Learning from design legend Lillian August
For design followers of a certain age, the 1970s and ‘80s were dominated by two women who brought the English country look to the forefront of home design: Laura Ashley and Lillian August. While Laura Ashley’s influence has faded with her demise and the closure of retail stores devoted to her products, the talented Lillian August is still producing fabrics, furnishings and wallcoverings.
Calico is featuring a New Traditional fabric collection by Lillian with our stores showcasing 60+ designs—also available online. We thought this would be a good time to talk with this amazing woman who has built a family business that is now in its third generation. Lillian and her granddaughter, Eliza Weiss, Marketing Director of the Lillian August company, graciously answered interview questions from Calico:
Lillian August with granddaughter Eliza Weiss
Q: Lillian, you started making a name for yourself with English Country House collections. Where did those influences originate?
A: When Queen Victoria came to the throne, Britain became about the family, and a woman’s point of view dominated home decorating. Major design movements during Victoria’s reign allowed women to bring ruffles and romantic aesthetics into the home.
Fast forward a century: In the early 1980s, the "English Country House" was romanticized and marketed internationally—and I identified with how it positioned women as being homemakers and decorators.
As an interior designer living in the South, I realized there was a void in textile design. I was a mother and a sewer myself (my grandfather was a tailor), and I had workrooms make draperies and slipcovers for my clients. When British design took off, aided by our love for comfort and cushions, I started thinking about making products for the home. The popularity of English Country House style was nurtured by women and female decorators who started that trend.
Fabrics from the new Lillian August collection that celebrates her New Traditional aesthetic. The cabbage rose print (also on the host chair at right) is Sandhurst in Sage/Spa Blue, the small ikat is Moselle in Green and the bamboo lattice design is Southgate in Green.
Q: Lillian, how did you make the leap from interior design to textile design?
A: As an artist, I migrated to textile design so easily. As an interior designer, I was always textile and color driven. I loved the challenge of having my own fabric and wallcovering collections!
Our first Lillian August branded fabrics were 45” wide, designed for quilt makers. That led to wallcoverings and an American Country trend that took off. It’s fun to see that same aesthetic coming back today in prairie fashion and floral prints. Everything changed when we created 54” decorative fabrics for home furnishings, plus our own furniture line.
Blues reign in this scheme! The damask print on the chair is Lisbeth in Blue Kiwi. These print designs come in multiple colors, all featured in the Lillian August Designer Collection on the Calico website.
Q: Calico is known for its thoughtfully edited collections of decorative fabrics—and Lillian August joins a stellar assortment of talented designers. Welcome!
Lillian: I am so pleased to have my fabric designs at Calico! I totally identify with the craft of fabrication and interior design. I hope to inspire home decorators to use our fabrics on furniture and interiors. Custom fabrication makes all the difference! For many years, our family owned a workroom that produced custom products for our many design clients.
Three generations of design talent: Son and co-founder Dan Weiss, Lillian August and granddaughter Eliza Weiss. Dan and his brother John started the Lillian August retail stores in Connecticut. Dan also designs hard furniture (such as this coffee table) for Lillian August.
Q: Lillian, most family businesses do not survive into a third generation. How do you account for your family’s longevity in this industry?
A: We are a family business of creatives! I am fortunate that my children—and now my grandchildren—have a natural inclination and love for design and for this industry. They have the talent, drive and creativity to lead the company forward in new ways to adapt to an ever-changing business environment.
Blush pinks and herbal greens are a classic combination in these print designs from the Lillian August collection at Calico.
Q: Eliza, what are a few important things that you learned about the design process from your grandmother and father?
A: Both my grandmother and father have an incredible work ethic. One of Lillian’s famous catchphrases is, “You’re only as good as your references.” She is a master of research! She is constantly ripping pages from magazines, researching, putting together mood boards, and stitching together color stories. She has given me an incredible understanding of the hard work and dedication that goes into the work that we do.
My father has instilled a sense of business acumen that I will carry with me throughout my career. He is amazing at making business connections and fostering manufacturing relationships with licensees as we continue to grow the Lillian August brand.
Granddaughter Eliza Weiss with Lillian August, a family spanning three generations of design talent. After college, Eliza worked for a large licensing company that acquired the furniture brands Thomasville, Drexel and Henredon. Later, she went back to school to get a Master’s in Design Management from Pratt Institute. Eliza joined the family business and is the Marketing Director for the Lillian August collections of fabrics, furnishings, accessories and wallcoverings.
Q: There are a great many decorative fabrics on the market, at all levels of design. What did you want to bring to this collection that would make it stand out?
Eliza: I think this collection stands out as a fresh perspective on both traditional and coastal design. The patterns are fun—and in some ways whimsical, adding a bit of joy to a decorated home. There is also a sense of storytelling in what we design, whether from the patterns or a New Traditional generational story. Lillian is a master of color, and the colors throughout this collection work seamlessly together to create a beautifully curated home.
The seashell pattern Paradise View comes in three colorways—and complements other fabric designs in the Lillian August collection to create a happy room that isn’t coastal kitschy. “The colors are classic coastal styles,” notes Eliza, “inspired in many ways by a Palm Beach aesthetic that we love.”
“The New Traditional Collection was something Lillian and I had been working on—a new perspective to traditional decorating. We were seeing a resurgence among young designers who were not afraid of decorating with color and pattern.”
Eliza Weiss
Swivel chairs are covered in the ikat go-with print Moselle in Green—a design that works most anywhere.
Q: What makes “New Traditional” new?
Eliza: New Traditional came from design trends we’re seeing with the resurgence of traditional, romantic design and a new generation of designers embracing the style. New Traditional takes classic elements like cabbage roses and damasks and updates them with fresh colors to make the collection feel relevant for today’s customer. It’s fun to go back to the beauty of traditional design!
