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Christopher Farr x Irene Infantes

November 13, 2018

The cover rug from our last issue came about as a result of premier rug brand Christopher Farr spotting the work of talented Spanish textile designer Irene Infantes at her graduate show at Central Saint Martins in 2016. Now the two have released a rug collection based on Infantes’ textile series The Social Life of a Material.

The cover rug from our last issue came about as a result of premier rug brand Christopher Farr spotting the work of talented Spanish textile designer Irene Infantes at her graduate show at Central Saint Martins in 2016. Now the two have released a rug collection based on Infantes’ textile series The Social Life of a Material. The following is an abridged extract from COVER’s interview with Infantes which appears in COVER 52:

Gravitation rug (detail), Irene Infantes for Christopher Farr

Gravitation rug (detail), Irene Infantes for Christopher Farr

What inspires your textile work?

I find inspiration in almost everything, as I believe it’s not a thing but the way you look at it. However, I feel passionate about heritage, ancestry and symbolism—even if my art/design has a digital look, it is always hand processed first and there is always a story behind it, a time in history etc. I usually get inspired by the past rather than the future: ‘You are because you were’.

Levitation rug (detail), Irene Infantes for Christopher Farr

Levitation rug (detail), Irene Infantes for Christopher Farr

What new aesthetics or ideas do the rugs bring to your designs?

They add materials and rich textures. I have been working with wool for the last two years as I am very interested in the fibre itself, but when choosing materials for the Sevilla rug, which we decided should be 100% silk, it was so rewarding to see the outcomes on the first samples. It really opened a new path for me in terms of material versatility, as well as making me open up my colour palette.

Magnetism rug (detail), Irene Infantes for Christopher Farr

Magnetism rug (detail), Irene Infantes for Christopher Farr

What does the title of your textile collection, The Social Life of a Material, mean?

The inspiration for those shapes and colours comes from little things I was finding on my path when walking around different cities. I started taking photos of them and collecting the most interesting ones to draw and paint from. I like to look at the romantic side of things so I tried to imagine the personal journey of those little objects.

Sevilla rug (detail), Irene Infantes for Christopher Farr

Sevilla rug (detail), Irene Infantes for Christopher Farr

Has your appreciation of rugs increased since making the collection? Has it inspired you?

I always liked the rug industry and Christopher Farr was a model for me as I know how connected the brand is with the world of art and not just design. My appreciation for rugs has absolutely increased—the edges, weight, softness or kind of knot are something I like to look at now. It has inspired me to keep working on a big scale, believe even more in the importance of the handmade. It made me discover a new path I’d love to follow, I wish I could design rugs forever!

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