With Clarissa Hulse and Bethan John – The British Blanket Firm
When The British Blanket Firm teamed up with designer Clarissa Hulse, it felt like a pure assembly of minds. Each share a love of color, nature and craft, so it’s no shock their new woven assortment brings all three collectively in a contemporary and joyful approach. We sat down with Bethan John, co-founder of The British Blanket Firm, and Clarissa Hulse to listen to the story behind the Clarissa Hulse x The British Blanket Firm blanket collaboration.
The design course of began with the gorgeous number of recycled cotton yarns, which Clarissa skilfully organized into fantastically blended ombré backgrounds for the blankets
How did the 2 of you first meet, and what sparked the concept for a collaboration?
Bethan: We met at Clarissa’s studio in North London a number of months in the past. Inside ten minutes we had been speaking continuous about color, nature, and the artistic course of. I knew immediately we may create a group collectively that each our clients would completely love.
Clarissa: Sure, we linked instantly as quickly as Bethan walked into the studio! We had been guided by the attractive colors on the shade card as a place to begin, and by chance the concepts we put ahead for the blankets had been warmly obtained immediately.
What drew you to one another’s work – was there an prompt artistic chemistry?
Bethan: Utterly. I’ve admired Clarissa’s work for years. In actual fact, I featured her designs in magazines again once I was a stylist and interiors author, lengthy earlier than The British Blanket Firm existed. Her use of color is so energetic, and I’ve at all times cherished how she brings the pure world to life in her designs.
Clarissa: I used to be conscious of The British Blanket Firm as I had been following them on Instagram for years. I like the truth that the blankets are made within the UK and likewise the fantastic array of colors. When Bethan prompt a collaboration, I jumped on the probability, as discovering the appropriate mills that make good high quality merchandise at a good worth is actually tough. I knew that collectively we may make one thing actually particular.
Over a desk coated in printed design concepts, material swatches, yarn samples, Bethan, Clarissa and her designer Rose step by step introduced the 5 blanket patterns to life
Are you able to inform us in regards to the inspiration behind the prints featured on this assortment?
Clarissa: All my designs are impressed by the great thing about the pure world. I’m an avid collector, and even when I’m simply out for a morning stroll within the native park, I will likely be taking images or amassing seedheads. You’ll be able to see many types gathered from my UK wanderings within the ‘Seedheads’ design. ‘Indian Summer time’ has a extra eclectic strategy with ferns from the tropics blended with grasses from the Mediterranean. Lastly, ‘Kaleidoscope’ options ferns photographed on a plant looking expedition to Costa Rica, the place I visited the primeval cloud forests.
What was it like translating these designs from print to woven textile?
Bethan: That was the place the magic actually began to occur. Weaving is such a special medium to print, so we needed to be considerate about how one can protect the essence of Clarissa’s artworks whereas adapting them for the loom. Our jacquard weavers in Lancashire had been wonderful, they usually had been capable of weave with unimaginable element, with no need ink or paint. There’s one thing so intriguing about seeing a design emerge thread by thread. The outcomes have a lot richness and depth, each blanket actually does really feel like a murals.
Making the blankets in cotton jacquard looms enabled The British Blanket Firm to translate Clarissa’s flowing and curved botanical designs to life in woven blanket type
Inform us in regards to the colors – how had been they chosen, and what do they create to the gathering?
Clarissa: I like the look of plant silhouettes towards sunsets, which is the place my fixation with ombrés originates. The attractive shade playing cards of yarns Bethan gave me had been a dream to work with, as the colors nearly selected themselves! I’m recognized for my use of vibrant jewel tones, however I additionally love mixing them with extra impartial shades. We needed to be conscious that the designs wanted to be reversible, in order that was in our minds all through.
The place are the blankets made, and what makes the manufacturing course of particular?
Bethan: The blankets are woven at a jacquard mill in Lancashire with a protracted heritage of textile craftsmanship. They type a part of our Cloud Cotton vary, constituted of recycled cotton and brushed for further softness. Every bit is rigorously woven and hand-finished with a blanket sew edge, combining lovely design with sustainable supplies and a completely attractive really feel.
Each blanket accommodates hundreds of strands of cotton thread. The Clarissa Hulse x The British Blanket Firm blanket assortment is constituted of recycled cotton, so they’re each lovely and sustainable
How did you discover the artistic strategy of working collectively – any surprises alongside the way in which?
Bethan: We met at Clarissa’s studio, the place she’d laid out a spread of design concepts and full-scale prints throughout a giant desk. We spent hours wanting on the patterns, holding them up, swapping them round, and imagining how they’d translate into weave. We pored over the yarn shade playing cards too, rigorously selecting color combos that may work fantastically when reversed.
Clarissa: It was actually enjoyable truly! I loved having Bethan’s enter, as working with woven jacquards could be very totally different from prints. Fortunately I had some expertise, having designed fairly a number of towel collections, nevertheless it was nonetheless fairly technical and we needed to ask the mill a number of questions as we went alongside. It was additionally fascinating how a lot the designs change as soon as they’re brushed. The largest problem we had was narrowing down all of the choices, as we had too many concepts!
How did you guarantee the gathering felt cohesive, whereas nonetheless reflecting each manufacturers’ types?
Bethan: The intention was to showcase what folks love most about each manufacturers. The softness and high quality of the blankets are unmistakably British Blanket Firm, however the design language and color story are all Clarissa Hulse.
Clarissa: I really feel this got here very naturally. We each simply did what we all know greatest, and I feel it exhibits within the blankets, that are attractive (if I could say so myself!).
Clarissa’s attractive cats supervised carefully as she and Bethan labored on the design ideas for the blankets!
Do you every have a favorite piece from the gathering?
Bethan: For me, it’s Seedheads in Midnight. It feels actually grounding, and the rhythm of the design has such a relaxing high quality. Similar to mendacity in a meadow and searching as much as the sky.
Clarissa: Considerably surprisingly for me, I’m going for the shell pink Kaleidoscope, as I feel the tender powdery hues swimsuit the deliciously fluffy blanket so nicely. The pattern seemed so wonderful on my mattress, I feel I should preserve it there!
What do you hope clients will really feel once they wrap themselves in one in all these blankets?
Bethan: I would like folks to really feel their blanket is one thing to actually cherish. To fall in love with the consolation and color, but in addition really feel that connection to the craft.
Clarissa: I hope that individuals will worth the care and energy that has gone into making a very distinctive piece, and that they’ll really feel uplifted by the colors. I’d love them to be handled like heirlooms and stored without end.
The 5 Clarissa Hulse x The British Blanket Firm collaboration blankets are on sale now
Store the Clarissa Hulse x The British Blanket Firm Assortment
This collaboration brings collectively Clarissa’s eye for daring, nature-inspired design with the softness and high quality of The British Blanket Firm’s craft. Every blanket is a celebration of color, texture and custom, designed to be treasured for years to come back. Discover the complete assortment and discover your favorite.
