Last Wednesday, during the Clerkenwell design Week 2016 in London, the inspiring American designer David Oakey presented for the first time in Europe, his latest global collection designed for Interface using 100% ECONYL® fiber: the World WovenTM CollectionCollection.

World WovenTM is a collection “inspired by handwoven fabrics from the 1950s and 1960s from Scandinavia, the British Isles, Asia and the Americas” and draws on the uncomplicated, imperfect yet beautiful nature of traditional hand-crafted materials.

The source of inspiration has to be sought in the phenomena of the “Tweed Run”, a  metropolitan cycle ride with a bit of style (this is how the ride dubs itself) which began in London in 2009 and is now held in countries around the world.

Cyclers are dressed in traditional British cycling attire, particularly tweed plus four suits, and they stay connected and share their experience via mobile phones, proving how “high tech and high touch could be blended together and create the perfect combination.”

Nowadays, technology starts to appear as far as design trends. The product is a connection between retro, style and technology that gets inspiration from the colors of  nature” stated David Oakey.

But the real Muse of the World Woven Collection is Misao Jo, the founder of “Saori”, a free-style hand weaving that emphasizes creativity and free expression.

Everything began in 1968 when Misao was 57 years old.  She built a loom, and started weaving as a hobby. One day, she wove an “Obi” (a belt for Japanese Kimono), and found a warp thread was missing. She thought it was making a good effect, she was very pleased to find that a nice pattern had been formed by an accident and from that day, she began to weave an “Obi” with many “flaws”.

Misao named her weaving method “SAORI” (SA- indicates your personal style and -ORI means “weaving”), and this technique is now practiced in over 40 countries.

The imperfections in the natural world are perfectly embraced in SAORI weaving, and those are the ingredients that bring color to the World WovenTM.

At the interface showroom in London, visitors had the chance to admire the beautiful and inspiring collection by David Oakey and to participate at his presentation.

We are proud to be part of this multicultural harmony with our ECONYL® brand.