Local textile and homeware brand has collaborated with on a series of playful Risograph prints: Skinny laMinx X Dream Press Prints.

Inspired by the passage of time and the process of growth, “Freedom”, “Change”, “Progress” and “Shift” are apt titles for the newly launched Risograph print series between Heather Moore of Skinny laMinx and Candice Ježek of Dream Press.

The inspiration for the series came to Heather during Lockdown. Being stuck at home made her notice small things in her environment that she’d not paid attention to before. The stacked shapes made by light through her blinds, and the way these shards of light changed as they crossed the rug sparked an idea.

READ MORE: Q&A with Candice Zežek from Dream Press

“This slow progression reminded me of the art school exercises I’d seen on the walls of my hotel during a trip to Porto in Portugal in 2019. I became intrigued to explore the progression of shapes myself – almost like seeing all the frames of a time-lapse animation at once,” says Heather.

In her studio and sketchbooks, she explored this idea of progression, in drawings of botanical and geometric shapes, making linocut prints and simple screenprints with masking tape and fabric paint. This exploration of shape resulted in the launch of two new textile prints – Flower Ring and Shard – earlier this year.

READ MORE: Cool Collaboration: Skinny laMinx X Concrete Studio Tiles

Then, working with the same idea, but in a new medium, Heather collaborated with Candice Ježek to produce four limited edition Risograph prints. “These prints are a further expression of the way we mark time, the beauty of small shifts, and the importance of presence and participation in the process of growth and change,” says Heather.

Change

Limited edition A3 Risograph print

*This collab is no longer available.

Progress

Limited edition A3 Risograph print

*This collab is no longer available.

Shift

Limited edition A3 Risograph print

*This collab is no longer available.

Freedom

Limited edition 30 x 30cm Risograph print

*This collab is no longer available.

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The Limited-edition Skinny laMinx PROMENADE throw, in collaboration with VISI, has been produced in knitted king-size black and white in a limited edition of just 21.

The Sea Point Promenade is Skinny laMinx designer Heather Moore’s favourite place to take a walk because there is so much to see there. Waves and surfers, paragliders and windblown trees, pram pushers and wheelchairs, dogs and joggers, make up a passing parade that’s one of the enduring pleasures of Cape Town life, and one that’s free to all.

One day, after years of walking, driving, cycling, and once even rollerblading past the mosaic wall of the public bathrooms on Beach Road, Heather stopped to photograph and sketch the meandering design, looking at it properly for the first time, although she’d admired it for ages.

The result of taking the time to slow down and look closely at this Mid-century mosaic is the PROMENADE knitted king-size throw, which, in collaboration with VISI magazine, has been produced in black and white in a limited edition of just 21 items.

The 100% cotton knit throw, retailing at R2 500, is made in South Africa and measures 180 x 250 cm. | skinnylaminx.com

*This collab is no longer available.

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Local textile and homeware brand Skinny laMinx has collaborated with New York-based Cloud9 Fabrics on a series of playful Lisbon-inspired fabrics.

Titled Lisbon Square, this collection is Skinny laMinx’s fifth for Cloud9 Fabrics and features joyful, light-hearted illustrations that are an ode to travel.

Heather developed the designs during a 2016 trip to Lisbon that saw her work as a teacher for a travel company, teaching an introductory course about patterns.

Initially drawn in by the city’s spectacular tile heritage, Heather found herself falling in love with a lot more as she explored: The elegantly-dressed women seated at steel tables at cafés in parks dotted across the city, shadows cast by ornate ironwork, swooping swallows and Mid-century shop signage.

Four years later, her travels to Lisbon continue to be a source of inspiration. Most recently, she’s used the tiles of Lisbon as a basis for her online pattern course, How Pattern Works.

Love patterns? Find out more about Heather’s Making Friday initiative here. For more information about this collection, visit skinnylaminx.com.

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Heather Moore, founder of local textile and homeware brand Skinny laMinx, is behind Making Friday, an initiative that invites the public to create their own patterns using her easy (and addictive) shortcuts.

Making Friday is a Skinny laMinx project that sees Heather teach subscribers how to create something new every week, simply for the joy of creating. The project is inspired by Heather’s own weekly Making Friday practice, where she’s had a date with herself, her studio and her creative ideas every Friday since 2008.

Heather decided to implement Making Fridays in her life at a time when Skinny laMinx was so busy she found herself unhappily drowning in admin, with little to no time to create. It was when she found herself in the dentist’s chair that she realised she didn’t need to find the time to create, she needed to make it.

If you’re drawn to patterns, intrigued by how they are made or are simply looking to add a meditative activity to your day, Making Friday is what you’ve been missing. Check out Heather’s easy-to-follow how-to video on Vimeo and download the worksheet here. Subscribe to the Making Friday newsletter for more insight into Heather’s creative studio practices at skinnylaminx/making-friday.

Want more? Skinny laMinx is also offering an online course on how pattern works for R450, using tiles from Lisbon as a tool kit. Find out more at skinnylaminx.com.

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What began as a paper cutout inspired by the pincushion protea is now a range of beautiful tablecloths, designed and made in Cape Town by Skinny laMinx.

The new Large Pincushion tablecloths are screen-printed using water-based inks onto 100% cotton hopsack, before being cut and stitched in the production studio located above the Skinny laMinx shop on Cape Town’s Bree Street.

The tablecloths retail between R755 and R1 715 in sizes that can accommodate a table seating four to 14 people. Matching napkin sets and table runners are also available.

For more information, visit skinnylaminx.com.

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Launched as part of the brand’s new Pillow Lab at the end of April 2018, Cape Town-based decor and textile brand Skinny laMinx has introduced a new range of pillows focused on colour.

The Colour Pop Pillow range makes use of hues commonly associated with Mid-Century design, from burnt orange to dirty pink, all with the added addition of colourful piping.

Featuring 12 designs in square, round and oblong shapes, the reason behind the launch of this collection is to help you blend patterns effectively using pops of colour.

Need a few tips on how to get it right? Skinny laMinx founder Heather Moore shares her expert advice:

1. Find a Hero: Who is the boss of the sofa? Identify the “hero” print to lead the way for your pattern and palette choices.

2. Stick with a Style: Don’t mix too many pattern styles and palette notes. Colour pops help create conversations between patterns.

3. Balance Energies: Horizontal and vertical lines bring in stability and a steadying energy. Too much directional movement or colour can create visual disruption.

4. Odds Beat Evens: Especially if you like the symmetrical look, use odd numbers to set up visually interesting rhythms and colour conversations.

5. Sizes Matter: A row of pillows all the same size is the sofa visual equivalent of muzak. Use a mix of sizes to add a bit of bass, treble and rhythm to your sofa symphony.

6. Ignore Advice: Trust your gut and experiment wildly with the palette and pattern that you love.

Visit skinnylaminx.com to shop online and view the full collection.

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After nearly six years at no. 201 Bree Street,the Skinny laMinx flagship store has expanded with a fresh new look.

The space, which was originally a scooter repair shop, has been reimagined thanks to a collaborative effort between interior designer Robert Sherwood and MILA design studio’s Gerard Back, who managed to double the size of the store for owner Heather Moore.

The bigger and better area sees the “Pillow Lab” line an entire wall, while the fabric studio continues to highlight the brand’s vast collection of designs, including curtains, upholstered furniture and custom-made lampshades.

For Robert, it was important to open up the store and allow shoppers easy visual access to the merchandise. “It maintains the Skinny laMinx language, but now in a larger space,” he says.

“Heather and I share a love of materials and finishes, and puzzling out good-looking design solutions,” adds Gerard, who describes the newly revamped shop as stylish, chic and enthusiastic. “It was really great for me having a client who cares about these things.”

Visit the Skinny laMinx store at 201 Bree Street, Cape Town. For more information about Skinny laMinx and its products, visit skinnylaminx.com.

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MRP Home has launched many great collaborations the past couple of years, including recent projects with Cape Town-based designers Michael Chandler and Gaby Beyers.

The latest collaboration, officially launching on 10 August 2017, sees MRP Home team up with Heather Moore, the founder and designer behind local textile favourite Skinny laMinx.

The range includes a duvet cover, throw, candle, ottoman, bath and hand towels, melamine crockery, placemats and gifting and stationery sets. The collection features geometric paper-cut shadows in a colourful palette of pink, green, red and blue.

The range is available in store and online and retails between R9.99 for a mini greeting card and R599.99 for a 100% cotton king-size duvet cover set. Browse the full range in the gallery above.

For more information, visit mrphome.com.

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With the water crisis top of mind in the drought-hit Western Cape, Skinny laMinx’s Heather Moore took inspiration from the region’s water-wise plants to create a brand-new textile range.

“Behind the Skinny laMinx shop, a steel fire escape leads up to our production studio via a hot, bleak city rooftop,” explains Heather. “Over time, I’ve been adding plants to this scorched place, transforming it slowly into a spiky rooftop garden, populated with the sculptural forms of heat-loving aloes, cacti, euphorbia and more.”

Heather looked to the shapes, colours and shadows of this thriving dry garden to create the three colourways seen in the Roof Garden collection, Rio, Miami and Cairo.

Named after imagined rooftop gardens from around the world, Rio mixes forest greens and lime, while Miami features pastel lemon, shell pink and cocoa, and Cairo burnt orange, pink and cocoa.

To shop the collection, visit skinnylaminx.com.

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What have you become known for and what defines what you do? 

Skinny laMinx has become well known for our simple, striking textile prints, as well as the unusual yet harmonious ’50s-inspired colour palette we use.

What will you be unveiling at Design Joburg’s Darlings feature?

The ongoing drought in the Western Cape has me increasingly interested in the world of “dry” plants, and has seen our studio roof garden flourish. I’ve translated this new obsession into a three-colour textile print called Roof Garden.

Is there a design movement or style that informs your creations? 

There’s something about the clean lines and dirty colours of the ’50s Modernist designers that makes my heart beat a little faster.

What are your thoughts on South African design right now?
One of my favourite things about being part of the SA design world is meeting fellow designers, talking about what we’re all working on and hatching plans to work together. That’s why I’m so thrilled by this Design Joburg concept. It’s all about forging connections in the pursuit of strengthening our local design community, and it’s going to be awesome!

Read more about what you can expect from the DARLINGS feature here. Design Joburg runs from 12 to 14 May 2017. Tickets are priced between R80 and R110 and are available here.

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