Changing the way fabrics are viewed is the aim of local businesses man who has created a new textile gallery concept on the Shore.
Gerald Sheehy recognised the feelings of overwhelming choice among the rows and rows of rolls presented in most fabric stores. “After almost 50 years in the textile business, I finally realised that the most common thing a client said when they entered a textile showroom was, ‘Oh! Where do I start?’ Because there was simply way too much to see.
“Clients weren't excited by the thousands and thousands of options that confronted them, it can be intimidating. I asked myself whether all these samples were a help or a hindrance in the decision making process, and decided there must be a better way.
“I thought, why not celebrate the art of textiles and the artists behind the designs?”
So the new gallery concept at Redgraves Home Fabrics store was born. At the premises on Constellation Drive, clients can take time to view the displays of fabrics, which each season will reflect a different textile artist. Launched on 25th July with an opening event that included food trucks, friends and family the inaugural artist to be featured is the UK’s Emma J Shipley. Emma is a fashion designer and artist with a loyal following, and whose work has this year been the feature of a first-of-its-kind exhibition at Harrod’s in London.
Animalia is the title of her collection which has seen her fine, detailed drawings transferred onto fabrics, which can be used to cover furniture, as drapes, soft furnishings and more. Each image has been crafted by Emma in a traditional process of pencil sketching on paper, before being saturated with a mix of vibrant, and some softer, colours. She features animals that are endangered and, in doing so, as well as creating stunning artworks, highlights the plight of these creatures, celebrating their beauty and preciousness.
Gerald is meticulous in his approach to every aspect of the business, and is proud of his team. “We have some of the most talented designers in the country on our team to help clients select the ideal furnishings - and it is mostly done in the very place where they will be used, their home. And good design does not need to mean expensive design; it can be a new touch of colour or print with curtains, furniture covering or a new soft furnishing. After all, textiles are the most viewed art in the home!”
Consultants visit clients to find and share inspiration for adding bespoke furnishing touches, a process Gerald is involved in with briefings and follow up findings. Each morning he also meets with their installation team to discuss what they will be installing in the customers homes that day and to do a final quality check. He regularly walks the floor of their factory, located above the gallery, and supervises the manufacture of the goods being produced that day by their own in-house, highly skilled artisans.
Gerald also meets daily with his design team to run over schedules and customers’ special requests, discuss stock levels, trends, and any new products that are coming on the market. “Our hand has run over every product that leaves our building,” says Gerald. “That is the art of textiles at Redgraves Home Fabrics.”
And now, clients can enjoy this art, with a quality coffee, in a relaxed, art gallery-esque environment at 25 Constellation Drive.
Until October 15th Gerald and his team will be celebrating the very first of their chosen artists, the very talented Emma J Shipley. Gerald says: “We hope you will love her textiles as much as we do.”
Phone for an appointment with a designer from Redgraves Home Fabrics - The Art of Textiles on 09 476 9102.
35C Constellation Drive, Mairangi Bay www.redgraveshomefabrics.co.nz
