The Designers Guilds Spring/Summer 2023 collection, "Ikebana," is a stylish mix of bright floral and tie dyed textiles for your home. The collection takes its inspiration from the aesthetics of Japanese art forms including Ikebana flower arranging, Shibori tie dying, and saikiori weaving. The fabric looks range from whimsical and imaginative to coy and romantic to elegantly simple. Designers Guild's latest collection is full of crisp cotton bedding, textural pillows, and floral rugs you won't want to look away from.
To create this comprehensive guide, we extensively researched the inspiration for the collection. We also visited the Designers Guild Flagship Store in Chelsea, London. Let's explore!
"Ikebana is the traditional way of Japanese flower arranging... what I love about Ikebana is the symbolism behind it: Heaven, Earth, and Humanity."
Contents:
- First, we will review the creative director's inspiration for the collection.
- Second, our team will walk you through the materials, colors, and patterns used in this season's Designers Guild fabrics. We will go through several products that feature these qualities.
- Finally, we include a list of key takeaways on how to use the collection in your home based on our research and visit to the Designers Guild's flagship store.
Tricia Guild's Inspiration for the Ikebana Collection
Much of the inspiration for the Ikebana collection comes from Japanese plant life and Japanese textile art. The very name "Ikebana" originates from the meticulous art of Japanese flower arranging. Ikebana embodies centuries of study of linear rhythm in plants, taught in thousands of schools of Ikebana located across Japan. Designers Guild's Ikebana collection merges traditional styles with modern techniques and colors to create one of a kind textiles.
Naturally Inspired Patterns
The rich greens of the collection create stunning, jewel-toned fabrics and wallpapers. Tricia Guild, creative director and co-founder of Designers Guild, states "I'm in love with green. The forest, the moss, all these different shades of green together and then we've mixed that with fuchsia and coral and its very dynamic, but to me, it's kind of the landscape as I want to see it."
The Ikebana decorative pillows feature the foliage of the "karakusa" (trailing vine) mirrored across the surface. Its kaleidoscopic pattern reflects Tricia Guild's favorite quality of Ikebana: its symbolism. Ikebana flower arranging symbolically balances the three realms from Chinese Philosophy: heaven, earth and humanity. The vibrant flowers, leaves, and butterfly on the pillow display this spiritual unity.
The Kyoto flower collection is inspired by the city of Kyoto in the spring. Known for its cherry blossoms and peonies since the early 11th century, the mythos of the city is distinctly floral. Items like the Kyoto Flower Indigo Throw invoke this imagery of the peony on a sparse, intentionally designed 100% linen canvas.
The floral and foliage motifs of the throw pillow covers fit well with spring decor trends and can bring brightness to any home.
Patterns Inspired by Traditional Japanese Fabrics
The spring/summer 2023 collection from Designers Guild borrows from two Japanese textile patterns - the Shibori technique, and the Sakiori weaving technique.
Shibori is a Japanese style of indigo dying. The name means "to wring" or "to squeeze" and has been found in Japan since the eighth century. Its patterns are typically more intricate than American tie-dye, according to House Beautiful.
The Designers Guild SS23 shibori looks are available in fuchsia, emerald green, and indigo. The collection includes shibori decorative pillows and shibori throw blankets. Many of the floral Designers Guild pillows incorporate shibori elements to add visual interest.
Sakiori is a Japanese weaving technique which uses scraps and recycled pieces of old fabric to create new textiles. Designers Guild's sakiori fabrics are made of 46% recycled textiles on a woven cotton ground. The style creates textural and colorful materials.
Designers Guild Ikebana at a Glance: The Colors, Patterns and Materials
The SS23 Products: Designers Guild Pillows, Linens and Makeup Bags
About: Saikiori Decorative Pillows
- Inspired by Japanese weaving technique that weaves together pieces of fabric
- Creates textured, multi-colored look
- 46% of the textile is made of recycled cotton
About: Shibori Dyed Pillows and Textiles
- The look of Japanese shibori indigo dyeing is digitally printed onto luxurious 100% linen decorative pillows
- The clean lines and bright colors make the Shibori collection the perfect throw pillows for the couch
- Would coordinate well with a neutral couch and natural wood panelling
About: Floral Pillows and Bedding
- Essential Designers Guild floral looks are reimagined with a Japanese influence including peonies and cherry blossoms
- Designs are digitally printed onto 100% cotton linen backing
- Many of the Ikebana pillows (inspired by the Japanese art of flower arranging) reverse to ultra-soft velvet
- Kyoto flower pillows feature peonies with traces of the Shibori Japanese dye technique in the background
The Ikebana Floral Pillows and Throws Collection
The Accessories: Designers Guild Makeup Bags
Chic floral and geometric toiletry bags are a staple of the Designers Guild line. This season's styles take inspiration from the same influences as the bedding and pillows: Japanese design, Ikebana, and Shibori. These makeup bags are available in three sizes: small (2 x 4 x 7"), medium (3 x 6 x 9"), and large (4 x 7 x 15"). Best of all, the pouches are equipped with a waterproof lining.
A Fig Linens and Home favorite is the Shinsha Blossom Toiletry Bag.This ecru colored pouch comes alive with gorgeous pink cherry blossoms trailing from the top.
Top Tips for styling designers Guild Bedding in Your Home
Visiting the Designers Guild Flagship store in London gave us new ideas for pairing Designers Guild Bedding, Pillows, and Accessories. The store featured many striking combinations of Designers Guild wallpaper with their linens. We especially loved the combinations of floral wallpaper with solid textiles, as shown in the images above. The mixing and matching of Shibori pillows with Floral pillows also created a visually interesting look.
To create a more neutral living space, we recommend working with one of our interior designers to pair your Designers Guild pieces with solid neutrals. The gallery below features several white linens with a simple band that could make your designers guild pillows pop while keeping the room calm.
Our top takeaways for decorating with Designers Guild SS23 are as follows:
- Shibori & Florals together wins everytime!
- When mixing patterns, a larger print and a smaller print together can keep the look from becoming too busy
- Pairing bright pillows or a patterned duvet with crisp white linens makes the Designers Guild piece the focus
- Designers Guild decorative pillows are perfect on a solid-colored sofa
- Mixing velvet and linen creates an elevated, textural look
- Designers Guild Sakiori pillows look best paired with ecru or off white
Neutral Bedding to Pair with Designers Guild Bedding, Pillows, and Accessories
Thank you for reading, we hope you enjoyed this ultimate guide to the Designers Guild SS23 collection.
What are your favorite pieces from the new collection? Do you love the traditional Japanese pattern of Shibori? Or do you prefer the florals of the Ikebana looks? Let us know in the comments.
Sophie Edwards is the head content writer at Fig Linens and Home. She is a bedding, linens, and luxury homeware expert with an interest is the intersection of interior design with fashion, travel and culture. She has a BA in creative writing and sociology from Sarah Lawrence and an MSc from the Oxford University Department of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography.