fabrics Archives | Visi

The Mill Fabrics Felt Range

Gina Beretta — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 06:00:00 +0000

WORDS Gina Dionisio

The Mill Fabrics dynamic new Felt range is made exclusively from recycled plastic bottles, turning waste into usable, functional products.

“Reduce, reuse, recycle” is the ethos behind The Mill Fabric’s new Felt range made from recycled PET Felt. With more than 12 plastic bottles in every meter, the brand can cut and package the non-woven textile with the knowledge that they’re reducing the global landfill problem.

There are multiple uses for this Felt which has a firm, stiff and strong structure, lending itself to acoustic panels, walling, screens and pinboards as well as a host of contemporary accessories such as bags, hats, notebook sleeves, placemats and more.

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A post shared by The Mill Fabrics (@themillfabrics)

This new ‘green’ range comes in three trendy shades of Recycled PET Felt – “Bowtie, Cravat and Cufflink” (black, mottled charcoal and mottled light grey), which are all on point with modern decor trends.

For more info, visit themillfabrics.co.za.

Looking for more from The Mill Fabrics? Check out their Tribal Chic range.

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The Mill Fabric Collection: Bute

Michaela Stehr — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 06:00:46 +0000

The latest Fashion for Furnishings campaign is a collaboration between contemporary upholstery, by The Mill Fabrics, and the high fashion of designer Johan Botha. The overall aim? Showcasing a captivating new fabric range, called Bute.

Founder of The Mill, Lorna Bailey, conceptualised the Fashion for Furnishings campaign from her experience of studying fashion design and then moving into interior spaces. The campaign aims to to demonstrate the alignment between fashion and interior design.

The Mill’s first outdoor fabric collection, entitled Bute, takes centre stage in the latest Fashion For Furnishings photoshoot, which features broad and candy stripe designs from the range, including Kames Bay Rio and Port Bannatyne Palma.

And these outdoor upholstery textiles don’t just look great: they are soil- and water-repellent, and feature additional protective treatments such as anti-mildew and anti-microbial finishes.

Woven on an uplifting white base, the Bute range is not only an eye-catcher but provides a crisp canvas for avocado green, a beautiful blue hue and candy-cane red, and all the fabrics boast a colour fastness rating of 8. This collection is suitable for any patio, veranda, sunroom or deck setting, from residential homes to hospitality interiors.

Shop the Bute range here.

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Home Fabrics Fibreguard Pro Collection

Michaela Stehr — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 06:00:58 +0000

WORDS Celeste Jacobs

The FibreGuard Pro fabric collections from Home Fabrics make interiors of all kinds safer thanks to their sophisticated technology – and they look great too.

With better hygiene on everyone’s minds these days, the FibreGuard Pro fabrics from Home Fabrics, which includes three separate fabric collections – the Spartacus, Michelin and Combo ranges – is the perfect way to update interiors beautifully without compromising on health and safety.

All the fabrics in these luxurious ranges are soft to the touch as well as being moisture-, odour- and mildew resistant. A breathable membrane has been applied to the back of the fabric that prevents any penetration of liquids, while still allowing air to circulate. This makes FibreGuard Pro fabrics washable and easy to clean, in addition to being stain-resistant and having antimicrobial properties.

The Spartacus, Michelin and Combo collections are also durable, offering long-lasting value for money, and they’re eco-friendly to boot. Like all of the other FibreGuard fabrics available, the FibreGuard Pro range is certified under Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex® – guaranteeing that the fabrics won’t release any harmful chemicals into the environment.

Apart from the increased peace of mind that these collections offer, they also come in a great variety of textures and even more colours.

In short, FibreGuard Pro fabrics offer all the latest benefits of hardwearing functionality, while also looking stylish in any space.

Check out all the options you can choose from at one of Home Fabrics’ showrooms countrywide, or via the website.

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Fabric Bank Collaborates With SA Artists

Michaela Stehr — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 06:00:12 +0000

WORDS Michaela Stehr

Local wallpaper and fabric brand Fabric Bank has collaborated with 17 South African artists to release a range of collaborative fabric designs.

Melba Rihlamvu

“We believe there’s real value in collaboration,” states Fabric Bank on its website. “We’ve teamed up with brilliant local designers and artists to develop custom ranges of patterns, which are available to print.”

Frank Conradie

The artists participating include r1., Tshepiso Malebye aka “Dblaqtalian”, Melba Rihlamvu, Frank Conradie, Beanie, Sir Abner, Mitchell and Santos, Joy Ezeka of Zuri and Imani, Lindsay Catherine, Anne Maggs, Michelle Clair, Karabo Mokaila, Bonny Breytenbach, Martina Banozic, Shenimosh, Mary Jean, Keya Tama and Glorinah Mabaso.

For more information, visit fabricbank.co.za.

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Bold Textiles From The Mill Fabrics

Gina Beretta — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 06:00:42 +0000

The Mill Fabrics is moving with the international curve, evident in its involvement with a new mixed-use building in Cape Town.

The WEX1 building tells the story of a collaborative community through design, embracing a communal lifestyle with live-work-play comforts. Designed and curated by Studio Lee Lynch, the Stock Exchange Hotel beams with bold patterns and vibrant colours, showcased through some of the best examples of South African design.

WEX1 Apartment featuring Linton Tweed Mono and Samson Slick.

The Mill Fabrics supplied a selection of bright textiles for the project, from the classic Coco Chenille Highlighter Yellow to the eclectic Linton Tweed Mono and contemporary African designs, including Samson Slick.

These visually appealing furnishing fabrics meet the highest hospitality requirements from Soil- and Water-repellent finishes to Fire Retardancy, along with Anti-mildew and Anti-microbial characteristics in the Outdoor offering.

Visit themillfabrics.co.za, email admin@themillfabrics.co.za or call 011 704 1577 for more information.

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Artists We Love: Talia Ramkilawan

Michaela Stehr — Mon, 30 Sep 2019 06:00:04 +0000

IMAGES Supplied PORTRAIT Gemma Mary Shepherd INTERVIEWED BY Michaela Stehr

Cape Town-born and Nelspruit-raised textile and tapestry artist Talia Ramkilawan chats to VISI about the process behind her work, her inspirations and her upcoming solo show.

Tell us about your creative process.

Originally I wanted to make very traditional tapestries with a loom. While doing some research I came across a video on YouTube of someone making a carpet. The technique was called rug-hooking and it was performed with a punch needle. I adapted the technique using a crochet needle and wool and by stretching hessian over a wooden frame. It’s something I wasn’t taught and hadn’t attempted before, so I’m still learning every time I start a new piece – how big can I go, how detailed, what materials can I use? I begin with an intention in mind, but by the end the pieces often become something entirely different.

Where do you look for inspiration?

My work is about forging a sense of community and healing. It deals with subverting the image of family trauma in relation to my own family; a way of healing through making and by creating a presence. I have placed an emphasis on community and the ‘Indian experience’. I feel that’s important in cultural and art production as it helps to disrupt the linear narrative, exposing how trauma of the past resonates in the present. And so my inspiration comes from my own family dynamics and my own specific experience with South Asian identity, culture and trauma.

How did your artistic journey begin?

I was a child who loved to draw and paint and make a mess like most children do. It was only in my last year or two of high school that I really made the decision to study art. Coming from a brown family largely made up of doctors, wanting to be an artist wasn’t well received and I was discouraged. I’m lucky, however, that my mother believed it was ultimately my own decision and that my father was already in the creative industry.

I think going into art school knowing what you want to get out of it makes your time there easier. I, on the other hand, had no clue! I felt I was kind of sitting in the middle, and towards the end of my third year I realised it was because I wasn’t making art for me. I had created this idea of what an artist should be. I was a sculpture major and so, I thought, I should make sculptural works. I created in metal and wood, even though it felt too harsh and I felt very disconnected from the work I was making. In my fourth year I discovered rug-hooking. I could sit for hours on end with myself, the imagery, the medium. Ultimately my work started to feel more intimate because it was for me and for my own process of healing.

What local artists are on your radar at the moment?

Githan Coopoo, an amazing jewellery designer; Saaiq’a Ebrahim and Meghan Daniels, both amazing photographers and filmmakers; Alka Dass, Tyra Naidoo, Tazmé Pillay and Boni Mnisi… The list goes on and on!

What are your plans for the next year?

I’m currently doing my postgraduate in education, so hopefully I’ll be teaching high-school visual art next year. I also help run and facilitate children’s holiday art workshops. It’s hard work, but so much fun and definitely something I could see myself continuing to do. And of course I’ll still be making art. The tapestries are still such a new medium for me and I have so much more I want to explore. I’m preparing for a solo exhibition at SMITH next year.

Check out Talia’s art on SMITH Studio’s site and find her on Instagram (@taliaramkilawan).

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The Contemporary Collection By Cole & Son

Michaela Stehr — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 06:00:09 +0000

WORDS Michaela Stehr

International wallpaper and fabric brand Cole & Son has released The Contemporary Collection, now available in South Africa through St Leger & Viney.

Palm Jungle

The collection features two complementary ranges of wallpaper and fabrics, which can be used both together or separately. The idea behind the two is to coordinate and play with pattern, mixing and matching throughout a space. Designs include Cole & Son classics, such as Palm Jungle, Flamingos and Woods, available in a variety of different colourways.

Flamingos

For more information, visit stleger.co.za.

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SunnySide Collection by Skinny laMinx

Gina Beretta — Thu, 30 May 2019 06:00:45 +0000

WORDS Lindi Brownell Meiring

Skinny laMinx has launched a colourful new homeware collection – entitled SunnySide – that aims to add a bit of positive energy to your home.

The range, which consists of textiles for the kitchen and dining areas as well as coasters and trays, features illustrated sunshine patterns in hues of yellow, red and orange.

From the cross-back Sunshine Apron (R595) and Sunshine Table Runner (R480, plus R245 for matching napkins) to the scratch- and stain-resistant SunnySide (R470) and Solar Trays (R345) and the screen-printed SunnySide tea towels (R220), any item from this feel-good range will brighten up your space.

To shop online, visit skinnylaminx.com. Alternatively, visit the shop at 201 Bree Street, Cape Town.

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Bisa Butler’s Fabric Portraits

Michaela Stehr — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 06:00:12 +0000

WORDS Michaela Stehr IMAGES via thisiscolossal.com

Using a wide variety of different patterns and fabrics, New York-based artist Bisa Butler creates colourful quilted portraits.

Layering vibrant textiles, each piece is brightly coloured, creating technicolour works of art featuring subjects from throughout history.

“I often start my pieces with a black and white photo and allow myself to tell the story,” explains Bisa on Claire Oliver, her gallery’s website. “My stories are told in the fabrics that I choose, the textures I combine, and the colours that create a whole new composition.”

Bisa’s portraits aim to tell potentially forgotten stories. “When you see vintage lace and aged satin it tells you the story of delicacy and refinement of times gone by,” she says. “When you see African printed cotton and mud cloth it tells the story of my ancestral homeland and the cradle of civilisation. When you see multi-coloured organza and netting layered you are being told a story of something or someone colourful and multifaceted.”

See more of her work on Instagram.

(h/t) thisiscolossal.com

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Artists We Love: Billie Zangewa

Michaela Stehr — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 06:00:34 +0000

INTERVIEWED BY Lilly Quin PORTRAIT Andrew Thomas Berry IMAGES Courtesy Of Billie Zangewa and blank projects

Billie Zangewa’s silk collages explore the nature of what connects and unites us through our shared human experience. We chatted to the FNB JoburgArtFair 2018 Featured Artist about her compelling work.

How did you develop your style?

I have always been curious about different forms of storytelling. I started hand-stitching very young and developed an interest in haute couture. At university I was introduced to different textures of paper, which reinforced the appeal of richly textured surfaces. When I moved back home after varsity and had no access to a studio, fabric seemed like the way to go, as it’s not as messy as paint and ink.

What do you hope to convey through your art?

My sincerity and desire for connection. The vulnerability that comes with creativity and putting oneself out there. I wish to convey that we are united in the human experience, especially in a time when so many people feel alone. I want to show my love for what I do and my respect for the medium, silk, which has graced me with its magnificence.

How much has the South African context influenced your work?

I was born in Malawi and had never lived in the city before moving to Joburg – I was fascinated by the buildings and the grit of the inner city. Its energy has been an influence; it inspires creativity. As for the historical context, I was born free in the early 1970s and grew up among people of different origins as equals. I think that’s why my themes are more universal than contextual to a particular geography and socio-politics.

What inspires you?

Life inspires me. My son. The mundane. Not really having full control of the creative process and how a piece will turn out is also a great feeling. Silk inspires me – it’s just so beautiful and has such a lovely story of creation all of its own.

See more of Billie’s work here.

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