ELLE DECO PLANET
Design Talk with Jonathan Saunders
During the Mexico Design Week in October, Jonathan Saunders presented a capsule collection with four designs, the result of a collaboration with The Rug Company. In an exclusive interview, he confesses his challenges, inspirations, and the secrets behind the collection to the Editor-in-Chief of ELLE Decoration Mexico, Patricia Vasconcelos.
Interview by PATRICIA VASCONCELOS Photography VANESSA NIEVES
The name of Jonathan Saunders is synonymous with innovation in the domains of print, pattern and craftsmanship, and he is considered one of the most exciting fashion designers of the London scene. In May 2016, Saunders was named the first ever chief creative officer of Diane von Furstenberg.
After starting your career within the product design universe, with a strong interest for architecture and interior decoration, what inspired you for your rug and cushion collection for The Rug Company?
It’s in a collective mix of different references that you collect throughout the season and then it all comes together in a collection which feels kind of a combination of all of these things. I have always understood how much The Rug Company appreciates details in pieces, so I had to consider size and shape, but what really inspired me was that they truly believe in creating textile by hand, hence the importance of taking textile into account, its history and how you can make it a much more interesting way to express something.
In this growing digitalized world where the manufacturing process and consumer demands are very fast, do you believe there is a future for high-end products and collectibles? Or do you think that there is greater value on more affordable things, with a larger production scale?
It's an interesting subject, I think that craftsmanship and quality will always mean that something lasts for a long time — and not just physically, but it can last in terms of people believing in a brand for a long period of time. I believe if a brand has craftsmanship and quality in the sense of what we do, it can last forever. I think that reaching a wide audience is something that is such an interesting thing to work with. You can still approach those projects with the desire to keep things as beautiful and as high a quality as possible.
You are well known for your bold use of color and graphic printing, but if you could design the perfect house, how would it look on the inside? What is your idea of design aesthetics in a house?
I like things to feel expressive, so it’s definitively not minimal. I like things to be spontaneous and not so perfect, not that flat. I believe places should mix elements from different nations, but especially, they should be places where you can belong, where you feel truly relaxed, a place where you forget about everything, including fashion (he laughs).
Have you made mistakes which have affected your career in a positive way?
I believe anyone’s creative career is made based on mistakes; what you should take care of is understanding what led you to make such mistake and become stronger. I believe mistakes are amazing because they help you grow.
Which is your greatest extravagance in life and how do you define luxury?
For me, luxury evokes time, details, love. I believe that if you love something, you will take care of it and it takes time to make it beautiful. The fine details of something, even if you do not see it, are very special for me.
When dealing with interior design, the drive should be about feelings, reason why I find interior colors to be very important, since they communicate with emotions.
"What I did was to draw and continue drawing several items that I believe create shapes with color representing tradition in textile design, but which can also show modern ways."
