The simplicity of the relationship between black, white and every shade in between is what makes textiles by Beatrice Larkin so arresting. When realised in pliable wool or recycled cotton yarns, the geometric patterns shift, soften and bring to mind stormy skies, cracked rock and parched earth.
Beatrice’s hand-drawn artwork is the starting point for all of her fabrics. Geometric patterns start as pen-and-ink sketches before being scaled, repeated and transformed into weave templates. These are then brought to three-dimensional life by the magic of the jacquard loom. The complexity of this style of weaving allows all of the intricacies of feathered lines and pigment blots to leap from the paper, resulting in double-sided textiles that have an innately organic feel to them.
The fabric for throws and cushions by Beatrice Larkin is produced at a specialist jacquard mill in Lancashire. Each small run then travels to the Yorkshire Dales for washing and finishing. Yarn is key to the performance and texture of these pieces. Italian-spun Merino wool or recycled cotton are Beatrice’s yarns of choice. The wool’s long, fine fibres result in a finished fabric that’s supple and luxuriously soft to the touch. As Merino is also lightweight but highly insulating, Beatrice’s throws can be used through the seasons. For the cotton collection, yarn is recycled from rejected fabrics from the clothing industry and re-spun in Italy, ready for a new purpose.
Study at the Chelsea College of Art and Design, then at the Royal College of Art, compounded Beatrice's passion for weave and led her to launch her first collection at Clerkenwell Design Week in 2017.
