While getting to know Yarn Collective, it doesn’t take long to realise that they have nailed the ‘less is more’ approach to textile design…
Selective with their fabric fusions from the start, Yarn Collective’s co-founders James Gomez and Sophie Carneige knew that they “didn’t want to launch collections of 20 fabrics each with 40 plus colour options. We wanted to be purposeful and mindful of the industry, our customer and our environmental responsibility” James tells enki.
Since launching with three textiles back in 2016, Yarn Collective have continued to innovate and now offer a wide range of recycled fabrics. This includes everything from jutes and linens to velvets and cottons, all of which are available in distinctive colour palettes that steer clear of the latest trends.
Keen to hear more from the brand, we caught up with co-founder James Gomez to find out just how Yarn Collective is mindfully making its mark on the textile industry, what we can expect from new collections, exciting collabs and the brand’s goals for the future.
Take us back to the beginning, what’s the story behind Yarn Collective?
“Co-founder Sophie Carnegie and I founded Yarn Collective in 2016. We had both been in the industry for many years for various high-end fabric and furniture companies, so we had a lot of shared experience, and we knew we worked well together. I lead on the creative side of things and Sophie is more focused on the operational side.”
“When we started, we distributed other people’s textiles but quickly realised that we wanted to create our own products. Having both worked for large brands, we knew we wanted to do things differently and work more mindfully.”
Rather than focusing on just one fabric, you offer a range from cottons to velvets – what inspired this choice?
“It is important to offer choice, the key is not to offer too much choice and overwhelm people. Our fabrics range from velvet, wool, linen, jute and cotton to name just a few, and all have their own qualities and characteristics.”
“Some are better for drapery, and some are better for furnishings and upholstery for example. They have different textures by nature, different handling and softness, so for us as a brand, it’s about curating a considered range of fabrics which are versatile and timeless. Chosen to work separately or to complement each other in combination.”
“We’re not about trends and fads, we’re about high quality, luxurious textiles that have longevity, that will last for years to come and still look as fresh and contemporary in a traditional or modern interior.”
What does your production process look like?
“We work closely with mills and skilled artisans across Europe in countries such as Italy, France and Belgium, where our fabrics are woven. Our point of difference is that our fabrics are mostly recycled or natural and the mills who produce our fabrics for us are chosen for their specialty yarns which are ethically sourced and for their expertise in producing that particular type of fabric. It’s a fairly traditional process despite modern manufacturing upgrades.”
“Our yarns are all custom dyed in a colour palette which has become a bit of a signature for us, and it blends neutral tones with rich earthy accents. We take inspiration from nature’s own canvas – from soft chalky whites to deep moss green, warm glowing ochre, and gentle blush pink. These shades are reminiscent of the raw, organic pigments and dyes found in nature and the palette is designed to work in schemes which are full of colour but equally they can also be used to add pops of colour in neutral schemes.”
How do you ensure your textiles are fully recycled?
“Our fabrics range from being made entirely from recycled material such as recycled cotton and linen to using just a small percentage within a composition. We also use a wide range of natural yarns. By embracing the circular economy where we can, we’re very much trying to offer a cleaner and greener product.”
“We’re not textile producers ourselves but we’re always trying to reduce, if not remove, man made synthetic fibre content in our fabrics and speak with the mills we work with to find ways to be more environmentally conscious. For instance, our Ismay bouclé now exclusively features recycled cotton, eliminating polyester, and is a great example of our efforts to enhance the environmentally friendliness of what we make.”
What are you finding most clients are currently looking for?
“Clients come to us because they are looking for high-quality fabrics which are foundation pieces for their interior schemes. They want quiet luxury, nothing too shouty, in a curated natural inspired palette and in material compositions that are either recycled or natural, timeless and of course well-crafted.”
Do you ever work with consumers rather than B2B?
“We only work B2B at the moment but that’s not to say we won’t work directly with consumers in the future. If a customer comes to us directly, we always help point them in the right direction of a curtain maker or upholster for example, so they can purchase our fabric for their home.”
What are your top tips on looking after fabrics?
“Like with your clothes, be mindful of colours and stains, always try to dab stains up straight away and ensure you’re not using harsh chemicals that could alter the state of the fabric or bleach it.”
What do you think is the biggest problem facing the textile industry currently?
“Excessive consumption. Brands are pumping out these huge collections every year, sometimes twice a year. Do we really need another velvet in 60 colours? Or a linen in over 100 shades? Or do we just need to have one or two or three? Because, at the end of the day, we are still creating stuff. Even if it’s recycled, we’re still creating.”
“From day one at Yarn Collective, we have always been conscious of that impact, and we aim to mitigate the trend for overproduction, that is why our collections are purposely small. From our first every range to our latest, our focus has been to design textiles that transcend fads and fashionable trends, with a quality and craftsmanship that will endure.”
How would you change this?
“The main changes that I hope we will see within the industry is collections becoming a lot smaller, with brand’s moving their focus to quality and fine materials instead of saturating the market with huge collections, endless colour options and trend-led ranges. Within the industry, we are seeing some great innovation in how we can use natural materials such as…”
“Hemp – which we have used in our latest collection, jute, bamboo, and coconut fibre to create ‘future-proof ’textiles which balance creativity and environmental responsibility. These natural fibres will become more commonplace as we focus on using renewable and biodegradable materials as standard.”
“As technology develops even further, textiles made from plastic will continue to evolve and we will also see fabric made from industry waste become mainstream. The hope is that the industry will become more circular.”
“As technology develops even further, textiles made from plastic will continue to evolve and we will also see fabric made from industry waste become mainstream. The hope is that the industry will become more circular.”
What are you currently working on?
“We have just launched our latest collection which we’re really proud of. With each collection we develop and refine our look and offering and our latest launch is our best yet. Some of those fabrics you will see at BOS Studio’s first PAD installation later in the year.”
“Textile wise, we’re currently developing a knitted fabric with a designer called Nina Dorfer. It’s a bit of a departure from our usual style but it’s been really fun developing it and that will launch in Spring 2025. We also have a new collection we’re developing with Sister by Studio Ashby which we hope to launch in May 2025.”
Are you looking to do more collabs like Sister by Studio Ashby?
“We have a lot of designers and brands approaching us and we’re very open to discussions, but we don’t want to become known for always collaborating season after season, or for those collaborations to become so big that they overwhelm or overshadow our own launches. Who knows, never say ever but for now we’re loving working with Sister and the Studio Ashby team.”
Who would be your dream collaborator?
“We’re already working with her and that is Sophie Ashby. We really love working on the textile collections with her and seeing how she brings the fabrics to life in her interior projects. As I mentioned, we’re working on a second collection with her at the moment and there’s lots more to come after that. We’re super excited to see how it develops.”
Where do you hope Yarn Collective is 10 years from now?
“I would love to have grown our distribution and presence even further and to become recognised as a well-known and respected brand globally within the interior design industry. It would be amazing to have a showroom or two as well, here in the UK and in the US.”
Discover Yarn Collective’s full range of textiles here.
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