Paul Vogel is a fabulous textile designer from London, England whose history is as colorful and dynamic as chinoiserie. From Saks, to Jean-Paul Gaultier, to Martha Stewart, he covers the waterfront.
"Over the last 15 years I have worked on projects for companies as diverse as: Levi Strauss, Dockers Timberland, House of Fraser, Victoria’s Secret, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Oasis, Top Shop, Warehouse, Ted Baker, Esprit, Marc Jacobs, Boden, Jack Wills, WH Smith, GAP and Abercrombie and Fitch."
Stripes are his specialty…
They used some of his bed linens in the film Mamma Mia.
P: A bed linen range is something I have wanted to do for a long time.
I sell designs in the USA to Martha Stewart, Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn and have always wanted to produce my own range.
I teamed up with Parry Murray, the company manufacturing the range.
They make products for Cath Kidston, Colefax and Fowler, and Designer’s Guild.
We designed the range together by choosing our favourite designs from my collection.
His life of fabric began with his studies of textile design in Nottingham, England. From there he went to work in a textile mill in Italy, just outside Florence, where he worked on lines for Paul Smith, Armani, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and Benetton.
S: Tell me about working in Italy.
P: I worked there for 2 years, living in Florence, commuting to Prato to the mill.
I worked alongside the designer and helped him design the collections. He'd let
me design my own fabrics, setting up the loom, making experiments which I would
then work with on the looms playing with different colours.
I returned to London and set up my design studio in 1991.
While living in London he married and in 2000 he and his wife Sam gave birth to baby Felix. They wanted their son to grow up in the countryside. That's what prompted their move to a 14th century farmhouse in Suffolk, England. And things blossomed. For the business and the family. They have three boys now.
P: We came a lot to this part of England on holiday and decided to move when it was
time to send Felix to school.
I design fabric collections for home and fashion markets for companies all over the world from my studio in Suffolk where I live with my wife Sam, my three sons Felix, Rufus and Milo, Nancy the cat, and Rosie the dog.
S: How does life in Suffolk influence your work?
P: Some of my color inspiration comes from my journeys on the school run. I have to drive down the same road everyday. The school is near the beach so
there is loads to see. I used to live in London and was inspired by the crazy
city with its billboards and people everywhere. When I moved I was worried I
wouldn't have enough trendy inspiration that would be up to date. But I think
your brain just adjusts and finds what you need wherever you are.
P: So now I have the area around me and the way things change throughout the
year is great. The wild flowers at the sides of the road – poppies, daisies etc.,
all come at different times. The weather etc.
I also love the colours in children's books, especially David Mckee …check
him out on amazon "Not now Bernard" is particularly good.
Milo, 3 years, Rufus, 4 years…
Felix, 8 years (as Spiderman Elvis), and Paul…
P: I am constantly designing new collections for the trade fairs. I exhibit in New York, Paris and Germany.
I designed a range of pushchairs (baby strollers) in 2000 for Mothercare that were sold under my name. The range ran for 3 seasons and was in the press after the Beckhams and Davina bought into the range.
Paul's web site will be available later this month. I'm looking forward to getting my sheets straight from the source! Merci beaucoup Paul.
So Sylvie 
