A glorious celebration of colour and pattern...
Clarissa Hulse is widely acknowledged as a luminary of British design, well known for her distinctive hand and her passion for colour and texture. Her initial collaboration with Harlequin in 2011, Kallianthi, was a runaway success and remains a best-selling collection; so it is no surprise that she has teamed up with the company again to produce another mouth-watering range of fabrics and wallcoverings.
Clarissa draws her inspiration from a variety of influences including her enduring passion for plants, flowers and landscapes happened upon during long country walks, a nomadic childhood and her half-Greek heritage. For Callista, which means ‘most beautiful’ in Ancient Greek, she has created an enticing and entrancing collection of woven fabrics, printed silks and wallpapers that display to breath-taking effect Clarissa’s trademark style: contemporary botanical designs coupled with intense colour.
According to Clarissa: “Working with Harlequin has proved one of the most rewarding collaborations of my career. I was delighted to be invited to work with the brand on a second collection, and I believe that Callista features some of my most exciting work to date. I feel privileged to have been given free rein with both colour and scale, whilstHarlequin’s access to advanced printing technology has allowed me to explore
innovative metallic effects and textures.”
The exquisite fabrics include a silk and cotton mix jacquard weave, silk dupion prints and a beautiful voile that has been dip-dyed then embroidered and hand embellished. They showcase to perfection Clarissa’s flair and aptitude for interpreting the natural influences that inspire and enthuse her. Her delightful wallpapers make an impact both individually or when used in conjunction with her fabrics. They are all printed on non-woven paper, which can be applied directly to a ready-pasted wall, making it very easy to hang.
Callista includes Angeliki - giant fennel silhouettes, first spotted by Clarissa on a deserted hillside in southern Greece; Kalamia - spindly reeds traversing bright silks; Filix - tessellating lady ferns pressed whilst on holiday in Grenada; Espinillo - acacia leaves found on Highbury Fields; and Meadow Grass layers of swaying Wiltshire meadow grasses.
ABOUT Clarissa Hulse. Clarrisa was born in Prague and has lived in a number of countries around the world, including Thailand, Spain, Italy and Greece. Undoubtedly her peripatetic childhood has had a huge influence on her uninhibited approach to both colour and design.
After graduating in textiles from Brighton Art College in 1992, she moved to London to work as a freelance textile designer before starting up her own studio and establishing a successful scarf business.
This evolved into designs for home accessories, and over the last fifteen years she has built up one of the most innovative and exciting textile brands in the UK.
Clarissa Hulse is a bright star in the British textile world, uncompromising in her passion to deliver the ultimate combination of colour, print and texture. Her name has become synonymous with beautiful and luxurious home accessories, wallpapers and fabrics.
" Colour is definitely the hallmark of my work, also the beauty of nature completely fascinates me - I draw inspiration from this"
Clarissa confesses to having an obsession with colour, which can probably be traced right back to her childhood. Clarissa lives in north London with her husband and two children
To discover the collection visit www.harlequin.uk.com
