For many years, New Zealand brand Città has produced stunning homeware and furniture pieces. Twice a year, their seasonal releases express a fresh perspective across their entire range, with their Auckland based design team drawing from fresh inspirations both local and international.

With 2020 bringing strict lockdowns, the Città AW21 Room With a View collection was a creative process unlike any other. We chatted to Imogen Tunnicliffe, Head of Textile & Product Design, and Sophie Clapson, Textile and Product Designer about their approach to creating this latest collection.

How did designing the collection during lockdown affect the end result?

Each collection begins with a seasonal colour palette. Room With A View draws inspiration from our surroundings, so naturally, this lent itself towards more earthy, muted colours. However, while in lockdown and with so much uncertainty surrounding us, we felt a shift towards more playful and bold colours. Colours that give us a sense of joy and optimism; such as Cobalt, Spirulina and Mandarin. It is interesting to view the collection as a whole, as you can really see where this shift happened during the design process.

What were the biggest influences/inspirations for this collection?

For this collection, we took inspiration from the New Zealand landscape but also abstract representations of the land by New Zealand artists. The land has always played a pivotal role in the arts in New Zealand, and we found a wealth of information and inspiration in this way.

From here we started thinking about our own experiences with the land, and a portion of the collection was inspired by memories of remote tramping experiences, long road trips, and family holidays.

What materials are you loving the most in this collection?

We used recycled silk for our Edmund and Mabel cushions, which was a first for us. These yarn off-cuts would have otherwise ended up as waste, so it was exciting to be able to breathe some new life into this material. We often put a lot of thought and energy into getting colours just right, however, with wastage yarn the colour has already been chosen for you. This resulted in unexpected yet fun and interesting colour combinations that we may not have otherwise thought of.

How do you ensure that the collection is fresh but also within the Città DNA?

We are constantly checking in with ourselves to ensure that what we are designing is on-brand. Sometimes we are faced with having to move away from a design, or colour combination that we love because we feel it really is outside of our brand aesthetic – which can be hard!

Colour can always add newness to a collection too, and we can be fairly adventurous here, as long as the patterns, textures and materials are true to our aesthetic.

What is the piece from the collection that you’re most proud of?

Sophie: "I am most proud of the Cabin cushion covers and (yet to be released) blankets. The Cabin design is a nod to the past, inspired by classic wool blankets found in quintessential New Zealand beaches and cabins. The bold and alluring colours offer a modern take on the old classic blankets many of us grew up within New Zealand."

Imogen: "I love the Shoal and Drift cushion covers. These designs are abstract representations of water patterns in rivers and streams and I love the fluid connection between the two designs. They are handwoven in India using jute and cotton, and the rawness of the materials really add another dimension to the designs."

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