As we open our second store in London, meet the mother-daughter owned textile design workshop highlighting the beauty of natural materials and hand-woven techniques.
We caught up with polish mother-and-daughter duo Ela and Nikola to learn more about Lale Studio’s techniques, the inspiration behind their tapestries, and the unique artwork that decorates the Varley store.
Creative inspiration...
Nikola: Everything starts with inspiration - it can be nature, art, or our personal experiences. Then, we move onto designing, choosing colours, and creating. Each tapestry is a journey. Sometimes, it's also the work of chance when we had something specific in mind, but it turned out differently, allowing us to create something new.
Our collections are born from a fascination with the world around us. Sometimes it's a specific motif from nature, other times an abstract combination of colours and forms. Recently, we've also been combining our different collections. For example, after creating a Framed Collection, we thought, 'Hmm, why not frame tapestries from the Misty collection?' and that's how our bestseller, 'Huek’, was born. We love giving our tapestries a completely different character.
Mother-daughter relationship...
Ela: As a mother and daughter team, our different personalities form the foundation of Lale Studio. My impulsiveness and bravery in taking on artistic challenges, combined with Nikola's calm and analytical thinking, create a unique dynamic in our studio.
Nikola: Our interests and skills complement each other, forming a unique style in our creations. We hope this is visible in every tapestry we make.
“We understand each other without words, which is invaluable when working together on a new project.”
Individual roles...
Nikola: Both of us weave on looms. Additionally, I am responsible for the colour selection and often create unique dyes for our tapestries, which my mother then transforms into patterns and hand paints. Our team has also grown to include my fiancé, who handles logistics and customer service, and my father, who creates frames for our tapestries.
The Varley store design...
Nikola: Our collaboration with Varley was one of our unique experiences – we created a special tapestry that fits into the aesthetics and values of the brand. This process required us to focus on colours and patterns that would harmonise with the interior of the store, presenting both a challenge and immense satisfaction with the result. We had to adapt our working methods to their aesthetics, which was exciting and gave us new perspectives on our creativity. It was the first time we hand-dyed an entire tapestry, which we were apprehensive about, but it turned out great! We are very proud that our work is alongside other wonderful pieces in their London store. The interior is stunning – we could live there!
Future goals...
Ela: We want to continue developing our family business by creating more unique collections and reaching an even wider audience.
Nikola: And we dream of building a workshop in the forest, where we can immerse ourselves even more in nature, which inspires us every day. This is our vision for the future of Lale Studio.
