STYLE REV VISITS with Anna Sassi at the DIA Sydney Design Show
Last month was Sydney’s annual Design show hosted by the Design Institute of Australia.
Amongst the gathering of innovative designs and designers was our Sydney rep Michelle joining our inspiring maker Anna Sassi, with her newest collection & colours.
We couldn’t miss this opportunity to ask Anna about her the inspiration and process behind her new beauties, and Michelle for her take on the Design Show and Anna’s new collection.
Join us below to get all the juicy details!
For Anna…
Tell us about the process and inspiration of your new collection?
“The very new pieces came in between naps with my newborn, they were a bit of a creative escape! The marbling was a new technique that I wanted to explore and came out beautifully. It’s quite a striking design, not for the faint hearted. I think it speaks to the wood grain trend that’s going on at the moment as well.
I kept the fabric print more tonal so that it’s not as ‘full-on’ and at a smaller scale to create more of a textural element within the collection. But conversely with the wallpaper, I went for a very large scale. So it’s a very bold design, but still in colours that can sit harmoniously within the collection. I think it would be perfect for a commercial setting like a hotel lobby or a retail shop!”
What is your favourite piece?
“My absolute favourite is my new ‘Harlequin’ design. It was inspired by an Art Deco lamp that I loved. Once I started forming a repeat, I could immediately see that it looked like a little harlequin! I have always been quite fond of harlequins because in my parents’ restaurant, they had a beautiful mural with a harlequin sitting on the backdrop of the Amalfi, so it has a bit of a soft spot for me.
I did ‘Ettore’ in my Forma collection colourways, so the beautiful duck green and in the rosa with the little punches of red and peach which I think make it quite striking. And then I have brought in new soft, buttery yellows. I have noticed yellows have started to creep more into interiors recently. My favourite new colourway is the Midnight with its pops of peach.
And I have gone for similar colourways in the wallpapers but de-saturated and more muted… except for the Midnight colourway which is rich and dark. I think it would work really well in a library or a study.”
How do you name your prints?
“A lot of them are Italian references as I am half-italian. I have been reflecting on that and I think it keeps me connected to my late Father and Nonna who were Italian. So I guess I channel that through my creative works. The ‘Collona’ print for example speaks to a Piazza in Milan with columns that I used to frequent a lot. And ‘Facade’ was inspired by some tile work.
But sometimes I feel like my prints have a personality, they are like a little character to me. So for example ‘chintzy’, she is a bit of a cheeky stripe, and I have always loved the name Chintzy, it sounds quite cheeky, so it’s either from a particular inspiration or a personality for me.”
For Michelle…
What is your favourite new ANNA SASSI print, why and what would you like to make out of it?
“My favourites in the new collection are Sumi and Harlequin! I can see so much potential with both that extends beyond fabric. So aside from soft furnishing items , I can see Sumi on a deck chair or beach umbrella and Harlequin as a rug or even tiles – amazing!!!”
Did you notice any ‘trends’ at the design show in terms of shape, colours, processes?
“One thing I noticed at the show were the stands that offered the recycling/re-selling of a product. These included two stands that offered curated vintage pieces, a stand that offered upcycled fabrics and then also one that made surfaces from recycled uniforms. All great initiatives.
With regards to colours it was nice to see that soft, warm colours seemed to be more in focus than the cooler colours, greys etc – lots of warm browns, peach etc. Shapes were similar – with curved edges in pattern and/or shape.”