The Creative Type Textile designer Georgia Macmillan.
The journalist turned designer on finding inspiration in her life less ordinary...
My mother, grandmother and great-grandmother were all
artists. I inherited their passion and appreciation of the arts, but I wasn’t sure how to translate that into a profession so I pursued a ‘serious’ career in journalism and, later, PR. I took up painting seven years ago, when my family moved to Dubai, beginning with large-scale abstracts, then explored illustrative work in watercolour. That’s when I developed the idea of printing my art on fabric. I am drawn to colours, patterns and cultural differences. Inspiration can be found everywhere – from an architectural detail to a bowl of food or a fresco in a hotel bathroom.
True luxury is travelling without children! Don’t get me wrong – I adore travelling with my babies. But the freedom to linger over artworks in museums and galleries, admire architecture, walk everywhere and indulge in long lunches without distraction… That’s luxury. Which collection am I most proud of? It’s impossible to say! I am particularly fond of The Bernalda Collection (2016), which was inspired by a stay at Francis Ford Coppola’s family holiday home/hotel, Palazzo Margherita. I am also proud of my wallpaper collection. I have long admired the work of Italian designer Ilaria Miani, who restored the village of Castiglioncello del Trinoro and created a hotel, Monteverdi, in the Val d’Orcia. I love [Sydney] interior designer Phoebe Nicol, Brisbane gallerist Edwina Corlette, ceramicist Franco Fasano of Puglia’s Fasano Ceramiche. Also BASS Studio’s work on Dubai restaurants Avli and Tashas Al Jalila – both are breathtaking. georgiamacmillan.com