Interview
Erin Ruby Interview
HBF Textiles and Erin Ruby Celebrate 20 Years of Collaboration with a Third Collection: In Your Skin
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Erin Ruby’s first collection for HBF Textiles - Stitch, which was followed by her second eponymous collection launched in 2015. In the lead-up to the launch of Erin Ruby’s third collection for HBF Textiles – In Your Skin – we learn about her relationship with HBF Textiles, the design process, and what makes this collection her most honest and authentic yet.
Can you please tell us about your upcoming collection ‘In Your Skin’? What’s the story behind the name of the collection and how are you communicating that through the designs?
In Your Skin is all about celebrating that which makes each of us unique unto ourselves. Embodying the pure joy and exuberance of youth, individuality, creative expression, and the character and wisdom that come with age. Finding joy in the in-between moments of life. The patterns are a fun play on this concept: Matriarch is a twill weave with strong, bold, color combinations that evoke the wisdom that comes with age and experience. Laugh Lines is a joyful casual stripe pattern. Tattoo Toile is a modern play on the traditional Toile de Jouy, incorporating floral and hummingbird motifs common in tattoos. Chubby Baby is a soft and smushy matelassé tufted in a way that mimics the scrumptious arm rolls of a baby. Goosebumps is a nubby wool texture that feels like a warm hug. And Stardust is a reflection on the vastness of the cosmos and our small part in it.
What was the inspiration behind the collection? How did this collection take shape, from concept to execution?
Inspiration for In Your Skin is centered in the human experience and the ephemeral nature of life. The collection encapsulates a respectful awareness of the transience of all things, which heightens our appreciation of their beauty. The development process began in May 2021 as we were embarking on the second year of the pandemic, where we had all been forced to isolate ourselves from one another and look within. It allowed me to appreciate the little things that I may have taken for granted before. So naturally, the desire for human contact and community became the basis for the collection. Ultimately, that connection starts with yourself. I have gone through an intense period of personal growth which allowed me to develop my most honest and authentic collection. I knew the pattern names before anything else, and had fun finding images that capture the spirit of each expression.
What attracted you to work with HBF Textiles and what do you value in your 20 year working relationship?
HBF Textiles has been a formidable presence throughout my entire adult life and career. Mary Jo Miller and I have known each other since I was a junior at Virginia Tech and she was an advisor to our Interior Design program. It was completely synchronistic that I would collaborate with HBF Textiles at my first firm, TVS Design in Atlanta. Mary Jo was integral in shaping my future as a designer. At the time, I wasn’t aware that product design was a separate vocation from interiors. I was inherently drawn to the development process and enjoyed our working relationship, and that of other colleagues at HBF who have become friends and mentors. I realize how rare this is and am so grateful for having a longstanding relationship built on trust and shared appreciation for the work. Absolutely no pretense is involved. We all show up as ourselves and respect and enjoy each other. I hope to celebrate a 40 year anniversary collection!
What excites you about the upcoming collection? What do you envision this collection will bring to a space?
I am excited about everything in this collection! It was holistically designed to be layered and coordinate beautifully together, but also to have each pattern stand on its own. Contract textiles can tend to be cold or lifeless for pragmatic reasons, but this collection is warm and tactile even with its high performance functionality. It’s full of life - imbued with optimism and aspiration, which I think will resonate within a space. It also tells a uniquely American story of craftsmanship. The patterns are domestically woven and the wool is locally sourced from the Midwest.
Can you tell us how the collection is different from your previous collections and what’s currently in the industry?
This collection is deeply personal to me and yet entirely universal. It is both a snapshot in time and utterly timeless; reflecting a moment of shared human experience and our collective desire for community and connection.
Erin Ruby’s In Your Skin Collection will be previewed at NeoCon 2022 and will launch at the end of June 2022.
About Erin Ruby
Erin Ruby, CID, IIDA is the founder of Erin Ruby Design LLC, a multidisciplinary practice based in New York, which specializes in product design, strategy, and commercial interiors. The fundamental philosophy of her studio is a human-centered, participatory design process which expands the role of designer as facilitator rather than expert.