News

• Who are you and where do you live?

We are husband and wife team Sunny + Emma Todd, I am a Royal College of Art graduate and established ‘Sunny Todd Prints’ with Emma in 2013. We live in England, in a beautiful town called Ledbury, Herefordshire not far from the beautiful Malvern Hills.

• What do you do?

We produce beautiful, irresistible patterns for interiors, fashion and products. My training was in textile design and I specialized in silk screen printing but we create patterns in many traditional ways but always by hand, never with computers! Most designs start as stencils, once we have an idea we will cut out the shapes from black paper and lay them out over white paper on the dining room table at home. Over the following days we will move them around and even chop into them to explore composition and scale until we are completely happy with the pattern, the relationship between and the movement of the shapes. The selection of colours is as important, we mix pigment inks by eye and create a range of colour swatches to explore how the tones work together. We’ll then experiment with the colour combinations for each pattern before deciding how these fit together as a collection. 

• Who & what inspires you?

Everything! We love the Paul Smith quote- "You can find inspiration in everything , and if you can't, look again" We love design in all its forms and read about, see shows and explore new ideas as much as we can. We re endlessly inspired by our children- they are so in the moment and they create things with sheer joy, freely and without reserve- they are great fun!

• What doesn’t inspire you?

Muted colours such as beige and very rigid design, we think that design should be fun and without rules!

• What projects have you been recently working on?

Collaborating has been so important for our young company and we’ve been lucky enough to work on some amazing projects with really influential people. Some of our favourites have included hand woven rugs with Floor_Story, beautiful knitted blankets with Studio Roam and bespoke hand printed cushions for Heals. We have recently been working on a collection of accessories and silk dresses for Anthropologie, a cushion collection for John Lewis and ideas for our own next range.

• What projects in your lifetime have the most significance in both of your work?

Putting together our first fabric book was a real labour of love and hugely significant for us, we hand cut and arranged all of the designs then painstakingly mixed the colours by eye then experimented endlessly until we were happy with the collection. Seeing the finished fabrics and then putting the book together was such a proud moment, the fact that our book is now held in some of the most prestigious places in the UK and Internationally has been such a thrill!

• Where is design & art heading?

We are continually excited and inspired by all forms of Art and Design, we hope the current movement towards supporting independent designers and sustainable practices will continue! The quality and sustainability of our fabric and products is paramount, we always use the highest quality materials that are sourced as locally as possible, we print using environmentally friendly, water based inks, and our products are handmade by local seamstresses.

• What’s wrong with design?

Any design that is elitist or over precious is disappointing, we feel that good design is life enhancing and should be accessible to all.

• Who do you think are the most influential artists & designers in recent years?

Phillipe Stark, Issey Miyake, Thomas Hetherwick, Hussain Chalayan, Nathalie Du Pasquier.  

• What artists and designers have inspired you in your lifetime?

Eley Kishimoto, Henri Matisse, Howard Hodgkin, Keith Haring, Marimekko.

• What would be your best destination in the world?

Italy. We spent our first summer together travelling from north to south and have spent so many happy times returning over the years. We love everything about the country, especially their passion for life and the food!

• Stuck on a desert island, three things that you couldn’t be without?

Emma and our two kids, but if they are already there then coffee, my running trainers and a radio! 

• What is your favourite colour & why?

We love all bright and bold colours but I always come back to red, especially when combined with other clashing shades - our hot pink and red fabrics are a real favourite, as The World of Interiors said - our work radiates optimism, we think everyone should add more colour into their lives!

Click here to see the New Sunny Todd Prints Collection X ZigZagZurich

 

10 questions & answers that will make you a real expert about the linen

Take a look at this interview with Michele Rondelli, Creative Director of ZigZagZurich & 4Spaces to understand the magic of this ancient fabric used by kings & emperors yet humble enough for any room!

1. What is Linen?

Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen fibers are woven into yarns and fabrics. Flax is one of the oldest textile fibers used by humans, evidence of its use has been found in Switzerland’s prehistoric lake dwellings. Fine linen fabrics have been discovered in Egyptian tombs over the years signaling the importance of this simple plant.

2. Is Linen warm?

Linen is thermo-regulating: it’s a natural insulator and it reacts to the season and the body in contact with the cloth. It keeps cool and breathable in the summer months and trap warmth in colder weather. 

3. Is Linen soft? 

Linen naturally induces a feeling of pleasure and comfort. The more it is used the softer it gets and the stronger it becomes. Vintage linen is really soft and the feeling is very hard to replicate by any mechanical process. It is a very durable fibre and has many benefits over cotton. In modern times, we have many new finish treatments applied to the yarn and woven fabric to enhance its natural characteristic. 

4. Cotton vs. Linen: What’s the difference? 

Linen is known to be the world’s strongest natural fiber: it is stronger than cotton and because linen absorbs and releases moisture quickly, it is a good conductor of heat. Linen is more expensive than cotton since it is technically more difficult to spin and weave. 

5. How is Linen made?

In simple terms, the fibers from the plant go through a number of different processes – from what is called retting, a form of fermentation in water, to drying, crushing and beating the fibers. Once the plant fibers are ready, they are spun into yarns. Linen yarns are normally very fine or can be combined together to create a thicker yarn. Linen is very difficult to knit as it does not have elasticity like cotton or wool hence the structure is much stronger overall when woven. 

6. Where does the best Linen come from?

It is widely known that the best linen yarns come from Belgium & Ireland however the plant may actually be grown elsewhere and sent there for processing. The combination of the top quality yarns, and importantly how they are woven defines the quality of the linen. 

7. Why Belgian Linen is the best Linen?

Belgian linen is recognized as being the best in the world. This excellence may be attributed to the water, to the climate, with adequate moisture and relatively cool temperatures, and to the traditional methods and experience that have been passed on throughout the ages. Belgian Linen is Made of European grown flax fibres and has a premium high quality. It is woven accordingly to a time-honored tradition, it's crisp, comfortable, soft yet strong and durable. 

8. Which is the difference between Belgian Flex Linen and Belgian Linen? 

While Belgian Linen is transformed from flax plant to the linen fabric entirely in Belgium, Belgian flax linen (also known as European Flax Linen) is linen made from European Flax plant outside of Europe (primarily in India and China). 

9. Why should you prefer Belgian Linen Bedding?

Because the unique climate and the expertise of the Belgian artisans, explains the superior quality of their linen. 

10. Why is ZigZagZurich Linen Collection a good choice for bedding?

Because we have the best Italian Linen made by a master weaver (in panama, yarn dyed and vintage finishes) that combines the high quality and tradition of the Belgian linen with the high specialization and elegance of Made in Italy. A real guarantee.

Below our simple guide that hopefully makes it that little bit more simple to choose…

Enjoy your linen bedding!

Plain Unwashed Sheeting Linen is the crispest kind of linen – depending on the weight of the yarns, this can almost be transparent to heavier weaves.  As with all unwashed linen, the first wash will slightly shrink the yarns making them stiffer, however this can then be changed by adding the linens to a tumbler for example softening the linen itself. This is the most classic of linens you see.

Panama linen or a basket weave is a simple type of linen bedding, where groups of warp and weft threads are interlaced so that they form a simple crisscross pattern. Each group of weft threads crosses an equal number of warp threads by going over one group, then under the next, and so on.  Panama linen by definition is a heavier linen so can be used as warmer linen in the winter, or simply in the summer, by taking out the duvet filling and sleeping under the linen alone. This can be woven in natural yarns or coloured yarns for the linen bedding. 

Melange linen is a mix of yarns, which create the unique effect. A mélange quality bed linen will be yarn dyed, taking colors and mixing them with white yarns to create that unique coloring effect – do e.g. blue yarns with white yarns. Yarn Dyed is where the yarn is dyed before the fabric is woven.  Normally fabrics are piece dyed e.g. the whole lot is dyed at once, but with yarn dyeing, this process is done first of all.

Vintage linen or “washed linen” – all linen fabric shrinks so unwashed linen will have a more crisp feel to it. Vintage or washed linen is washed in different ways – some simply in hot water and tumbled, other processes do it more traditionally with water baths, stones for softening or the cheaper process uses chemicals and softeners. We prefer to do it the traditional way!

Damask linen is a mix of plain and satin weaves with the fibers reversible and flat, giving the fabric a smooth texture. This type of linen is most used on tablecloths, napkins but also draperies as well. 

ZigZagZurich is proud to have Fuji, Shibuya and Ginza summer blankets at Domino Pop-Up Shop in the heart of Brooklyn.

The Domino Pop-Up Shop is open for three weekends: June 2-4, June 9-11, and June 16-18, from 11am to 8pm each day on the ground floor of City Point.

The space was designed and built out by the Gathery and features relaxing sitting areas, encouraging guests to hang out.

Don't miss the Domino Pop-Up Shop in Brooklyn!

 

"Father's day" is a special day to celebrate your dad and ZigZagZurich reminds you that this day is right around the corner: we are here to help you find the perfect gift!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

News12.Com x ZigZagZurich - Mothers Day Gift Guide Featuring Ginza Cotton Blankets

 

 

 

 

 

Ginza Artist Cotton Blankets & Throws by Michele Rondelli

Inspired by Japan, Ginza is simple minimalism in design from the creative mind of Swiss designer Michele Rondelli.

The ZigZagZurich Cotton Artist blankets and throws collection was inspired by our love of cotton weaving transforming original artists work.   Using jacquard looms with super fine cotton, we weave these in small quantities.  Soft yet tough enough, they can be used any where - home, garden, beach, pool, picnic - a design statement wherever you go !

140 x 160cm / 55" x 63"

100% Woven Cotton Jacquard

Washable Warm / 40 Degrees / Tumble Dry Low

Produced in Europe

 

http://wohnfuehlen.annabelle.ch/2017/05/03/the-perfect-match-hochzeitsgeschenke-fuer-jedes-budget/

Featuring the Moonish Tag Collection Bettwäsche

Moonish wurde in Brooklyn im Jahr 2012 von dem Musiker Matt Taylor und der Visuellen Künstlerin Giovanna Masseroni gegründet. Die Inspiration des Kreativ-Studios ist bekannt durch eines ihrer Sperrholz Fliesen-Designs, THE FIFTH. Lissajous-Figuren sind Kurvengraphen, die durch die Überlagerung zweier harmonischer, rechtwinkelig zueinander stehender Schwingungen entstehen und eine entsprechend visuell harmonische Zeichnung bilden.