Ode to the Nile

Designer Louis Barthélemy’s new collection for Pierre Frey pays homage to Ancient Egypt

Before founding his own studio in Morocco, the French artist and designer Louis Barthélemy cut his teeth in fashion and textile design by envisioning prints for Dior. Now based between Paris, Marrakech and Cairo, his passion for historic craft and storytelling has driven the Central Saint Martins graduate to creating exotic montages that expertly combine folklore and humour with a range of techniques. For his latest collection, a collaboration with Pierre Frey, Barthélemy dialled into his deep love for Egypt, envisioning a series of fabrics and wallpapers that celebrate the river Nile and the life flourishing along its banks.

Part of Pierre Frey’s Wonders of Egypt range, launched earlier this year in partnership with the Louvre, Barthélemy’s joyful fabrics feature hand-drawn interpretations of Ancient Egyptian symbols such as the sacred ibis, divine hippopotamus and magical lotus, brought together by a mix of bright colours to create tapestries that feel both unexpected and familiar. Starry nights and circular patterns that evoke the infinite lend the designs an other-worldly appeal. Embroidered in wool on Egyptian linen and printed on iridescent paper that recalls the textural qualities of papyrus, this collection beautifully marries a contemporary spirit with mysticism. pierrefrey.com