For International Women’s Day, three of the UK’s top women in decorating pick their female stars of the future
Minnie Kemp design director at Firmdale Hotels
Alongside her mother Kit Kemp, artist and interior designer Minnie Kemp (pictured above) has worked on hotels including London’s Ham Yard and The Whitby in New York, as well as spearheading the Kit Kemp Design Studio’s residential department. She has recently launched wallpapers with Mind The Gap, and said it was ‘a highlight in my career’ to work with its artists in Transylvania.
Kemp looks to female creatives of the last century who fought to have a voice and be taken seriously. ‘I’m so inspired by Anni Albers and her teachings at Black Mountain College, as well as colour-theory queen Sonia Delaunay,’ she says. ‘These women paved the way for female artists and designers working today. Es Devlin is a British artist and stage designer who I’m in awe of, too. Her kinetic, sculptural set designs look so simple, but such skill and hard work goes on behind the scenes to create the magic.’ The lesson Minnie takes from these boundary-pushers is ‘to stay playful and experiment’.
With architects Stonehill Taylor, Minnie is currently installing The Warren Street Hotel in Tribeca, opening this spring. ‘We have worked on this project for five years, from the ground up, so it’s so exciting to see it all come together,’ she says, smiling. She is also designing a furniture collection with Schotten & Hansen and finishing a residential project on the French Riviera. ‘The house has been designed around an ancient fig tree, with views of the ocean.’ firmdalehotels.com; @minniekemp
Minnie Kemp’s one to watch…
‘I came across Uruguayan design duo Estudio Persona in Milan last year, when I spotted their furniture collection created in collaboration with Pierre Frey. Emiliana Gonzalez and Jessie Young are a breath of fresh air.’ estudiopersona.com
Genevieve Bennett head of design at Liberty Interiors
Having spent her career collaborating with the likes of Wedgwood, Mulberry and Heal’s, Genevieve Bennett is unfazed by brands with weighty histories. It’s a quality that makes her the perfect custodian of Liberty’s legacy. She recently looked into its archives, and the globetrotting travels of founder Sir Arthur Lasenby Liberty, to create the ‘Botanical Atlas’ fabric collection which debuted at Déco Off in Paris. ‘We hoped to combine our quintessential flora and fauna motifs with artistic influences from Arthur’s expeditions to Japan, China, Persia and India,’ she explains.
Bennett recently discovered the work of Clara Porset: ‘an extraordinary Cuban-Mexican designer of the 20th century whose modernist works blending Mexican heritage with Bauhaus influences are truly magnificent’. Her own approach to design, however, has primarily been shaped by the work of Li Edelkoort, whom she discovered while studying at the Royal College of Art. ‘She is a visionary, an immensely thoughtful, insightful activist who celebrates textiles in the design industry – where they can often be marginalised,’ says Bennett. ‘Her ability to predict far-reaching movements in the world of design is remarkable. Li’s writing and podcasts on speed and greed resonate with me and the work we all do at Liberty – I especially admire the idea of treasuring heirlooms, investing thoughtfully and slowing down.’
As Liberty approaches its 150th anniversary next year, Bennett is excited about launching a new interior fabrics collection that will bring a fresh approach to some of the brand’s most-loved classics. libertyfabric.com
Genevieve Bennett’s one to watch…
‘Emily Adams Bode’s company, Bode, specialises in modern workwear [as well as cushions and quilts], with an emphasis on traditional crafting techniques. Each piece is one of a kind, composed of antique textiles.’ bode.com
Marie Karlsson creative and managing director at Cole & Son
Established in 1875 by John Perry, Cole & Son is responsible for the wallcoverings in Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament, and has an archive rich in treasures dating back to the 18th century. Marie Karlsson leads this venerable institution’s studio in producing designs that combine heritage with innovation.
The list of women who motivate her is eclectic, spanning the 20th century and different creative spheres, but they all share ‘a strong work ethic and creative spirit,’ she explains. ‘I love the work of Rei Kawakubo [founder of Comme des Garçons] for her vision that never conforms to trends, Ray Eames for bringing feminine thinking into design, and Maria Grazia Chiuri, who embraced creative change across all areas at Dior.’ Karlsson also cites the ‘strong and elegant’ Charlotte Perriand, who shares her own passion for shapes from the natural world.
Karlsson’s love of nature can be seen in the latest Cole & Son launches, including ‘The Gardens: Vol II’, in which the changing colours of flowers and foliage are painted by hand onto Jacquards, satin and velvet. Art makes its mark in the brand’s second ‘Senza Tempo’ collection with Fornasetti, while at Paris Déco Off, ‘Hummingbirds’, Cole & Son’s oldest design, was reimagined in joyful pink. Fresh from a trip with her artists to Japan, where she ‘drew inspiration from traditions old and new,’ though, she’s already on the lookout for what’s next. cole-and-son.com
Marie Karlsson’s one to watch…
‘ARKO uses Japanese straw [taken from part of the rice plant] to create innovative wallhangings, stitch by meticulous stitch. Her use of a time-honoured natural material is very inspiring; she is definitely someone to keep an eye on.’ arko.jp
