Mae Engelgeer

A Designer's Take on Imagination

Even with her first computer and paper sketches, Mae Engelgeer always had an idea of how they could later be incorporated into textiles.

Dutch textile designer Mae Engelgeer opened her first studio in Amsterdam in 2004. After completing her Textile Design studies at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute and her Master at the prestigious Sanders Instituut in Applied Arts. She has devoted herself entirely to product design. Engelgeer is also involved in international projects with extensive experience in creative installations. With Engelgeer there is no question on how important it is to work hard for one's goals. Her profession, she says, is not a work in the classical sense, but simply something that occurs naturally. In doing so, she has learned to always trust her instincts when it comes to design and entrepreneurial decisions.

Salon Mobile 2016, Mae Engelgeer

Sara: What inspires you the most?

Mae: Materials, colors and composition. I can find this in almost anything. It is just the way I look at the things around me, like the city and it's architecture.

Sara: Which aspects of your designs are very important to you?

Mae: The graphics and coloring, and axually the total blend of yarns, color, graphic, and weave. It is always about finding the correct mix and combination of these 4 elements I play with.

MODE Collection, Photo: Martin Sweers

"A modern collection of three double-sided furniture fabrics, woven in Scotland using the finest wool and craftsmanship. The repeating pattern creates a structured and playful signature. The color range consists of blue, grey and black, mixed with a natural white color to give the fabric a clean and minimalistic feel." - Mae Engelgeer

MODE Collection, Photo: Martin Sweers

Sara: Which materials do you prefer working with?

Mae: I love wool. The look, the feel… so soft yet hard at the same time. I also soften my graphical design to make it look less hard on the surface.

Sara: Is there a way we can understand the process of creating your graphics?

Mae: They are simply created over time and evolve from collection to collection. I always have an original direction in mind and then begin with drawing. In the second step, they are translated into graphical computer drawings and continue from there. Ultimately the end result is all about playing, trying and changing the design until it feels right. I think what’s very helpful is that I translate the computer drawings directly from my thoughts of the textile. I already know how the result will look when we finally start to weave.

MOD Collection, Tea Towel

"A minimalistic and modern textile collection with graphic patterns, line play and subtle gradients. The collection is made out of high quality yarns in black and blue, hues of pastel and hints of bordeaux." - Mae Engelgeer

MOD Collection, Blanket

MOD Collection, Blankets

HUES Wall Carpets, Photo: Ben Lambers, Studio Andaacht

"HUES is a serie of 6 different hand knotted wall pieces produced in Nepal. Subtile variations in hand knotting technique and the use of slightly differences in color tones end up in a minimalistic whole. The carpets can be selected piece by piece to create diverse compositions." - Mae Engelgeer, Produced via Ice International.

HUES Wall Carpets, Photo: Ben Lamberts, Studio Andaacht

Text/Interview: Sara Umbreit