Inspired by her archive of fabrics and ledgers, Kate Teyssier creates a range of individual and exquisite textiles that work equally well in historic or contemporary interiors. Her background in both the heritage sector and interior design, and also her work with family run mills, make Kate well placed to weave her particular brand of magic!
I caught up with Kate to discuss what inspires and informs her work…and why portraits, paganism and printing are so central to the rich life that she leads.
Thank you Kate.
Old Master Portrait from Period Portraits on Hawkeswood fabric.
Where did you grow up and how did it influence your style? My parents hail from Yorkshire, but I was the only one of my siblings to be born in Hastings. We later moved around North Essex where I spent the bulk of my childhood. Essex is a fascinating place, a mix of London overspill, rural countryside and wild coastline. My mother is a professional artist and encouraged all three of her children to express themselves as creatively as possible.
It was normal for me to come home from school and see a still life on the kitchen table which Ma was drawing and she would pull up a chair and let me join in. Understanding painting and drawing has been the backbone of my own art and design story and is a continual source of inspiration for me. The house I grew up in was exciting, crammed with books and art and often filled by artists and creatives. It was a very special time and I’m thrilled that Ma and I often draw together.
Rich interior inspiration from Eyre Interiors with Teyssier fabric.
Where is home and what does home mean to you?
The people and places in Essex are an endless inspiration for me. I’m close enough to London to access the city’s culture whenever I need it and its then so easy to escape back to the sounds and colours of nature. Home to me is where my family and friends are and where my creativity flows, but if you were to ask me where my heart was happiest …then I would say the wilds of Dorset. I spent many childhood years there and I feel a little part of me has remained.
You are known for your extensive range of fabrics so when it comes to interiors is it also a case of less is more (or more is more?)
Ah! The eternal design question. I feel at home amongst piles of textures and colours but also have a strong leaning towards a cleaner Georgian style. In my twenties I worked for several fabric houses amongst which were Donghia and de la Cuona so have a great fondness for the beauty in less. Then latterly I went back to my heritage roots as the Archivist at the national collection, Warner Textile Archive. My life has been joyfully filled with art and design from all periods, but as you have asked…. I think the natural state of my mind could be best described as a late Georgian tumble-down house in the countryside, maybe set in the 1930’s with its rooms filled with familial gatherings and objects collected over generations. Piles of books gathering dust, afternoon tea on the lawn and long woodland walks.
If I forced you to choose between them...city or country?
It would have to be country. I love being the city but if I stay for too long I completely lose my sense of balance. I suppose put simply, the countryside is essential for my well-being! I have a rescue saluki, Margot, who needs lots of space and is terrified of noise and people so the countryside actually suits us both rather well. I’m a practising pagan so the countryside is very much part of my daily life and routine so I would be lost without it. I am regularly out walking in the woodlands to help clear my mind and focus my thoughts. I get my best inspiration either in the countryside, the garden or in the middle of the night. I’m naturally a night owl !
Kate Teyssier’s dog - ‘Margot’
How would you describe current interior style of your home and how do you inject some of your trademark modernity ?
We are currently working through our house slowly decorating, or re-decorating in some rooms as it’s taking that long! I’m naturally a messy person as I have many creative projects on the go at the same time and we have a busy house with friends, family and dogs. I’ve always mixed antique, vintage and modern pieces in schemes and my home is no different. I would hate to be restricted by any one style as I find joy in the combination of designs, as if an interior has been a creation over generations.
Hemingford Grey interior with a chip upholstered in Hawkeswood fabric .
How does travel inform your work and what is the latest place that has inspired you? I absolutely love to travel and yes that does include short train journeys in the UK! The feeling of movement helps to generate flow in me and I adore meeting people and seeing new places. People watching is one of my favourite things to do and probably stems from childhood when my Ma would always have a small sketchbook in her handbag and would sketch people out and about. I like to write and travelling allows me the opportunity to put pen to paper. This summer we went back to Florence, a very special place for Derk and myself, and a city that is a constant source of inspiration for me. If I don’t visit Florence regularly, I have withdrawal symptoms!
Can you tell us about a favourite fabric from your range, why you like it so much how it came to be? This has to be Hawkeswood and for several reasons really. One is that it’s a design from my launch range and really put Teyssier on the map, but also because it’s inspired by a beautiful piece of original English 18th century needlework from my own archive of fabrics and paper designs. It was a difficult design to create and requires 26 different colour separations to print. We work closely with skilled family run printers and weavers and have been lucky to be able to produce some complicated textiles. I love working with original designs and mixing them with my own work.
What is your favourite period in art? I have several periods that reach out and touch my soul so a favourite is quite an impossible choice to make. At University in 1995, the title of my dissertation was ‘The portrayal of textiles within fifteenth century Italian and Netherlandish paintings.’ I remember one of my tutors saying that it would be a difficult write as there isn’t much interest in this area. Over the years I have happily given many talks on the subject of drapery in art and am really pleased it is now widely embraced.
Titian - Pope Paul III.
How do you feel that fabric design and ranges have changed in the internet age? That’s a large topic for discussion! I think that the internet is a wonderful way to share design and the people and processes behind making, but I am cautious as to the amount of new ranges that are being launched each year as the industry has become saturated and longer term this isn’t sustainable. In our industry more doesn’t necessarily mean better. As a student mentor and I find that although the internet provides an incredible resource it is not comparable to seeing things in real life. In my lifetime there’s been no doubt of the opportunity it’s provided to meet makers from around the world and many crafts people who would otherwise not been discovered.
Do you have a favourite portrait of a female sitter and a male sitter and how would you describe their appeal
My mind goes first to Titian’s portrait of Pope Paul III - 1545-46, which I had the joy of first seeing many years ago. I remember vividly staring at the painted velvet on the chair and robe with mesmerised awe. With so few painted strokes Titian captured his sitter’s skin tone and texture and they feel alive with light. It was also a sobering moment as I knew that what I was observing was genius. Seeing this painting for the first time was a pivotal moment for me and one that still resonates strongly today.
For a female sitter I would have to say Interior with Ida in a White Chair by Vilhelm Hammershoi, 1900. The delicate tension in this painting is palpable, almost unsettling. Hammershoi has a way of intimating a full back story in his focused paired back scenes. I had seen Hammershoi’s work in books but nothing had prepared me for seeing the originals at the Royal Academy in 2008. With my interior design hat on, Hammershoi’s paintings are a masterclass in spacial elegance.
White Chair by Vilhelm Hammershoi, 1900.
How do you unwind? Over the years I’ve had to learn to unwind and now it’s one of my greatest pleasures. I have one of those over active brains that is constantly thinking and creating which I see as a gift as well as a curse. I have about twenty different creative projects on the go at the same time and depending how I feel I can dip in and out of each one. I’m lucky as I don’t loose my focus or enthusiasm for any project I start and if I had more time I’d be adding more if I could! I suppose my method of unwinding is creating as it’s a whole body and mind experience that completely fulfils me.
How do you relax and where are you happiest?
If I’m at home then a mixture of yoga, meditation and my spiritual practices would be my main way to relax, otherwise being in a woodland away from noise and interruption. My happiest places have always been in nature and anywhere I can observe and listen.
Interview - Nick Cox November 2023