Women in Design
Women in Design: A Conversation with Elisabeth Deshayes of Fromental
Elisabeth Deshayes spent her childhood on the first and second floor of a Victorian terraced house in Dulwich, London. She can still recall the home’s wallpaper—its texture, smell and pattern of reeds, egrets and other birds in soft greens—which she believes dated back to the 1940s. “I would run my fingertips along the design as I ascended the stairs to our door and inhale deeply that smell of old books,” she remembers. It made such an impact on her that she grew up to become the art director of Fromental, a position that lets her express her creativity daily through print, paint and embroidery on silk wallpaper and fabrics. Visit Fromental at 200 Lex (suite 511) and see how those childhood impressions live on in her designs.
Q: What women in design do you admire most?
A: Anna Maria Garthwaite (1688-1763), an extraordinary textile designer by any standards.
Her output was terrific and of the highest quality. She absolutely understood the process of silk weaving, which she was designing for. I have unbound admiration for anyone who masters their craft so skillfully and whose work, although anchored in its time, is as fresh and beautiful today as it was then.
I recently discovered Olga de Amaral’s work through her retrospective at the Fondation Cartier in Paris. I am quite ashamed that I was so unaware of her. Her work, which is mostly large-scale abstract weaving combining fibers and sometimes gold and silver paint, is resplendent with color and is not a result of chance but carefully thought out and planned.
Her output is almost overwhelming in its breadth, originality and absolute beauty.
Q: What mantra would women benefit from while following their creative path?
A: Use every second you can grasp to create. If you have a moment without a sketchbook but no imperatives upon you, then, imagine your work. So much of the creative process is happening right now in your thoughts.
Q: How have you seen the industry landscape change for women over the years?
A: I am lucky to work in a sector where women have been present from the beginning. However, at the turn of the 20th century, many of them worked in the shadow of their husbands, fathers, and male colleagues. Not only are their stories now being uncovered and celebrated but this overdue recognition is allowing us to take up space and operate on our own terms.
Q: Can you share a moment that made you feel particularly empowered as a woman in design?
A: I must admit I feel empowered every time I see the extraordinary work of another woman! It absolutely thrills me, as I feel connected somehow to these amazing artists through our commonality of being a woman.
Q: How do you stay inspired and push the boundaries of your own work?
A: Staying inspired is incredibly easy. One has to put in a tiny bit of effort to go to a gallery, discover the work of a woman artist, and the wind is in your sails! The sisterhood of creativity is there for you to access at any time!
Q: What are some of your favorite or newest designs available in your showroom at 200 Lex?
A: I am very fond of Molten, a design inspired by midcentury brutalist jewelry. It’s quite raw but has the delicacy of silversmith work.
