Love midcentury fabric? So does Helen Snell. The London native and vintage junkie is a passionate textile designer whose world revolves around anything and everything midcentury. 20th Century Cloth, her one-woman textile design business, is focused on crafting quality midcentury-inspired designs and partners exclusively with manufacturers in the UK.
Midcentury Fabric Gone Mod
From coasters to cushions to fabrics, Helen does it all herself. Her infatuation with midcentury design stems from her vast collection of clothing and furniture from the 1940s and 50’s. Her retro collection initially sparked her designs, but she now finds that her inspiration comes from shapes, textures, and even nature. Helen strives to create designs that people can incorporate into their everyday lives. To Helen, and 20th Century Cloth for that matter, the biggest reward of being a textile designer is being able to see her fabrics transform a home or outfit.
The Artistic Process
Helen is not your standard textile designer—and her process proves it. She begins a new design by experimenting with textures or marks in black and white rather than color. After she creates something she approves of, her next step is to design the physical structure and weave of the design. Once the structure and textures have harmonized, Helen incorporates a color scheme as her last step. Her knack for detail mixed with her traditional style allows her to produce authentic and personal pieces from start to finish.
Imperfect is Helen’s perfect. The inconsistency and variation in her vintage-inspired designs is what keeps her fascinated. While Helen could use her computer to create these time-consuming designs, she enjoys the authenticity of crafting each one entirely be hand. Helen adores drawing lines and shapes that are slightly askew and she considers vintage-inspired design matchless, not cookie cutter.
Want to see all of Helen’s midcentury fabric designs and learn more about 20th Century Cloth? Click here. To see what is inspiring her today, follow her on Instagram!
Special Offer for Atomic Ranch Readers!
20th Century Cloth already offers free shipping and 20% off at checkout to any U.S. order. Apply discount code atomicranch for an extra 10% off excluding fabric swatches, pocket mirrors and lampshades.
