Pattern

Creating the Focus

No matter how many wonderful textures and solid-colored surfaces there are in the world, there is always room for pattern. Pattern offers relief in a sea of uniformity and it provides a center of focus.  Within a textile collection, the right pattern can become the protagonist of the story - or even the drama queen.

Pattern is currently ascending in popularity not only in fashion and home furnishings, but also in the working environment. Pattern is being used in wide-ranging ways and unlikely patterns are being paired in decidedly new combinations.

Pattern scale has also gained a fluidity with larger-than-life patterns being used in unexpected ways while small patterns and micro patterns are being developed to meet a variety of needs.

Pattern references can come from literally anywhere.  Art, ethnic motifs, architectural details and classical archival designs are a few of the places where ideas for pattern can be found.

Kristie Strasen has developed an enormous variety of patterns over the course of her career -  either by generating original art work or working with other resources. The textiles archives at the Chicago Art Institute and the archives at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation at Taliesin both provided inspiration for two award-winning collections. Strasen has also achieved major success implementing the designs of such industry luminaries as Robert Stern, Orlando Diaz-Azcuy and Barbara Barry.