Marina Cavalieri: Sustainable Textile Design and Decor
Marina Cavalieri Textile Design & Decor create and design sustainable and unique hand printed fabrics, along with limited editions of soft furnishings, homewares, fashion bags and stationery. If you are in sunny Northern NSW, drop into the studio or visit the online store. Soul Economy had the pleasure of speaking to owner and soulful entrepreneur Marina recently about her journey.
1. What inspired you to start Marina Cavalieri Textile Design & Decor? How long have you been established?
I grew up in the textile design and printing environment and the devotion to this media is in my blood, coming from a long tradition (since the 18th century) of fabric dyers and printers in Bavaria, Germany. I had this idea of having my own textile design and printing studio for a long time and when I came to Australia a few years ago I turned this passion into a business and opened my studio last year.
2. Tell us a little about your gorgeous hand printed textile designs?
I like to generate a sense of comfort and create a unique and particular atmosphere. Colour is for your senses and design creates the direction of style. Creating a new design is a process and grows over time. It has various stages from the idea and drawing and computerised steps until it finds its way onto a screen. Having a theme I draw my inspiration from various sources, which can be influenced through my passion for antique, classical and art deco motifs — which you can find on interiors, buildings, paintings, books; but of course a rich and endless inspiration comes from our flora and fauna. I like to combine traditional & contemporary elements. You can find in my designs as well as motifs 50 to 150 years old hand printed cloth, timber blocks, drawings and designs which are from my family’s company. This archive is very precious to me. I would describe my hand printed textiles as fresh and brightly coloured featuring my signature of ornamental and floral designs.
3. It is great that your fabrics are organic and natural, how do you ensure that this is achieved?
- I prefer wherever possible to use and offer fabrics, mainly linen, cottons, silks and nettle which are organically grown, produced under sustainable methods and are fair trade products.
- I import natural and certified organic textiles from overseas, which are rated with the European “Oekotex” Standards and/or with SKAL/IMO.
- All natural textiles are cultivated under the guarantee of no use of herbicides or pesticides and no child labour. In the manufacturing process chlorine, dyes with toxic heavy metals and formaldehyde are totally banned.
- Textiles classified as certified organic are naturally grown under the guidelines of certified organic cultivation.
- My suppliers are certified and listed in official publications.
4. What products do you offer in your range? Which are the most popular?
I create limited editions for:
- Interiors & Soft Furnishings – cushions, throw rugs, wall decors, blinds
- Homewares — table decorations
- Fashion accessories – bags
- Small runs of meterage of various designs for residential interiors and clothing
- Hand printed paper, greeting cards and journals — paper is made from recycled t-shirts
The most popular are my botanical designs of Floresca, Il Giardino and Marina on my certified organic linen and cotton ranges. I am specialised in custom made products or fabric prints — having the individual choice of my designs and colour scheme. There is always a possibility to create something unique just for the customer. A few of my floral designs can be seen on skirts, t-shirts and dresses of various fashion designers. Each finished product is labelled with a small tag.
5. Where can we purchase your products? Is it also possible to purchase the fabric with your hand printed designs?
All my products can be purchased directly at my studio, by phone or by email order. The online-store on my website www.cavalieritextiledesign.com/www.ecogoesdeco.com offers some of my ranges and will be extended in the near future.
At this stage a few local boutiques and galleries are offering various items of my product range (Lismore/Byron Bay/Mullumbimby/Ballina).
Yes, I sell metreage of my hand printed textiles as well and offer custom made variations in colours and designs.
6. What have been your greatest challenges with the business?
The use of environmentally friendly materials is one wonderful side of this business, but on the other side there are still a lot of unresolved production processes, such as waste and use of water without any recycling system which are huge challenges. My team and I try to re-use materials for the production more than once and save electricity and water wherever possible. This is a daily challenge, because in our consumer orientated world is it so much easier to “just use and throw it away”. We challenge ourselves each day again to act and work responsibly and using our resources carefully.
Producing my work locally, printing by hand and taking personal care for each finished product is a great challenge but also gives me great satisfaction each day.
A great challenge for the near future is gaining a wider market to offer my products to a broader audience of interior designers, retailers and customers too. I would like to see growing recognition and acceptance by the public that quality rules over quantity and sustainability is so important these days, but it has its price.
Soul Economy is a great venue to promote sustainable products and to inform people about the urgent need to change our consuming habits and become aware that the time is now to act responsibly towards nature and ourselves.
7. What have been your successes?
I have achieved in a short time quite a satisfactory recognition of my designs and the offer of sustainable fabrics, not only in Australia but from abroad as well — which is great.
I fulfilled my dream, which I had since I was a child and I love the work which I am doing.
8. What advice would you give to others keen on starting their own responsible businesses?
Have a vision, listen to your inspirations and a profound qualification is the most precious valuable thing you can provide towards your own business. Solid knowledge, skills and self-discipline are the basis towards success. Today each business has to involve responsibilities towards the environment and don’t forget the team, which you are working with — give them incentive and a creative environment. Business is about problem solving each day; don’t loose your patience and your vision. You get to know, becoming successful and making a living out of your own business can take up to several years, your intellectual property but also your financial funding is the best capital you can get. Good luck!
Now we here at Soul Economy like to get to know our soulful entrepreneurs a little better, so on a more personal note we have some questions:
1. What is your favourite food?
There is no favourite food, but I prefer the Italian kitchen. I go shopping for certified organic food, preferably at markets and small shops, but I am happy, if I can nurture myself with herbs, salads and vegetables from our garden. I love all sorts of vegetables fried in olive oil with garlic or onions and parsley, etc — fish comes prior to meat and this is only certified organic.
2. What is the perfect welcoming gift you would give to a new neighbour?
I invite the neighbour over and provide something special to eat and drink; this is always a good starter.
3. Do you have a favourite book and why?
Hard to say — I am not able to go into a bookshop without coming out with a few new books. I don’t like science fiction or trivial literature, but I like poems, poetry, contemporary and historical novels such as authors Paul Coehlo, Isabel Allende, Mario Vargas Llosa, George Sand. Art and design books or specialised topics can fill out my evenings too. Reading educates, brings satisfaction and can let you forget the world around, which is just wonderful.
4. Who do you look up to or admire?
I admire Tricia Guild (Designer’s Guild) — she is the Goddess of textile design. I have a fondest admiration for the genius of the painter, sculpture, architect and poet Michelangelo Buonarotti since I was a teenager. The painter Frida Kahlo and what she had achieved with her amazing life. And there are many more….
5. What single issue would you change to make the world a better place?
Where should I start — there are so many issues?! Using more car pooling – even in the country, where I live.
Marina Cavalieri Textile Design & Decor
123 Keen Street, Lismore, NSW 2480 Australia
T: +61 (02) 6622 2646
F: +61 (02) 6622 3395
E: contact@cavalieridesign.com
W: www.cavalieritextiledesign.com
W: www.ecogoesdeco.com
Popularity: 35% [?]
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:22 am
To whom it may concern
hi i am a 3rd year student studying design for applied from wolverhampton university i would like some information about how design for print has changed over the years. i need this information so i can do my essay for one of my modules. i have formulated a questionnaire of what information i need and this will also give me a personal idea from your selves as you do this kind of work dealing with print there for i believe you may have a considerable amount of knowedge about this topic.
Here are the main question i will be focusing on in my essay.
How has design for printing changed over the years?
What has influenced the change?
How has designs for printing evolved over years?
How methods of printing have developed?
What are the traditional methods of printing and how has this changed today?
What influences the print industry today and how has this changed from the past?
How does the print industry have ethical consideration with deign and how it bees printed?
thank you for your help and i would rely appreciate it if you could do this for me as soon as possible i would be very grateful.
narguss jabin 3rd year student wolverhampton university (design for applied arts textiles).
November 24th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
Hi Narguss
To answer these questions you need to contact textile design companies directly. Good luck with the essay!
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:28 am
hey hope these help you…
Sources of Inspiration (Historical, Cultural and Contemporary)-
Marina Cavalieri is inspired by traditional European, Middle Eastern and Contemporary motifs. Marina’s approach to historical inspiration ensures that her interest in antique, classical and traditional styles from the European and the Middle Eastern cultures, combined with her contemporary style produces a wonderfully unique arrangement of floral and ornamental designs.
For extra inspiration, Marina draws on a large archive of prints and textiles from her family, including vintage hand-printed cloth and wooden blocks.
“Her showroom gave the impression of stepping back in time into something more European, a London workshop that had been nested there for years.”
These words stated by the Weekender Magazine (September 2007) significantly communicates their general views on Marina Cavalieri and her company. The use of words “Back in time” and “More European” emphasise those historical and cultural factors which inspire her.
Marina also finds herself inspired by the history of the family business which included the Textiles and Printing Company in South Bavaria, Germany. She traces this historical influence right back Raiumund Reichart, born in 1754 who started out as a cloth dryer and established the printing business that her family owns today.
With 150 years of family experience she can be seen to be inspired by her ancestry’s success and love for the textiles industry. She also admires Tricia Guild, the goddess of textile design, painter Frida Kahlo and painter/sculpture/architect and poet Michelangelo.
Currently she is immersed in recreating traditional designs into a more contemporary style or even just creating new and unique designs while sticking to her antique floral trademark or symbolic natural theme.
Mediums the designer commonly uses-
All Marina Cavalieri’s textiles are grown by sustainable cultivation methods, and no toxic dyes or chemicals are used. She looks for purity within the natural fabrics that she uses in her hand-printed designs.
“From my early childhood I was surrounded by creative people designing, dyeing and printing fabrics — it’s my heritage and my passion.”
When she came to Australia a few years ago she changed this passion into reality and opened her own textiles and printing business. She has continued the family tradition shown throughout her commitment to using eco-friendly fibres including certified organic end natural linen, nettle, cotton and silk.
She finds inspiration in the development of textile products using certified organic and natural fibres and this therefore highlights her strong commitment to the environment.
“I love using silk, linen and cottons… but I prefer to use certified organic fabrics whenever I can.”
Marina Cavalieri uses a range of colours not only on natural background fabrics, but also on vibrant silks, which are embracing colour, pattern and design.
“While design determines the kind of style, colours influence the senses and the finished product gives the environment the eclectic flair and atmosphere.”
She is known for her signature vibrant coloured prints that are more like paintings due to their organic feel and texture.
To stay within the environmental theme of her company, Marina chooses to interweave the rich, earthy colours and the ornamental floral designs which characterize her fabrics.
“I love natural colours… In particular the warm, soft colours of the Mediterranean: blues and greens, reds and Ochre’s.”
Target markets for the designer-
Marina’s designs are created for residential and commercial interior decoration, soft furnishings and clothing and fashion accessories. She looks at developing products to those of specific sexes, ages, locations, income and even for specific uses.
As Marina has a huge focus on the production within an eco environment we see that she is mainly supplying to manufactures, retailers and customers that have interest in the her collection of organic and natural fibres.
These furnishing products she creates are often seen as a decoration rather than for everyday use. So therefore the furnishings would be useful for home owners, interior decorators and women mainly around the age of 25+ with a high income. This is quite a general example as society has seen a great increase in the years a child spends in the family home. It is also seen in traditional times that a women is left for the interior decorating although in modern times we have seen the growth in the interior design industry.
Outside of her furnishing collection we can see that she emphasises the everyday dress look for children which is often contrasted to her elegant, decorative apron for women.
These clothes are obviously marketed at girls and women of all ages as they feature bright coloured floral prints which appear to be quite elegant.
The most popular products are the botanical designs of Floresca, II Giardino and Marina on her certified Organic linen and cotton ranges. This highlights that she also appeals to manufacturers who buy her material at great value due to the number of customers demanding eco-friendly fabrics.
“A great challenge for the near future is gaining a wider market to offer my products to a broader audience of interior designers, retailers and customers too. I would like to see a growing recognition and acceptance by the public that quality rules over quantity, and sustainability is so important these days, but it has its price.”
It is hard for Marina Cavaleiri to broaden her market as she finds that her high priced and unique designs do not appeal to many families within the Sydney community and Australia. Due to the financial crisis appearing all over the world, people have resulted in the cheaper and basic items such as the synthetic, man-made fabrics.
Internal and external factors contributing to the designer’s success-
Internal factors include:
Expertise:
Marina Cavalieri is seen as an expertise in designing products using organic and natural fibres. She works with a team of other designers, manufacturers and others with certain expertise that helps her to create a unique and eco-friendly product.
Marina Cavalieri produces a range of products from home wares including cushions, throws, curtains, table linen and wall dcor to fashion including casual bags and bright aprons.
Her diversity adds to her productivity. Recently coming to Australia from Germany and setting up her own company in 2004 ‘Marina Cavalieri Textile Design and Dcor’, she often incorporates elements of traditional German prints into her innovative, elegant floral designs.
It was always in her blood for Marina to work within the textiles printing industry although it took her a long time for her to come to this realization. Before joining into this industry, Marina found herself working in computers and computer training
Facilities:
Marina Cavaleiri’s company is based in Lismore, Sydney and she and her small team of staff works out in the Lismore studio, which includes a work area, showroom and office.
Marina believes that a big business is not always for everyone as she emphasizes quality over quantity.
Financial:
Due to her families’ similar occupation and Marina’s preparation and planning techniques, she didn’t feel the strain of financial problems. Her family was able to help her get started by producing and manufacturing her designs for free and applying the fabric, lending money for wages, equipment, training and rent as well as sending her off to university to study business so that she could be eduactied on the factors involved in running a business. As the financial, physical and emotional support was so large from the family, she found that soon later she was selling loads of fabrics and products. This was mainly because of the high demand of eco products due to the emphasis in society on the environment.
All year round Marina is releasing innovative designs that keep her from financial burden which also includes looking at relevant trends and brainstorming ideas of how to keep this trend alive in the changing market.
External factors include:
Political:
Marina Cavalieri sees herself as politically just and highlights that throughout her manufacturing she does not take advantage of the cheaper wages and promotes the “no child labour” policies. As she finds great importance in countries such as Germany, she also promotes healthy trade agreements with the help of the government to maintain a hold on the slowly increasing industry.
Economical:
Throughout Australia and globally we have seen an increase in the tension within certain issues including the destruction of the environment and sustainability of its resources. With social trends during this time including the increase in money within the economy funding environmentally friendly products, Marina continues to place the emphasis her choice of fabrics.
As the demand for these products are increasing, she is gaining financially which therefore helps to build Australia economically. This is because it is seen to boost imports, exports and bring more money into the country.
Social
There is a growing fashion in furnishings today as they provide a means of decoration and aesthetically lighten a household. Times have not changed from traditional times where it was also important to visually enhance your home. This trend remains steady and there is always room for more furnishings designers due to the changing attitudes and fashions of the 21st century.
Ecological
This is Marina’s key external factor for her company and this factor greatly contributes to her success. With the growing need for eco-friendly fabrics and products, Marina sees herself fully aware of the demands of today’s society.
Marina and her team work at wherever possible to use and offer fabrics, mainly linen, cotton, silks and nettle which are organically grown, produced under sustainably methods and are fair trade products. She also imports natural and certified organic textiles from overseas, which are rated with the European “Oekotex” standards and/or with SKAL/IMO.
All her natural textiles are cultivated under the guarantee of no herbicides or pesticides and under the guidelines of certified organic cultivation. In the manufacturing process chlorine, dyes with toxic heavy metals and formaldehyde are totally banned. She also ensures that her suppliers are certified and listed in official publications.
The Designers influence on current trends-
She makes it aware to buyers that our resources are nor endless and all our actions have an impact on the environment and future of that environment. Her company works together towards a sustainable world and quotes:
“One of our main principles is using all materials carefully and with less waste.”
One act that therefore highlights their quest for an eco-friendly environment includes the use of labels on every product that’s states information about using water carefully because it is not endless.
This is important as it influences other designers to also experiment with organic and natural fibres which will therefore in the long run help restore the destruction to the environment that human error has placed on it. This influence is also emphasised by other eco friendly products that are in market right now and sometimes can be considered fashionable. These include the use of go-green bags, bio-degradable plastic and paper and well as the regeneration and re-using old fabrics.
“This is a daily challenge, because in our consumer orientated world it is much easier to ‘just throw it away’. We challenge ourselves each day again to act and work responsibly and using our resources carefully.”
In today’s society we have noticed that not only Marina and other textile designers but also Shopping Centres, Car Manufactures and the Government are getting involved to help make the environment more eco-friendly. This therefore results in a change in trends in all industries, especially the fashion industry. She finds that she is influenced by the current media campaigns and therefore the trends in fashion that make statements about these global issues become her source of inspiration.
“have achieved in a short time quite a satisfactory recognition of my designs and the offer of sustainable fabrics, not only in Australia but from abroad as well — which is great.”
December 2nd, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Hi Jess
Thank you kindly for your detailed response. It is wonderful to learn more about the background to Marina’s designs and the external factors and trends impacting on the textile design industry. I am sure that information will be of great benefit to Narguss as well as our other readers.