I study fashion design so I always interested texture design, fabric just like a second skin of us, and it's not a easy thing to design your own texture and express what you want to tell everyone, but I find TOOSHAAYA this brand is doing amazing work on they texture design, and you should check on their story also.
Q: Would you share with us how you started to create your art work?
Tom: Our design process begins with inspiration from nature.
Nature inspires us, excites us, and makes us feel connected to ourselves and to the world, evokes in us the passion to create.
All our designs start from the inspiration of sights, shapes, textures and colors of nature.
The essence that interesting me the most is the researching and observing of 3 subjects:
1) Structural- the relation between the stability and softness (cortex, slough, skeletons,).
2) The tension between order and disorder.
3) The changes that happen as a result of time, and the special character it creates.
When I look at anything, it can be a mountain landscape, animal skin or stone surface, what I see is infinity organic beauty that is a result of these 3 subjects.
My work in art and design is always searching for this organic aesthetic.
Tzameret: Our inspiration process is a dialog between both of us. I collect images and small objects that I collect from my trips around the world, then add more images and create a collage of inspiration for the new collection, according to my intuition.
The collage is the inspiration for Tom to draw, sketch, and creates handmade textile art works that she use in different technics, like knitting, embroidering, beading and more.
Tom: In these artworks I create a place, that place creates a feeling which I want to transfer through the item I design. Then the design part starts. From knitting textile samples, then color samples, then the shape of the item until in the end we get a commercial useful item, which provide the possibility to enjoy this feeling in daily use.
Tzameret: We design according to our belief that when we feel comfortable it’s easier for us to be connected to our nature and express who we really are.
Q: What's story behind your brand?
TOOSHAAYA – is a family brand, a partnership of mother and daughter.
Tom – A Textile Designer, specializing in knitting – Graduate of Shenkar College of Design.
Tzameret – (Tom's mom) Designer and Intermodal Art Therapist.
TOOSHA – Tom's nickname.
AYA – the first "Mother Goddess" who represents, or is a personification of nature, motherhood, fertility, creation, destruction or who embodies the bounty of the Earth.
Meaning: Mother Earth / Mather / Design, Art, Beautiful ((あや, アヤ in Japanese)
We design and create Eco friendly accessories made of natural materials with a handmade touch.
We use only natural materials. We like the energy of them and we love to feel the way they touch.
The unique character of each item is achieved through special knitting techniques using fine and delicate threads, hand dyed, embroidering, weaving, and felting.
Each item’s design integrates selection of a unique yarn (fiber) and consideration of texture to the final desired shape of the garment.
The unique design is characterized by softness, comfort and flattering style.
TOOSHAAYA’s motto is: Touch by Nature
All of our items, like nature, even when there are few similar no one is exactly the same, each one is unique. Also they get their personality in the process of movement and time
Q: Do you want to share your work place ?
Our small studio in Jaffa, near the flea market, and near Jaffa sea shore.
Q: Which type of material do you like to use the most and why?
In my studies I learned that the textile industry is the second polluted industry in the world. As a textile designer I see my responsibility to design and creates ecological textile.
We choose to work only with natural materials, especially with new Eco fibers like Bamboo and Soy. These fibers, In addition to the Eco part, have special and very important qualities like: UV protection, hypoallergenic, temperature adjustments, creation of amino acids which healthy for the skin. And more. These materials are good for the world and good for us. Of course we also believe and work according to sustainability values.
Q: Which piece is your favorite or sells the best?
Our bestselling item is our Big Air Shawl. This very gentle item is very unique, it’s beautiful, sheer, soft has silky touch and feel light like “air”.
As most of our items, they combined with different outfits, and get the looks according to them. Elegant, casual, boho – chic, ect.
We knitted this shawl of Bamboo yarns or Soy yarns and we have it in many colors.
Q: What's the hardest part of your design career?
Tom: To realize what my strong and weak points are, and to know how to make the best from that.
Q: Which part of working do you enjoy the most?
Tom: The most parts I like are two ends, the beginning and the end.
The beginning of the designs process when I took the inspiration collage and started the connection to it in a deeper way through drawing and creating artistic small items. It's a very exciting kevel.
And the last part- when I see the customer reacts to the item, loving it, and connect to it. When a customer telling me "it fills like home" or that it makes her "fill so good", or it remind her the sea, or a place she love. It makes me satisfied.
Q: What it your next project?
Our vision is : TOOSHAAYA – Body – Home – soul
Body – Garments and – Wrap the body.
Home – Life style and home accessories
Soul – Art works
We’ve started to design knitted quilts of Bamboo and Cotton.
Q: If you were not a designer, what do you think you would be?
Tom: An artist.
Q:.If young people want to follow the same path as you, what would you suggest?
Tom: To learn who they are, what they are good at and what they are not.
To learn what is the best way for their creation process.
To surround themselves with people, places and things that make them inspiration and help them grow.
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