An Interview with Designer Christiane Lemieux and Hannah Harvey,
Creative Director of Richloom’s Decorative Fabric Division

Calico just launched a rich collection of 83 fabrics from talented textile artist Christiane Lemieux, who worked closely with Hannah Harvey, Creative Director of Richloom’s Decorative Fabric Division. Richloom is a global company and has been an important vendor to the Calico stores for more than 35 years. During an early stage of the design process, Calico was invited to participate, knowing that this collection would be of interest. And it is! Recently, Christiane and Hannah talked with Calico’s Jan Jessup about this collection, how it evolved, and what makes it so distinctive:

Q: Richloom doesn’t work with many outside designers. What led you to collaborate on the Lemieux et Cie collection?

Christiane: Some years ago, Hannah and I worked together on my first venture, the Dwell Studio line. It was a fluid process, as we speak the same visual language—which was helpful!

Hannah: There aren’t many licensed designers who have a track record [like Christiane]. And for Richloom, we would only consider a partner who could deliver something beyond what our studio can achieve. We knew we could do something special together with Christiane. The chemistry was right—and we ended up with a fantastic collection of prints, wovens, embroideries and solid textures.

Q: Christiane, what is behind the name Lemieux et Cie?

Christiane: It’s French for Lemieux & Company, the European-inspired lifestyle brand that I founded two years ago. In addition to fabrics, it includes furniture, rugs, accessories and bedding. Inspired by iconic design ateliers, our studio does everything by hand. Evidence of the hand of the artist is really important to me.

Hannah: Christiane is not just a design connoisseur; she is also an entrepreneur. She’s willing to take risks. When your name is on the line, there’s not a do-over. The Richloom studio is also an atelier—a creative space where we design and work on the scale, the layout, getting the hand just right. Our team is really good at what they do—and we have fun!

Q: Hannah, beyond your past experience working with Christiane, why do you think she chose Richloom as a design partner for this collection?

Hannah: There are not that many companies in the textile world that can do what Christiane wanted. She knew that Richloom could hit the ground running because of our long history with mills all over the world that produce the fabrics we design and source internationally. For this collection, the solid textures and wovens are from India and Turkey; the prints come from the USA. Then it comes down to chemistry, having a like-minded alliance.

“Your home should tell the story profoundly of who you are. If you have that grounding of a beautiful home, you can create the rest of your life in a more thoughtful way.”

Christiane Lemieux

Q: Christiane, tell us about your extensive archive of vintage textile documents and fragments.

Christiane: I collect textiles the way some people collect art! I love textiles. My undergraduate degree is in art history, and then I went to Parsons School of Design in New York City for a design degree. I discovered that I like the permanence of designing for the home, rather than the trend-driven fashion market. I also learned how to take inspiration from textile fragments and reinterpret the designs for modern usage. We never just copy things—that’s cultural appropriation. I prefer to build on the past to tell a story about design and textile history.

Multi-purpose prints and wovens for upholstery from the Lemieux et Cie collection in indigo and silver colorways.

Q: What is the design process for a collaborative effort such as this?

Christiane: As a starting point for this collection, I pulled in documents—some came from France (the Paris Flea Market), some came from apparel—including a dress fabric from the 1920s. Another pattern was inspired by travels to Egypt. Then our studio began creating designs by hand. Hannah also painted the print designs Mili and Ellie.

Hannah: Christiane is a design historian, and there is a language of design that we share. Some things about design are timeless—a floral, a diamond motif. But how do you make them new? We were recreating looks, but not inventing them. For example, we knew that the Luis tiger print would be important (and not just because it is the Year of the Tiger). It’s a motif in Tibetan rugs and is found in historic textiles in many forms.

We created a new environment for the tiger and placed him in a field of fantasy florals. The tiger is abstracted, with a flat graphic quality. We pulled the textured pattern from his body to create the Ellie print [below] that seems part zebra, part tiger.

Q: Most of the colors are muted, quieted with dusty hues. How did you develop the color palette for the collection?
Hannah: Christiane really thinks about the room. She doesn’t just pick colors; she was designing for that aspirational space. She understood what the consumer was responding to—the emergence of blush, the coming of ochre. These colors also marry well to wood tones, stone finishes and metals. She has an instinct and would say, “That’s chic!”

Prints and patterns from the collection include (top to bottom) POLINA in Silver, the fully-embroidered THREAD in Flax, MITRA in Linen and TESSA in Zinc.

“Christiane really thinks about the room. She doesn’t just pick colors. She has an instinct and would say, ‘That’s chic!’”

Hannah Harvey

Christiane: This vintage palette is beautiful and calming. It feels a bit historical. Design is very personal. Our job is to provide a selection that inspires you and allows you to create your own interiors, to find sanctuary there. If you have that grounding of a beautiful home, you can create the rest of your life in a more thoughtful way.

Q: What is it about the Lemieux et Cie Collection that will have special appeal to Calico customers?

Hannah: In my experience, when a well-designed collection gets to Calico, the customer appreciates it and gets it. They love design and love pattern—not just looks from out of a catalog. They’re sophisticated consumers who want to be involved in the project—and the Calico designers will help them pull off the look.