Globetrotting with A Rum Fellow MODERN ECCENTRIC
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RAINBOW BRITE Pippa Small’s Command of Colour
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It was intuition and serendipity that drew Dylan O’Shea and Caroline Lindsell to visit South America for the first time. They just had a feeling it was the right starting point from which to explore their shared love of textiles. That first trip to Peru and Bolivia triggered what was to become their textile company – A Rum Fellow. Deeply enamoured with the idea of an eccentric, old-fashioned British explorer this name seemed a perfect platform. “Rum” means odd, peculiar, strange and when partnered with a good old fellow (together symbolized by a passport stamp styled logo) the tone is set.
In an extraordinarily short period they have evoked exactly what they hoped – overseen the production of exquisitely hand-dyed and hand-woven textiles made in South America and presented them styled in a distinctly British way. Formally launched in January 2014 and first revealed at Clerkenwell Design Week in May that year, they seem to have tapped into something we can all relate to. Travelling often leads to bringing home fabrics but not everyone knows what to do with them afterwards. A Rum Fellow have struck a delicate balance between historic and modern, and highlighted socially responsible production in a glorious celebration of craftsmanship. With their backgrounds in the fashion industry and development studies this makes perfect sense: it feels like theirs was a real meeting of minds.They are devoted to the idea of a family business and now, with their 4
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“Like floating on the inside of a rainbow” is how Pippa Small describes her London home. The jeweller has decorated her two bedroom modern apartment in a palette of jewel-bright colours. Pippa, who along with her own eponymous label has produced jewellery collections for Tom Ford at Gucci, Phoebe Philo at Chloe and Nicole Farhi, divides her time between her life-long passion for anthropology, and designing her collections.
Her home is a reflection of her love for indigenous cultures and the colours they use in traditional crafts. Pippa has worked alongside communities such as the San Bushmen of the Kalahari and the Kuna in Panama, helping them research their traditional designs to develop self sufficiency and is known for her ethical approach to work. Her colourful home is filled with treasures collected on her travels around the globe and is a constant source of inspiration.
Pippa fell in love with the flat because of its sense of space and immediately set about introducing colour to the white walls and bachelor pad-style kitchen. Working with her good friend, the painter Gail Arnold, she removed black countertops and cupboard doors, painting them instead a bright turquoise, created a new counter out of wood and painted the walls with countless coats of natural lime. “It was a joy to sit and dream up colours,” recalls Pippa. “We looked through books of miniature Indian paintings, plant books and at my collection of old textiles to find colours that inspired.” A carpenter made a bespoke shelving unit to house Pippa's collection of toys from around the globe as well as a 4
printed in bright colours; a similar scarf covers the head or shoulders. Kuna women also wrap long strands of glass beads round their arms and legs to form wide bands, and use black paint to draw narrow lines down their noses. Large gold earrings and a nose-ring complete this dazzling ensemble.
During the first decades of the twentieth century, the Panamanian government tried to suppress many Kuna customs, including the wearing of traditional dress. This was bitterly resisted, culminating in a short-lived yet successful revolt in 1925. Kuna autonomy and identity are therefore symbolized by the Mola blouse, which remains a sign of political and cultural independence. According to Kuna ideology, everything in the universe comes in pairs. Men and women are similar because both are human, but different because they are male and female. This principle, termed acala, applies to the two panels that decorate each blouse. They are similar, but never identical.
become even more colourful. Edges are turned under and neatly stitched.With some Molas, lines of embroidery and small pieces of coloured cloth may be added to the top layer. Finished panels are combined with short sleeves and a yoke. Some designs – probably the oldest – are abstract or geometric. Others include stylized versions of the natural world or scenes from daily life. In recent decades, advertising and comic books have provided further inspiration.
Few non-western textiles are as personalised or as richly expressive as the Molas of the Kuna, who have held on to their culture so tenaciously. Yet it would be a mistake to regard them as isolated traditionalists. As their evolving designs show, the Kuna are aware of global trends. Throughout their history, they have also shown themselves to be resilient and adaptable. Now they face a new challenge: rising sea levels, bought about by climate change, will eventually force many island communities to relocate to the mainland.
Mola panels incorporate between two and seven layers of cloth, and it can take several weeks to finish a complicated blouse. When it comes to the art of appliqué, few can rival the Kuna whose technical prowess is matched by their love of pure form and colour. Makers are usually, but not exclusively, women. Some draw their designs on the top layer, but others require no such guidance. Larger shapes are generally cut from the top piece; smaller shapes are cut from the layers beneath. When additional pieces of fabric are positioned between these layers, designs
In 2014, when I visited the densely-populated island of Gardi Sugdub residents talked sadly about abandoning their homes for the safety of dry land. Yet they created a dazzling show of Molas, displayed in the crowded alleyways that separate family compounds. When a Kuna woman offered to wrap long strands of glass beads around my wrists, I agreed – and left them until the threads frayed to oblivion.Travellers hoping to visit the Kuna in their island homes should go soon, before rising sea-levels rob them of their chosen habitat. ••• Chloë Sayer
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EVENTS dates for your diary BEHIND THE CUPBOARD DOOR 18 June 10-12.30pm or 2-4.30pm Look inside the archives of The Royal School of Needlework, with our host Dr Susan Kay-Williams SHIBORI WITH CALLISHIBORI 13-20 August Enjoy the magic of Shibori indigo dyeing with Jane Callender and Denise Lambert At Chateau Dumas, France BLOCK PRINTING WITH TOBIAS & THE ANGEL One day course,Tue 12 July, Fri 22 July, Sat 30 July, Spend the day mixing dyes, printing cloth, and practicing simple techniques with Angel’s 200 printing blocks in her charming studio in Lingfield, Surrey. All courses run from 10am-5pm
WIN gifts and offers for our readers 83 PRIZES THIS ISSUE A chance to win a traditionally woven Peony Rug from Gudrun Sjödén, worth £348. www.gudrunsjoden.com We have a year’s subscription to seasonal, monthly flower deliveries from Bloom & Wild, worth £195 www.bloomandwild.com Ten pairs of tickets to the MISSONI ART COLOUR exhibition at the Fashion & Textile museum, each worth £9.90 www.ftmlondon.org
INFORM the latest news, reviews and exhibition listings
03 BIAS /CONTRIBUTORS A letter from the founder, Polly Leonard and comments from our contributors 07 NEWS Black Horse Lane Atelier, Abeer Seikaly’s modern tents, The new textile gallery at The National Museum Scotland, Maybe bags, Mungo textiles, Finnair’s Marimekko makeover, The Festival of Quilts 09 HOUSE OF CLOTH Japanese Cotton Prints 80 SUBSCRIPTION OFFERS This issue every three year subscriber will recieve a Matta Dupatta shawl, worth £133 82 BACK ISSUES Complete your collection while you still can! Many issues are now sold out or have limited stock. All issues available for digital download. 84 READ Black Dolls from the collection of Deborah Neff, ed Frank Maresca, reviewed by Martin Myrone. Unconventional & Unexpected: American Quilts Below the Radar 1950-2000 by Roderick Kiracofe, reviewed by Dr Sue Marks 86 VIEW Ties That Bind – World Ikat Textiles at the Brunei Gallery, SOAS, reviewed by Rosie Gibson, Sheila Hicks: Material Voices at Joslyn Art Museum previewed by Karin Campbell, Reigning Men at LACMA, reviewed by Chloe Chapin, Pauline Burbridge at The Ruthin Craft Centre, reviewed by Tim Parry-Williams 95 COMING NEXT The Green Issue: Seasonal textiles to be proud of.
SELVEDGE ('selnid 3 ) n. 1. finished differently 2. the non-fraying edge of a length of woven fabric. [: from SELF + EDGE]
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