Who is John Robshaw?
How do you design bedding and what is so exhilarating about John Robshaw Textiles? Certainly, it’s the unyielding demand for the highest quality, including hand-stitching and attention to every single detail in every single product. But, to the eye, it’s all about the art. Robshaw’s linens are a combination of simplicity and complexity. There is a distinctive balance of bold and soft, color and texture, old world and new world. In a word, his products are inspired. The inspiration is from John Robshaw himself.
John has had a lifelong passion for art, gathering ideas, techniques and unique perspectives from a myriad of world travels. He studied traditional block printing in China, printmaking in Rome and earned a fine arts degree at Pratt Institute in New York. Interestingly, it was during a trip to India he fell in love with the fabric making traditions of local artisans.
Photo courtesy of John Robshaw Textiles
“The hands-on immediacy and vitality of textiles dyed, printed, woven, stitched, and worn piqued what was to become a lifelong fascination.” says Robshaw
John works with various workshops in India, where he travels several months out of the year to oversee production, experiment with new dyeing and printing techniques, and to work alongside the artisans creating the fabrics. He takes care to cultivate and preserve their traditional techniques, but not only in India. As a consultant for Aid to Artisans, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating economic opportunities for craftspeople in several other developing nations.
John adds, ”By producing my textiles abroad, I get to become a minor character in the lives of the people I work with, and I can take inspiration from what I see and do there. I go to their weddings, celebrate their festivals, I get sick with them. I develop relationships with the people who are teaching me. When you look at my textiles, its like you’ve been on the world tour along with me.”
Photo courtesy of John Robshaw Textiles
When John isn’t traveling, you can find him at his home in New York City. His typical day starts with a run along the East River, a full day of work, followed by and a game of squash or tennis. We particularly love this quote from an interview, “Then I’ll take a lady out to dinner.”
Handsome, cosmopolitan and multi-talented, John is known for his easy going personality, stories of travel, artistic influences and ongoing vision. In a word, he inspires.
You can follow John on his travels by visiting John’s Blog.
P.S. John, please come and visit us at Maggie’s of Madison! A fabulous Connecticut coastal dinner is on us