The Campaign for Wool spoke to the design team behind Edward Field’s at Tai Ping’s carpets to discuss the carpet manufactures love of wool and the work they provided for this year’s Wool Week Collection: Interiors.
Please tell us a little about yourselves and how your business/designs/products utilise wool?
One of the House of Tai Ping’s signature brands, Edward Fields, is an American manufacturer of bespoke hand-tufted and pass-tufted carpets with a seventy-five year history of iconic projects including the White House and the Glass House. Wool is one of our primary materials.
What makes you choose wool over other fibres? What is your favourite thing about wool?
What I love about wool that it is a natural fibre, humble in a way, but can also be used in sophisticated constructions playing with a variety of deniers and pile heights: semi-worsted with its thin quality provides a cleaner look and great definition to a design while a 6 ply wool gives the impression of a hand-hooked rug.
By what means do you source your wool?
We primarily source through H. Dawson, with local sourcing in China.
What does the Campaign for Wool mean to you?
Wool is a naturally beautiful fibre that is integral to the craft of custom carpets. I am delighted that attention is being paid to this precious yet unpretentious fibre.
The interiors landscape is forever changing, what does 2014/15 hold for you as a brand?
In 2015 we will continue to celebrate mid-century American design, while honouring the artistry of handmade rugs. We look forward to creatively collaborating with the best icons on the American design scene.
Fabric technologies, particularly those using wool have advanced so rapidly over the last few years; has this affected your trade and work?
In the rug industry, there has been a substantial rise in wool blends. We have begun incorporating these blends (wool-flax, wool-silk, wool-cashmere, and more) into our custom designs.
How does using woollen cloths differ to other man-made materials?
We feel that wool stays the premium yarn for a high-end timeless rug and that it stands the test of time. A 100% wool rug will always be more valuable than one of man-made material.
What demand have you seen from your customers with regards to favouring wool over synthetic fibres?
Authenticity is paramount in the luxury interiors industry. Our customers appreciate the pure and natural quality of wool as well as its longevity, and favour the use of wool in our carpets over other synthetic materials.
Are there any plans to introduce more wool in to your collection?
Yes. Our 2015 collection will celebrate timeless design and feature un-dyed natural wools combined with dyed wools by tremendous craftsmanship.
To find out more about Edward Fields visit http://edwardfields.com/
To find out more about Tai Ping Carpets visit http://taipingcarpets.com/
Edward Fields took part in the Wool Collection: Interiors at Southwark Cathedral during Wool Week. To find out more about the Wool Collection: Interiors visit https://www.campaignforwool.org/news-item/the-campaign-for-wool-interiors-collection/
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