You can immediately tell that Richard Smith is a colourful person — sporting salmon-pink trousers, acid-green Converse shoes and aquamarine socks, it is apparent in his choice of clothing.
Richard Smith.
"I adore colours," said the British textile designer, who designs the No.9 Thompson collection for Jim Thompson. The recent collection, Anatolia, encapsulates the carefree spirit of Mediterranean coastline inspired by textile crafts of Central Asia.
Smith has over 16 years of experience designing furnishing fabrics and wallpaper for the American and European markets. His method involves a lot of drawing and painting, and his particular area of interest is in the cultural legacy of the Orient. Smith was recently in Thailand to launch his collaborative collection, and spoke with Life about his work, inspirations and home décor.
Have you always wanted to be a textile designer?
I have always loved drawing and painting, and I wanted to apply that to something other than just painting. I wanted to make some kind of product. When we were growing up in England, we moved every five years, and we always lived in old houses. I have always had a feeling for architecture and colours. I realised my passion very early on, and when I was 16, I found a lady in our town who was a textile designer. I rang her up and I used to go mix paint for her and help in the office, just for some feeling. I was incredibly lucky to be able to do that.
What makes you such a big fan of colours?
Colours are so evocative of mood. They have such a big impact on us, in ways that we may not realise. Going into a room and seeing colours, it can be optimistic and uplifting. They also have infinite combinations. There are no ugly colours — just ugly combinations. Some people might say they don't like orange, but if you put orange with a dark green or pale blue, it looks so beautiful. It's such a personal thing.
Where did you find inspiration for this collection?
Inspiration comes from everywhere you look — the street, being on an airplane, travelling. For my No. 9 collection, I tried to think about what would inspire Jim Thompson. He was such a great traveller and a great collector. When you go to his house, you see these collections of ceramics, textiles, paintings and furniture that he collected from all over Asia. When I started the collection, it was based on the arts and crafts of Asia. I did a lot of research — we've got a good library.
How can textiles affect a place?
Textiles add colour, but they also add texture. To contrast those textures, to have rough fabric next to printed linen, to combine all these, it makes a very layered environment. I think that we live in a very hard world, and it softens that. We can make a cocoon for ourselves.
How would you describe the Anatolia collection?
It is all about the joy of living. It's very casual, light-hearted and fresh. Most importantly, I don't want to be too dictatorial about how it's used. It's a collection that can be used in so many different ways. It's a very versatile collection.
How long did it take to finish the collection?
I started about a year and a half before the launch. It's an evolving process. After about three to four months, I knew what I wanted to do. I got very involved with people around the globe — No. 9 sells really well in America and Europe. People tell me what they like and want to see. It's a very much a communicative thing, which I love, because you are a product designer and you are designing something that will be used.
If a person wants to start decorating their home, where should they begin?
One of the best things to do is to look through magazines. I have endless tear sheets, because otherwise my house will be full of magazines. I think it's a very good way of forming an opinion. It's very important not to rush into things because it's a very expensive project to do. Also, if you're buying 30m of fabric for curtains, it's a very good idea to buy a metre first and take it home and put it up. Often, we're asked to buy something from a sample the size of our hand, when it's a huge investment. It'd be much better to have a big piece, live with it and see how it feels. I have things put on my studio wall and I don't look at them for three weeks. I go elsewhere and come back, and when I look at it again, I'm looking at it afresh. You shouldn't feel like you have to make a snap decision.
The Anatolia collection from No.9 Thompson by Jim Thompson.
