DESIGNER PROFILE
Get to know the people behind the iconic fabric design house, whose colourful collections are loved by quilters all over the world!
Behind the scenes at Art Gallery Fabrics! Get to know Pat Bravo and the people behind the iconic fabric design house, whose colourful collections are loved by quilters all over the world
With the hashtag #wearefabrics, you can bet that Art Gallery Fabrics is a brand that knows a thing or two about the textile world! We talk to one of the founders of the company, Pat Bravo, and several of her talented designers who give us a fascinating glimpse into the world of Art Gallery Fabrics. Meet Pat Bravo, founder of the Art Gallery Fabrics dynasty…
Tell us the story of how Art Gallery Fabrics came to be!
It’s a long story! I started quilting many years ago and in the beginning was immersed in learning everything that was traditional quilting, but as the years went by, my inclination and fascination for artistic quilts was growing! Art quilts rapidly won my heart and I began creating some pieces, but soon I realised that I couldn’t find enough solid batiks that could simulate rocks, greenery, water and more, so I found myself needing to create my own handpainted fabrics in the colours that I really wanted. Shades of the same colour… so many shades!
Once I started painting, I shared those fabrics with the gals at my quilting guild and they loved them! They asked me to paint fabrics for them and suggested I should go to quilt shows and sell them because the colours were incredible – so I did! They were made with premium cotton and people started buying them by the hundreds. Art quilt artists started ordering specific quarter- and half- yard pieces in certain colours they needed for skin, shrubbery and rocks – all the colours to create their own art quilts.
After attending many shows as a vendor, my husband’s curiosity for my ‘new business’ also grew. I invited him to come and see the Quilt Festival in Houston and he was amazed to see how big this industry was and how much people loved my fabrics. When we came back home, he proposed we start a business designing and manufacturing our ’own fabrics’ to sell around the world. This company really is our baby and we love it!
What inspired the name?
Fun, fun! When I was hand-painting fabrics to sell at the shows, I had to allocate a big space to let the fabrics dry before heat-setting the paints. The biggest room in the house was the living room, so I moved all the furniture out of the room to allow space on the floor and let the fabrics dry. One day, my son Alex came back from school and he saw pieces and pieces of colourful fabrics on the floor on panels and said: “Mom, this looks like an art gallery!” That was an ‘a-ha’ moment for me and since my batik designs were very artistic, I thought that it was the perfect name to give to my company!
We love your designs, Pat! Was the aim always to keep designing collections for the brand?
Thank you so much! The goal I strive for is exquisite and unique design, first and foremost. I love it when quilters and makers feel ’transported‘ and their hearts beat faster with happiness after seeing each of my collections. I have to feel the same way when I design them, and a range is not finished until I have that feeling. It’s purely emotional! Another aspect that I put a lot of time into designing
is colour. It can take me several days to find a colour palette that can ‘move’ me for a specific project. Colour is absolutely crucial for the success of any collection.
How hands on are you with the design process?
Very hands on! From the moment I envision a story to portray to the last detail, I am 100% involved in the creation of my own ranges. Researching that story with imagery, colour palettes, and even looking with passion for the right name consumes all my days during that time. It’s an exhausting but a fulfilling process that I love!
The Art Gallery Fabrics team always seems like a very tight knit family. Is this the case in real life?
Let me tell you a secret: many times I think it is even more than that! When I started the company, I had always been clear in my mind that my collaborators had to be people that love the concept of family, because when you feel ’at home’ is when you are more comfortable and give your very best! The people that work with me are incredible human beings that feel the same way I do. I call them ‘my girls’ and I feel extremely motherly towards them. Each and every one of them play a big role in the success of the company. I love them so much!
Tell us a little about the people behind ‘AGF Studio’, who design many of your fabric ranges. Who are these talented designers?
Yes, we are constantly creating ranges in-house. I have a team of two stable textile designers that create alongside me, and many of the
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creatives that work in different departments of the company are constantly submitting groups for my review, which speaks of the amazing creative capability they exude.
What do you look for in a designer?
Authenticity, unique design, a huge passion for their own work,
commitment for their job and love for this industry. A strong sense of colour is another big determining factor I always look for.
How do you go about finding new designers to work with?
It is always by submission. Beautiful, creative minds are always sending me their work but I am very cautious when considering if they can be part of my team of designers. Many other important factors come into play as well when making that final decision.
What advice would you give to an aspiring fabric designer?
My biggest advice to anyone who is thinking about this is that they have to LOVE and COMMIT to this industry. To become a fabric designer is not a thing that you can be from one day to the next – it’s a process, a wonderful process that takes time and effort. Another piece of advice is not to try to peek at the work other designers do. Try to be original and true to yourself to offer your best work.
What’s more important to you: trends or timeless designs?
Trends are something extremely important, because it shows evolution… and a designer needs to be in ‘constant evolution’ regarding colour and design. Timeless comes after trends and a design can become timeless after being trendy.
What is your all-time favourite Art Gallery Fabrics collection?
My favourite is the first Indie range I did. I feel so attached to it because I think it shows the true me as a designer. So much love was put into that collection that it ultimately became a trilogy with the release of Indie Bohème as the second and Indie Folk the last. I think they are favourites for many makers as well!
Tell us about some of the challenges you’ve faced during the past year or so, and how you’ve been getting through.
It was very difficult for me and I went into a ‘shutdown’ mode – it was my way to protect myself. Seeing so much suffering in the world was heartbreaking! Regarding the company, the biggest challenge was to work at distance, each of us in our own homes. We are used to working together as a team in the office. Lookbooks were difficult to achieve because of the impossibility of taking pictures and sewing samples. It was really hard, but we are very hopeful to come back to a ‘normal way of work’ after all of us get vaccinated.
How does it feel knowing that you’ve built such an iconic name in this industry?
From our quite humble beginnings, starting from our own house and garage, we poured our hearts and souls into this company and it feels so rewarding to see it flourish! It’s with a lot of pride that we realised we could achieve our original idea of creating such a unique and special company. The fact that we never saw it 100% as a business, but also as a way to express ourselves creatively and connect with sewists all around the world, makes us very happy. We love it when we see makers create beautiful projects with our fabrics and that we can be a part of their everyday lives, oh – such a joy!
What can we expect from Art Gallery Fabrics in the future?
We are working on many new projects and ideas so that we can keep bringing changes to our beloved industry for the coming years... We’ll keep producing those surprises that we hope can make you guys even happier!