Common Thread: The Making of Our SS23 Textiles

The Conran Shop has invigorated its SS23 new arrivals with our greatest in-house collection to date, including a rich and vibrant textile edit created across the globe using only natural fibres and materials. We delve deeper into the making of the collection to inspire and enrich your connection to the pieces in your home.

At The Conran Shop, we value process and materials as highly as design. Our relationship with our Indian weaving partners has spanned the last few years of our design history, and we have worked on building strong and lasting relationships with makers who prioritise sustainable practices and the use of natural materials. Returning to the same makers each season, we have built upon our practice to improve the pieces that we create, learning from one another and enriching the design and production process whilst ensuring keen attention to detail and expert finishing.

The majority of our textiles are produced from cotton and linen, with some rugs produced in jute and wool for durability. As one of the most sustainable and regenerative natural fabrics, we strive to promote the use of linen wherever possible, a fabric with a timeless quality that was also a favourite of Sir Terence Conran. Our latest Wave Print Cushion Cover features Tencel, a new fibre for us which is created by dissolving wood pulp.

To create our cushion collection, we use many exciting decorative techniques, from crewel embroidery and hand-knotting to digital printing. Whilst some designs are inspired by previous collections with an updated twist, others are entirely new and are derived from our seasonal themes, Le Sol and Jungle Metropolis. Le Sol is a celebration of new places, travel, and unapologetic design passion, bathed in nourishing colours and fluid forms as we look to the sunnier days ahead. In complement, Jungle Metropolis champions conscious artisanship for an intimate relationship with materials to reinforce the value of well-made products. Informed by nature without causing it harm, the theme's organic colours transcend the seasons, providing calm and ease at home. As a London-based brand, our trends are often inspired by local galleries and exhibitions.

We are also constantly working with our production team to develop new processes and materials. This season, we introduce a new checked cushion and placemat design created using a new technique developed by our team. Inspired by the works of installation artist Louise Bourgeois, the crosshatch effect is achieved by weaving strips of tonal linen fabric together to create an intricate tactile surface and subtle chequered design.

The Conran Shop’s premium textiles also extend to your tabletop, with block printed linen napkins handprinted in India using traditional techniques, and our bestselling Scallop Edge collection is updated with SS23 colourways in linen napkins and placemats. Our in-house design team finds inspiration for the pieces from a myriad of sources. The 2023 collection includes vases & textiles inspired by the colour palette of the expressionist painter Helen Grankenthaler, and our Crab, cushion is a playful reminder of summer trips to the seaside. Our Bibi Rug collection is refreshed with a predominantly jute composition, highlighting the natural texture and quality of the material.

Our talented design and buying team highlight story in everything they do. As stated by Assistant Designer Amber Harris, "We want the products to tell a story of the designers and makers involved in their creation. For this reason, we are trend-aware, but not trend-driven. We like to forge our own path."

As our in-house collection grows, so do our partnerships, as we have reached out to new artisans in Colombia and Ethiopia who share our passion for natural fibres and slow production. The new-season Tejido Placemat is handwoven in Colombia using fine strips of fique, a natural succulent fibre, and our Roha Napkins are created from spinning fibre to finished products in the same region of Ethiopia.