Frédérique Morrel Gives New Life To Old Tapestries And Needlepoint In Her Sculptures.

Vintage tapestries become 'skin' for people, animals, trophy heads and even homewares in the laboriously beautiful work of Frédérique Morrel. A self-proclaimed latex, leather and fur lover, she has given old tapestries new life as integral parts of her sculptures.

Tapestries of all styles; erotic, kitschy and traditional, blend harmoniously and conceptually to add texture and narrative to the artist's free standing and wall mounted sculptures of deer, horses, unicorns, foxes, rabbits, dogs and the human figure.



above: Rembrandt, Bambi and Ma Biche from her Visitors and Passe-Murailles series.

She has three series of these sculptures. The Visitors consist of life sized animals covered in vintage tapestry and needlpoint and accented with real antlers, horns and hooves. Her Passe-Murailles are wall mounted trophy heads and G.Host are life sized human figures.

She starts with fiberglass molds injected with expanding foam, reinforces them with steel rods and hand applies the vintage "found" tapestries to the forms. The results are unusual and compelling pieces of art.

G.Host series

Eva, profile:

Eva, front:

Tony (front and back) and Eva:

Tony:

Tony, detail:


Three views of Diana:


Diana, detail:

Diana, back detail:

Legs:


All the pieces are made by hand in France by Frédérique, whose husband Aaron serves as the brand's artistic director.


above: artist Frederique Morrel and Damien

Frederique, husband Aaron Levin and their three boys:

Their adorable Jack Rusells, Maggie and Godard:

All photos by Philippe Cluzeau

Be sure to see Frederique Morrel's Visitors and Passe-Murailles series here.

Aminals - Organic Toys Made From Children's Drawings

One of my favorite sites, Inhabitots, introduced me to these fabulous, organic toys made from the actual drawings of little kids, called Aminals in their weekly newsletter.



Each Aminals organic doll is inspired by the brilliant, unfettered imagination that only comes through in children's drawings.

These organic kids toys embody the exaggerated proportions, squiggly lines, and bright colors that come with creative expression at its most honest and fun. From these children's drawings, the designers at Dreaming Lion LLC have created a series of huggable-soft characters, each of whom has its own special story and is ready for new adventures with your children.

Aminals' motto is "from their world, for their world," meaning that the toys have been created from kids' creative lives for the future world that they will inherit.

dady and momey:

sistur and brothr:

duggy and eflant:

ceeta and dinasor:

smal bayr, wayul and liun:



Aminals are made with materials from organic farms, making Aminals safer for your children. Certified organic ingredients, like organic cotton and the low impact and natural vegetable dyes that must be used with it, are free of synthetic poisons that are absorbed into the bloodstream through skin contact, meaning your kid can hug his or her Aminal all he or she wants.

all images and information courtesy of Dreaming Lion LLC and Aminals.

Buy them here.

Aminals is certified by GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) an internationally recognized body that certifies that all fibers and processes involved in the manufacture of Aminals meet strict standards for organic, sustainable and humane textile production. Every processing step that brings Aminals to you, from farming through spinning, weaving, washing and dyeing meet or exceed these criteria.

Lacroix's New Furniture & Homewares For La Redoute (With a fun microsite to match)

Seems that fashion designers are all getting into the housewares game and Christian Lacroix's latest collection for the department store La Redoute is another wonderful example.

His line of whimsical rugs, cushions, outdoor furniture, gardening tools, towels and more has all the whimsy of his fashion designs. The UK store carries the following products, but for some reason the US site does not, although they carry Lacroix's clothes and towels.











Buy the collection here.
or visit: http://www.christianlacroixpourlaredoute.com/

They have designed a microsite to browse the collection that is a fun way to walk through and see the entire line:





Visit the microsite here that has a fun game and extras like cool wallpapers.

Anne Kyyro Quinn: Felt Made Fabulous & Wonders With Wool

Textile designer Anne Kyyro Quinn has a way with felt.
Her pillows are sculpture, her table linens, art.
Working in 100% wool felt (sometimes atop sailcloth as in her lamps), she creates warm and cozy but sophisticated and elegant products.
Just take a look at some of them.

Her pillows:




Throws:


Placemat :

Table runner:

Lights/Pendant lamps:


Table lamps:


ottoman/cubes:

Handbags:


Blinds:

Wall Panels (accoustic sound dampening):



About The Artist

Resembling artworks more than conventional fabrics, the contemporary creations produced by the Anne Kyyrö Quinn studio are not textiles as you once knew them. Cut, sewn and finished by hand, our unique choice of luxury natural fabrics are crafted into interior textiles designed to harmonise timelessly with any setting. Each product is conceived as a gesture of simplicity, yet, we make space for bold colours, rich textures and striking motifs.

Anne Kyyrö Quinn’s sculptural approach has pioneered a new genre of interior textiles based on three-dimensional structure rather than smooth surface ornamentation. Our products are based on a portfolio of eighteen core designs inspired by organic shapes and expressed with Scandinavian simplicity. Whether crafted into cushions, throws, table runners, wall panels or blinds, each design has a tactile feel that appeals to the eye as well as to the hand. As we merge twenty-first century design with textures inspired by the natural world, our products bridge the gulf between the urban interior and the natural landscape, and bring an elegant, unassuming beauty into everyday life.

Our commitment to design excellence makes Anne Kyyrö Quinn one of Britain's leading manufacturers of handcrafted interior textiles. Since the studio was established in 1999, our products and bespoke textile services have been distributed internationally to design showrooms and retail outlets, and marketed by independent agents. From our base in London, we provide a consultancy service for special residential or contract projects, working with architects, contractors and interior designers to create tailor-made pieces for a wide range of interior settings. As Anne Kyyrö Quinn’s products continue to gain acclaim in leading interiors around the world, our commitment to quality, innovation and design excellence travels with them.

Anne Kyyrö Quinn also offers a com- mission service to interior designers, architects and private clients. This service offers clients highly individual work that meets specific requirements.




Visit her site here.
Showroom:
Anne Kyyrö Quinn
2.06 Oxo Tower Wharf
Bargehouse St
London SE1 9PH
UK

Tel:+44 (0)20 7021 0702
Fax: +44 (0)20 7021 0770
info@anneKyyroquinn.comWeb: www.anneKyyroquinn.com