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Mourne Textiles is delighted to announce a collaborative exhibition with renowned designer Margaret Howell for Paris Design Week. The exhibition will take place at her flagship store in Paris at La Place de la Madeleine and will include live weaving demonstrations and the launch of a beautiful range of scarves.
"The richness and density of Mourne Textiles fabrics are exactly what I like in hand-made fabrics. In addition, their motifs perfectly complement the vintage furniture from the 50s that we sell in our stores." – Margaret Howell
Each of the three new Mourne Textiles scarves, Black, Grey and Green are individually woven displaying the selvedge or self- finished edge. This selvedge is a defining feature of fabric woven on a vintage Hattersley loom that uses shuttles to weave the yarn across the warp. The yarn mix combines merino, cashmere and silk for warmth, softness and durability.
For the exhibition Margaret Howell has looked through Mourne Textiles’ extensive company archives which illustrate their founder Gerd Hay-Edie’s remarkable talent and influence on Mid-Century Modern design. Considered a forgotten pioneer of 20th Century textile design, Gerd worked closely with influential figures such as Robin Day, Hille & Co, Sybil Connolly, Liberty and Hardy Amies in London.
Gerd used traditional weaving techniques on custom-made handlooms. Her broad understanding of her materials and tools allowed her to produce designs full of individual character, vibrant tones and stunning textures that continue to appeal to a contemporary audience. To this day Mourne Textiles stays true to its history and tradition. The workshop sources yarns from Donegal, as it did in the past, and custom dyes them to match t he heritage pieces and iconic designs created by Gerd. These yarns are intrinsic to the Irish-Scandinavian roots of the company.
Mourne Textiles will be transporting a traditional handloom from their workshop in the Mourne Mountains to this exhibition at Paris Design Week. Visitors will be able to see first-hand the remarkable process of hand-weaving. Karen Hay-Edie, Gerd’s daughter and Master Weaver will be giving the live weaving demonstrations.