Hi Reader, Well, when I spoke last time about a summer of adventures after returning home - little did I know I'd be on the move again so quickly! Here I am in Saudi Arabia for personal reasons ... which brings a natural pause to many things Motif, but thankfully not all of it! The tech allowing us to continue meaningful work, even when disrupted, got me thinking a bit more about this interface between innovation and tradition. Recognising it's a two way street is exciting to say the least!...
26 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, May your summer be filled with shared adventures, including a few sustainable ones - I'll share more of those next time! That's how I signed off last time, and well ... here we are! After weeks of airports, trains, events, and catching up with wonderful people, I'm settling in and have even found some fab veggies among all the weeds – nature is amazing! The kale lives on!!! It's got me thinking about how all things grow. There are the big decisions needed to start something, but...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Yeah! I'm finally home again in sunny central Illinois! Which, looking at the state of my garden, has been VERY sunny these past few weeks. 🌞 Are you feeling the heat too? Getting back into the swing of things here is hugely helped by some super notes I received after last week's letter. The encouraging, strategic, and creative ideas shared for making kind fabrics even more accessible for designers and makers, are amazing fuel for the journey! Thank You! So ... watch this space!...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, You know me ... it's rare that I feel even a little bit down, and am even less likely to share it, but honestly ... I need to. This letter's not all doom and gloom - I promise 😘 But it seems clouds are doing a great job in keeping their silver linings to themselves these days! What happened? After the fabulous blur of Brussels, it was time to hop over to the UK for a wee break with family and friends, and follow up with all the wonderful people we met at the Future Fabrics Expo....
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, What an amazing time I had at the Future Fabrics Expo in Brussels, Belgium last week! All that prep, travel and promo paid off because my fab Motif team mates and I had a blast talking with some really exciting people. L @sarahgshotme and R @_ngairetakano shining bright for Motif! I’ve yet to read all their notes but even just from my conversations there’s big interest in all that Motif is up to from many different angles: an ethical shoe brand getting curious about our strong...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, What do you think of when holding a fabric for your next collection or project? Colour, texture, drape, pattern, price, or ...? That's a lot already! I've been thinking about all the choices hidden within a single piece of cloth. Behind every fabric are countless decisions. Selecting and sourcing fibre content and yarns; discussions on who makes what, how and when; the final word on waste allowance, wages, environment - both in and outside the factories. Only then maybe the textile...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, We've just wrapped up the Pixel to Pattern* workshop, where curious creatives got to play with the uber-simple software we use to design custom handwoven fabrics ... and it was fab! My fave response at the end was, Well, maybe I can finally design a plaid I really like!Grace P. * Missed it? here's a recorded training in Kind Fabric Collective. Just to show you how straightforward it is to pick up, earlier that morning I ran through the Plaidmaker process with 3 young friends. In...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, This week is very special here in Chicago for me! I'm in the city every other month for Motif Office Hours at AIBI - Great! But even better this month is that my time chatting with designers is sandwiched between the Chicago Garment District Pop Up and Chicago Fair Trade's Conscious Closet Club - my fave planets aligned! Having all these events together means that I really get to hear what's happening for designers and makers from various angles - and in some cases act as a...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, I sometimes think fabric gets treated rather unfairly in fashion, often the garment gets all the attention first. A designer sketches an idea, chooses the silhouette, imagines the final look … and only afterwards begins searching for a fabric willing to cooperate. But every now and then I meet a designer who works very differently, there's somehow a 'fair trade' between the fabric and the designer's creativity. Fabric as partner They begin with the cloth: touching fabrics before...
4 months ago • 2 min read
