Home Fashion Forecast - Summer 2008 - (Page 12)

top tastemakers John Robshaw’s handcrafted textiles celebrate the mistakes, overlapping prints and misregistrations of woodblock prints, which record the efforts of the human eye and hand. Photo courtesy of 1stdibs. the right touch John Robshaw’s Precious Metals top-ofbed ensemble marries metallic influences with handcrafted techniques. www.johnrobshaw.com John Robshaw Given the choice between a perfectly executed textile and a misregistered, handprinted one, chances are that fabric maven John Robshaw of John Robshaw Textiles will choose the latter. Robshaw loves the slightly shaky quality of a print that’s been hand-blocked by an old artisan with failing eyesight. More to the point, he likes the evidence of the human touch. A highly educated and accomplished textile designer, Robshaw always has taken a different approach to his work, designing and producing authentic, handmade ethnic textiles inspired by his own artistic eye, as well as his travels around the world. Today, many other people are hearing the same compelling ethnic beat that he’s been listening to for years. “Yes, we’re in the middle of the tornado now in world textiles and ethnic looks,” said Robshaw, whose fascinating block printed fabrics are produced at his Jaipur, India, workshop in some of the most vibrant hues imaginable. “The market is definitely more interested in this look. “We’ve had ikats in the line for five or six years,” he continued. “Decorators have always bought them a lot because they know textiles, but the stores weren’t buying them so much. Recently, store sales have picked up. People are looking for more interesting textiles. Ethnic is now a basic category, like modern.” So how does Robshaw keep his line fresh, working in the same category and using the same handprinting techniques for more than a decade now? “I travel,” he said, referencing recent trips to Damascus, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Uzbekistan and Turkey. “I’m always going places and looking around. There are so many interesting aspects to textiles—different cultures, different techniques, different histories.” Does Robshaw attempt to keep his finger on the pulse of the home business and his eye on incoming trends? “Not really,” he said, although recent introductions, such as his metallic collections, clearly reflect an awareness of broader trends in the market. If anything, Robshaw tends to be ahead of the trend curve, hitting new color palettes long before the vast middle market is ready for them. “We did orange a long time ago, before it was popular, and I had all this orange stuff kicking around,” he recalled. “Definitely, we’ve missed things.” But that’s just fine: The last thing Robshaw said he wants to do is to become too predictable. “We are a niche company,” he explained, “and I want to bring out new products and have people say, ‘What’s going on? What’s he doing?’ ” 12 HOME fashion forecast http://www.johnrobshaw.com

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Home Fashion Forecast - Summer 2008 Contents Ad Index Imperfect Tense Style Points: The Green Kitchen Syle Points: Black Beauties Style Points: Outdoor Elegance Top Tastemakers Fashion Folio Trend Essentials Covering the Bases Container Story

Home Fashion Forecast - Summer 2008

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