October 11, 2016 |
We all possess our own unique talents. Dominic is the baddest bitch. Jack is able to survive for five days off green juice and the odd chocolate digestive alone. I’m not one to blow my own horn so mine will remain a secret, not that it’s a talent that would be revealed to any of you, in public at least. Anyway, unlike most of us, some people possess talents that are actually useful. Talents that are cause for celebration. Talents so special that they are recognised for decades after they were practiced. Recognised by highly successful creatives. Designers. Margaret Howell, to be specific. Gerd Hay-Edie (1909-1997) was one of those people. Can you say you were a pro weaver of the 20th Century? Thought not. Gerd worked her weaving magic across Britain in the early 1930’s, before setting up her very own weaving workshop, Mourne Textiles, in Northern Ireland. Today, the legacy of her work is continued by daughter Karen Hay-Edie and grandson Mario Sierra and Margaret can’t speak highly enough of the family run company. ‘Mourne Textiles achieve the richness and depth of texture that has always attracted me to hand-woven designs complement perfectly the vintage Mid-Century Modern furniture we sell in our shops’, says the designer. So highly, that not only is there a collaboration, but an exhibition marking the launch of three new products – ‘Maldwyn Stripe Throw’ in green and grey, and the ‘Salthill Tweed Cushion’. A match made in Margaret Howell heaven.
The Gerd Hay-Edie – Evolutionary Weaver exhibition will show from Thursday 13 October – Sunday 30 October 2016 at Margaret Howell, 34 Wigmore Street, London.
