your designs?

You can shop online or contact us via hello@mingolamberti.com.

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