An Enjoyable Interview with Textile Designer Müge Krespi About the Home Textile Industry and HOMETEX
1. What will we see in home textile trends next season?
Trends in home textiles do not change every year as much as clothing, they are usually spread over 2 years. This year, soft-lined furniture, soft pastel intermediate colors shifting from bone color to tissue paper color, natural textures, and curly fabrics will continue. Oak tones in wood and minimalist furniture are trendy. And so on. Gray, black, sharp-lined furniture has almost disappeared.
2. Considering Türkiye's position in home textiles, what do you think is the most valuable feature that distinguishes it from its competitors in the world?
There is an argument I always say, our greatest strength: Türkiye is a great textile production kitchen. I can say that I mean all kinds of textile production, our machine parks are extremely modern, and we have an industrial branch suitable for all kinds of production. We are very skillful in low quantity fast delivery. Our biggest problem, unfortunately, is that we still do not have designers, which will separate us from the contract manufacturer mentality, and that our manufacturers do not look very favorably on allocating budget for R&D and P&D.
3. What are the most enjoyable and challenging aspects of designing home textiles?
Home Textiles is a branch that covers many branches. In every area it touches, you need to understand a little bit about interior architecture, architecture, floors, ceilings, lighting, and the design of various spaces, and you need to think three-dimensionally and design accordingly, taking into account the interaction. It's a very enjoyable and at the same time space constricting situation. Moreover, as any designer can experience, it is difficult to manage the marketing of the product when you are focused on the product. In other words, cooking in the kitchen and serving at the same time is like walking on two tightropes.
4. As a designer, what made you choose home textiles in particular?
Before that, I had a 25-year history in clothing textiles. However, what I have seen is that home textiles have become a sector whose diversity has increased in parallel with fashion over the years. From simple three to five kinds of fabrics and products, a wide variety of textures, fibers, and an accelerating understanding of fashion has come. First, I gave R&D and design consultancy to some factories to increase the diversity of production in this field and to gain a global view. In parallel, I established my design brand for their end use. When I started this, interior textile design was not even very common. I try to broaden the horizons of my students at Mimar Sinan University Textile and Fashion Design Department by involving them in field applications to bring designers to the sector.
5. Which feature of the Hometex fair makes it stand out among other fairs?
Hometex Fair was the home textile fair that attracted the most participation from visitors from abroad. Moreover, the timing is quite appropriate for the sector. The increase in participating companies and visitors proves this.
6. What are the important points to inspire young designers and if you could suggest 3 designers, who and what would they be?
As I see from my students, the first dream of the students studying in the textile and fashion department is clothing fashion, but there is a giant home textile sector under the iceberg and it is a sector that needs an incredible designers. In this field, I would recommend them to get involved in the sector a little bit, even if it is a small internship, and see how enjoyable a design field it is. Clothing fashion is very satisfying, yes, but home textiles satisfy the designer even more by forcing them to think multidimensionally. To name a few designers whose stories can be inspiring;
Patricia Urquiola
Anni Albers
Terence Conran
