Our collections are typically inspired by a few simple ideas or images and then the ideas build and grow and typically we end up with more product than we can run for the season. When we start to work on a collection, we lay out the hundreds of yarn colors we have and then we begin to realize the fabric possibilities… it never ceases to blow me away, it’s truly incredible.

The color that you get with dyed linen is unlike with any other natural fiber. And the way linen colors fade over time is just like great jeans- they get better and better every year!

I design the fabric and finished product collections, and oversee the photo shoots here at Libeco. I am joined for the design work by Jamie Welstead and the photo styling by Corinne Stuckens. I love what I do and am inspired every day by the beauty of linen.

Our latest collection was my favorite collection to date. I love everything about it. I love the products, the photos, Charlotte the model, and I loved creation process, it flowed so easily, we never got stuck and thought, umm is this right or not, it all came together with such ease.  It started with the old Dutch boats pictured below with sails of “madder red”. We instantly named the collection OLD RED and we never looked back.

Because this image had such a nautical feeling to it, the next logical place to go was blue, and so TRUE BLUE was born.  They of course found their way together mixing and matching in glorious ways -TRUE BLUE MEETS OLD RED.

The second bit of inspiration was this image of kayaks – hanging on an old stone wall- probably somewhere in the South of France – colors that have been perfectly aged by the sun and the sea water.

These colors invoked such a sense of freedom and joy.  We developed the stripes and added coordinating solids and finally got to photograph on a beautiful Indian summer day.  And when we saw the photographs, these two lovely, gap toothy wonders smiling back at us- it was written all over their faces, THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT.

When all the design work is done and we finally get samples and say this is a go, we can do a shoot of the products.  It isn’t really as simple as it sounds, it takes lots of searching (for locations and accessories and models) and it takes lots of preparation, but the shoot is a wonder in and of itself, it brings all the ideas together, everything comes full circle, it all makes sense. So, here it is a glimpse of our work done for the Tahoe and Antibes collections. Enjoy- Amy Click to view slideshow.