textiles

I am really loving these colorful, geometric tea towels by Studio Mae Engelgeer.

An Amsterdam-based brand takes recycled denim and canvas and turns them into eco-friendly cases and sleeves for your laptops, iPads, and iPhones.

Patricia Urquiola has expanded her Mangas patchwork collection to include seating that looks like giant cozy sweaters.

These mixed media pieces by Brooklyn-based artist Vadis Turner are a conglomeration of textiles including ribbon, clothing, bed sheets, and anything else she can get her hands on.

Do you ever think about all the paper you use to wrap those Christmas and birthday gifts? It's a lot of waste! Graphic designer Amy Lewis decided to change that with her ecoChici reusable cloth gift wrap kits she conceived with the help of her husband.

San Francisco-based Yield Design Co. created the multi-purpose Yield Picnic Bag that goes from being an everyday tote bag to a blanket. Made of a highly durable, camping grade water-resistant material, the bag will not only haul your lunch or even your groceries, it will turn into the perfect spot for you to sit on to enjoy a picnic on the fly.

Who said textile fabrics can't be used in other places besides on a sofa or to cover your windows? Not Nektar De Stagni. The designer behind the NDS jewelry and accessory line collaborated with KnollTextiles to create the Florence Knoll-inspired NDS + KnollTextiles Capsule Collection that is so good, it's hard to pick a favorite.

Instead of painting with paint, British artist Benjamin Shine creates his portraits with tulle -- you know, that netting fabric that you see on various gowns or tutus. Shine takes a single piece of tulle and proceeds to pleat, iron, and manipulate it into these hauntingly realistic portraits full of light, shadow, and dimension.

Take KnollTextiles, one of the pioneers of modern textiles, and combine it with Vans, the beloved sneaker company, and you have one classic collection of footwear. Just in time for the Holiday 2012 season, the Knoll x Vans OTW Collection Capsule will showcase Knoll's Cross Stitch fabric on the uppers of the Vans OTW Alcon, Ludlow, and Piercy models.

Tent London is always one of my favorite shows at London Design Festival and this year might just have taken the top spot. It was fresh, bright and full of young talent. Here are a few of my favorite things...

South African born designer Natalie Gerber has a line of handbags and other accessories from reclaimed materials and prints she's created in collaboration with a group in Durban, South Africa.

100% Norway turned nine this year, making it only a year younger than the London Design Festival itself. To celebrate, it moved to a shiny new venue, Dray Walk Gallery, just around the corner from Tent. The light-filled space was a perfect backdrop for the cool understated Scandinavian design. It was designed by Amy Hunting and Oscar Narud; described by curator Henrietta Thompson as "two of the most innovative and capable young Norwegian designers in London."