John Pawson’s exclusive design ‘Tile’ for Teixidors consists of three throws and complementary cushions, with a design inspired by architectural patterns: playing with the repeating form of a rectangular tile to generate a mosaic, expressed in three intensities of colour.

‘Tile’ perfectly characterizes the attraction of the British architect to constructive patterns, simplicity and to textures that occur in nature. The complete collection is hand-woven in a balanced composition of ecological Merino wool from Provence, France and ecological baby yak wool, obtained by combing young animals herded by a cooperative of nomadic cattlemen in Mongolia.

The complete collection is hand-woven in a balanced composition of ecological Merino wool from Provence, France and ecological baby yak wool, obtained by combing young animals herded by a cooperative of nomadic cattlemen in Mongolia.

In the words of the architect himself, the collaboration with Teixidors has focused on creating something different, free of time pressure and commercial imperatives, ‘with scope for the ideas to develop naturally into product’. Its objective has been to develop a family of home textiles, each based on a different structure, echoing those found in architecture.

‘I am always searching for simplicity. My work is about paring down -reducing a design to what is essential and appropriate’.

To this idea is added Pawson’s attraction to rhythm, repetition and the inherent sensory qualities of natural materials. Nature continues to be an inexhaustible source of inspiration for John Pawson.

‘My photographic archive – which I think of as a sort of sketchbook and use constantly as a design tool – is filled with shots of natural forms. I am particularly drawn to the patterns and textures that occur in nature – the grain of a length of timber or the tiny fossils in a piece of limestone’.

For Pawson, his collaboration with Teixidors has provided a new opportunity to work with manual processes, ‘where small variations form a natural aspect of the character of what is made’ and testimony to his conviction of the bond between sustainability and good design.

‘Sustainability’, he stresses, ‘is no longer something you begin to consider part way through the creative process, it has to be
embedded in the heart of the design thinking’.

Each piece consists of three woven quadrilaterals of subtly differing proportions and hues, sewn together into a long patchwork with fringed edging; the contrasting yet complementary colourways–including subtle ochre, neutral cream and a rich scarlet – are achieved by a combination of natural wool tones and vegetable and eco-friendly dyeing. The tactile qualities of the pieces are further enhanced with felt-like elements and Teixidors’ characteristic appliquéd cords, making each of these tripartite blankets into a domestic anthology of fabric textures.