Lovely blog post about Le fil rouge Textiles by Kandyze Pizzolon October 15, 2014 20:30
When you visit the Le fil rouge Textiles website, you’re greeted with an airy sense in quality and simplicity. The products available, scarves made from textiles such as alpaca also known as the “hair of angels” for being a sustainable, comfortable, breathable and soft fiber,as well as linen products, which are used to produce tea towels, bath sheets that are great for home, travel and yoga, throws and tablecloths. “The fabric is very natural linen woven in Lithuania and products are sewn in studio and with the help of local seamstresses” says Creative Director Ellen Walde. Kitchen linens and dish towels immediately strike an impulse or craving to fill your home with quality textiles, and if you don’t have a house…you instantly feel the urge to buy one just so you can accent it with everything Le fil rouge!
In the words of William Morris ““Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”
Portobello West had a chance to speak with Creative Director Ellen Walde all about Le fil rouge Textiles and how it came to be.
“Le fil rouge Textiles is an independent design house and small manufacturer of unique, ecofriendly textile accessories for home and fashion. It is our desire to bring comfort, beauty and inspiration into your life through authentic, sustainable materials and refined designs. Le fil rouge Textiles is committed to sustainability and ethical business practices” says Ellen. It’s clear through examining the product further, that Ellen has a passion for quality textiles and design, she explains “My company is actually the culmination of a lifelong passion for natural fibers. I always was attracted by working with textiles since learning to knit in elementary school growing up in Germany. I was knitting constantly and everywhere throughout my teen years and roamed on the weekends, in the flea markets for antique linens. There was always a kind of magical attraction to cloth and fibers that I cannot explain. I studied weaving, sculpture and Art Therapy in Germany and after living in different parts in Europe I settled with my husband in Vancouver where I decided to take the Textile Art Program at Capilano University from 1999-2001. Since then I am working out of my home studio.”
The name of a company can often be lost in the message it’s trying to convey. Ellen’s story behind the name Le fil rouge Textiles, ties everything together or more accurately connects everything with a strategic red string…“Le fil rouge is French for “the red thread”, the trademark of the company and has many connotations. Red is the colour of life, and every textile starts with just one thread. Goethe (German writer and Poet), and even a popular French turn of phrase all talk about the red thread, a metaphor representing the invisible link between all events, consequences and causes. In Asia it is known as the thread of destiny: An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break. All these meanings resonate with me and represent my belief that we are all connected and each individual action has an impact on the whole” muses Ellen.
“I want to make unique, ecofriendly textile accessories more available and accessible and carry small collections that change regularly” continues Ellen “We cover our body and are surrounded by fabric 24hrs a day. There are lots of chemicals in fabrics and cotton production is still a huge polluter because of the high need for pesticides. Linen and Baby Alpaca are sustainable, eco-friendly fibers with a luxurious feel.” The fabric and textiles Ellen chooses to utilize, are not only sustainable and ecofriendly throughout the manufacturing process, they display the same principle through look and feel as well. Le fil rouge Textiles, are visually clean cut, well-tailored and have an unexplained warmth. They truly appear expertly crafted throughout every design aspect, complete with understated simplicity.
The Le fil rouge motto “Unpretentious luxury!..” so unbelievably fitting, Ellen explains “…I am inspired by nature, my travels and everything that surrounds me. Anything can spark my imagination and sometimes it all starts with the material itself. I am influenced by the casual sophistication of European aesthetics and sustainability and ethical business practices are very important to me. I want to create and distribute products that inspire, create comfort and contribute to an overall healthier environment. I believe that the “things” we surround us with do have an impact on us.”
It’s clear Ellen has a certain morality to the brand Le fil rouge Textiles when designing. Dedicating her time finding exceptional materials, and working hard to manufacture the best quality textiles she can. With this outlook on the range of products Le fil rouge Textiles produces, and promotes it’s as important to Ellen and her company, to maintain a solid customer relationship. “My customers are extremely important to me and I really hope that my products are all about bringing comfort and moments of joy into their daily life through the use of textiles.” Portobello West Market has walked hand in hand, while granting a blossoming of customer relationships for Le fil rouge Textiles. Ellen explains how the Market has impacted her company “In May 2013 I attended the first Portobello market and really enjoyed the whole experience from the friendliness of the organizers to the “family feel” of the market. Participating at Portobello gives me the wonderful opportunity to connect with people and share my passion for linen and alpaca. Beautiful natural fibers have a life of their own. You can feel it!”
VISIT Le fil rouge Website: http://www.lefilrougetextiles.com/Le fil rouge Textiles will be attending this months Home and Design Market, so be sure to stop by and get a feel of their incredible products.
LIKE Le fil rouge on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lefilrougetextiles
PIN Le fil rouge on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lefilrouget/