Focus on the Artist: Virginia Kraft Textiles
One of the best parts of working in the design industry is getting to know artists and artisans, their craft, and their story. Since authenticity and uniqueness is part of our ethos here at AGI, it’s important to me to support creatives who offer something special, and which helps make our designs highly personal.
Andrea Whalen, creator of Virginia Kraft Textiles, is someone bringing heartfelt beauty to the world by way of her small-batch textiles. It’s no secret I’m a big fan of her work, so I’m more than thrilled to spend some time here, sharing her story and values as an artist.
AG: I know your company is named after your grandmother, Virginia Kraft. What values did she embody that you want to bring forth in your textiles and company?
VKT: The first thing I feel when I think of her is warmth. Comfort. Generosity of spirit. She was especially generous with her sense of humor. She never took herself too seriously. We like to say she was a one-woman party! She laughed easily and often – mostly at herself. I miss that laugh so much. I love that when I throw my head back and laugh it’s just like her.
She was a simple person, and I think that’s getting harder to be these days. She never tried to be more or less than what she was, and that simple act – some might now call it a radical act - of just being is what made her so special. Her “beingness” gave others permission to just be as well. She was my soft place to land. If my designs allow someone else to feel any of this in their own space then I have succeeded.
I love when people ask about her. It keeps her alive. Thank you.
AG: When you are starting a pattern, do you first consider the "hand" of the fabric, or shapes, forms, or colors?
VKT: I often start by identifying the feeling that I want to convey, generally of another place or time in history. Then I’ll reference the traditional motifs of that place or time and decide how much I want to keep or make new. At this point I choose what type of fabric or process I want to use to convey that feeling, be it printed, woven, linen, velvet, maybe just for wallpaper, etc. I usually have colors in mind when I start, and sometimes I make visual boards to see how they’ll play together, but color is always the last step of my process and my favorite. It’s amazing how much the feeling of a pattern is changed by color. I spend a lot time analyzing that part.
AG: What are your primary sources of inspiration?
VKT: Travel photos and historical patterns are big ones, as are old movies. I also reference my old sketchbooks a lot. Whenever I get a random mental vision of a pattern I get it down on paper. Sometimes I can sketch out an entire idea that just doesn’t feel right at the time but ends up being great for another collection.
AG: You know I love your textiles, and could never pick a favorite. Do you have one you really connect with the most?
VKT: Oh, thank you! Here’s a funny thing I’ve heard from other designers too – we might often labor over a pattern for months and think it’s phenomenal but no one connects with it. For me that’s Blocktown. It’s probably sold the least amount of yardage but it’s so personal. It’s essentially my version of an African mudcloth print where each symbol tells a part of a story. I made my own symbols that represent the area around my grandma’s farm so it sort of reads like a map of where my mom and dad grew up. Blocktown was the nickname they gave that area of Dola, Ohio because all the country roads are laid out like a grid. That map contained both sides of my whole family at one point!
Visually speaking I really love Dohta, which started as a hand blocked print, and Bagha, our first woven that is reminiscent of Tibetan tiger rugs. Those two didn’t take nearly as much personal energy to create but they’re bestsellers. I gave up trying to guess how a pattern will be received!
AG: Tell us why buying from a small textile maker is important.
VKT: We aren’t beholden to investors. A customer’s purchase benefits my family directly, not some faceless entity whose business is only about making money. No shame to anyone who uses investors, it’s a valid path to growth, but not one I ever felt comfortable taking. I don’t do this to make millions of dollars (even though hey, who wouldn’t want millions of dollars?), but a business of any size always comes with a cost. The cost of a large business generally means exploitation, either of humans or nature. The cost of my business comes from my bank account, my time, and my energy and with a much smaller environmental footprint (our fabrics are fibershed fabrics which means they are grown and produced in the same area, in our case Belgium - Libeco linen. Libeco is a carbon neutral, GOTS certified mill.) All of our printing, weaving, or showroom partners are also small businesses. The designers that buy from us are small businesses!
We know our customers work hard to make their money and they could buy something cute and cheaper from Target, so when they choose to purchase from us, even a single yard, it isn’t just a sale. I get to hear from customers about how they connect with the fabrics or how one might be used in a child’s room. I get to imagine all the memories made in their spaces. When someone buys from a small business like mine it doesn’t just put food on our table and shoes on our kids’ feet, it matters in every sense. We have made a mutual connection through exchanged energy that will outlast any fabric or paper.
AG: Where do you dream of seeing your textiles used?
VKT: I would really like to see them in some smaller commercial spaces like boutique hotels or restaurants. I’d also love to do some collaborations with creatives in different industries. I’m really surprised by and enjoying the Magnolia Network shows so working with some of those creatives, like Floret Flower or The Lost Kitchen, would be a dream. I think Grandma would have definitely gotten a kick out of that.
Thank you, Andrea.
Virginia Kraft Textiles: www.virginiakraft.com @virginiakrafttextiles
