Megan Park is a much loved Australian Fashion and Homewares designer with a super strong global fan base. Here, Megan explains the inspiration behind her eclectic use of textiles …
Megan Park is a global fashion fixture, with her brand being sold around the world at iconic stores from Barney’s New York to Neiman Marcus, Harvey Nichols and Joyce Hong Kong. But while the Melbourne born star began her career as a fashion designer, it was her expansion into soft furnishings, where she creates bright, bold designs with a contemporary edge that made her designs a permanent fixture in many homes around the world.
Here, Megan explains the inspiration behind her gorgeous use of woven paper raffia, ultra-fine cork fabric, velveteens, metallic foiled linens alongside mixed with hand woven silks, linens and cottons…
Megan Park’s cushion collection is made from a unique range of fabrics including woven paper raffia fabric, an ultra-fine cork fabric, velveteens, metallic foiled linens alongside hand woven silks, linens and cottons.
Explain the inspiration behind your cushions?
“I don’t look to one point of inspiration for our home collection, but love to combine different references and create individual stories that can work either alone or together for a more random and fun mix,” explains Megan. “We explored the globe and collected our sources of inspiration from many places. Then, we basically threw them all together to create a collection that works for its random and eclectic mismatching, yet is harmonic in its colour palette. We loved the painterly ceramics of Tuscany in earthen natural rich tones.
We also drew from nature, as oversized floral blooms began as the reference point for one story within the collection. My treasure chest of archived embroideries, some centuries-old Eastern European samplers, inspired another story, which is both modern yet referencing the past.”
The look and mood: How would you describe it?
“It’s luxuriant in texture, eclectic and artisanal,” explains Megan. “It’s a modernised approach to embroidery and print within the MEGAN PARK Signature and created for the home.”
What type of home or personality does the collection suit?
“The collection suits many personalities,” Megan explains. “There is something for everyone, depending upon the pieces and the environment that they come into. There are more masculine styles which combine woven raffia in charcoal and straw that could sit in a man’s study, and then there are more feminine pieces that could sit happily in the boudoir of a woman. When mixed together they look great in a contemporary minimal space as they add warmth and pops of personality. While within a more traditional environment, the craft of the pieces resonate with antiquity and charm of an older décor.”
Where’s the best place to display your Home Collection? Sofas? Bedrooms?
“There are no rules,” says Megan. “I have seen our cushions adding colour to living rooms, bedrooms, kid’s rooms, houses by the sea, in the mountains in and city studio pads. Updating your living spaces with fresh cushions is a very quick way to make-over a space and add personality and a freshness. When I think about what people spend on their clothing or shoes, the cost of adding some great cushions to a space that you sit on and see each and every day seems like a pretty wise way to invest.”
You used very interesting textiles, including paper, cork and metallic foiled linen. Can you explain?
“It was about sourcing unusual textures and combining materials that perhaps are not commonly thought to be used in homewares,” explains Megan. “We have used a woven paper raffia fabric, an ultra-fine cork fabric, velveteens, metallic foiled linens alongside our more usual fabrications such as hand woven silks, linens and cottons. It was while searching for new and interesting fabrics that we found these great new fabrications that work so well in our home collection, as they are a little unusual yet are also comfy and soft to the feel, while also being durable.”
Jacquard Fringed Large Cushion in Silver made with 100% paper with a 100% silk back featuring woven paper raffia fabric.
Posy Pop Large Cushion in Multi, made with 65% rayon and 35% linen with a 100% silk back, featuring metallic foiled linen.
Posy Pop Elaborate Large Cushion in Multi, made with 65% rayon and 35% linen with a 100% silk back, featuring metallic foiled linen.
Viscose: What are the benefits?
“Viscose has a great subtle but lustrous sheen that works beautifully with our digitally printed artworks, as well as being super soft to lounge upon.”
Calista Large Cushion in Multi made with 100% viscose.
Montelupo Large Cushion in Light made with 100% viscose and a 100% silk back.
Silk: What are the benefits?
“We always combine silk into our Megan Park Home Collection,” advises Megan. “I tend to shy away from using refined silks as they spoil and become marked too easily with use. However, I love the natural texture of hand woven silks that are nobly and natural to the hand-feel. We have had our colours dyed and then hand-woven so they are all unique to this collection.”
Oleander Large Cushion in Multi made from 100% cotton with a 100% silk back.
Khanta Large Cushion in Grey/Bright made with 65% rayon and 35% linen with a 100% silk back.
It’s all the details…. Let’s talk fringing!
“The collection is all about texture and personality,” says Megan. “The shaggy fringes in natural reclaimed cotton are a little bit fun and also add that comfy hand crafted feel.”
Montelupo Stripe Large Cushion in Light made with 100% viscose and a 100% silk back.
Fave Fabrics: What do you love working with?
“Each season is different,” Megan explains. “I love to explore and use new fabrics but will always incorporate into the collection hand-woven silks and linens, as I think that these work timelessly within the home environment.”
From a previous collection, the Geo Cushion, $221, made with linen and cotton.
Geometric prints with cork and velveteen: Explain the process…
“Each and every print in the collection has been hand painted in our studio by our very talented textile designer,” Megan explains. “She always begins with a paintbrush and from this creates amazing works of art that we then edit and rework into the prints of the season that so suit the home collection. For the prints of the home collection this season she was inspired by Tuscan ceramics and the painterly florals, which she then reworked into geometric modernised adaptations.”
Mosaic Patched Large Cushion in Multi made with 65% rayon and 35% linen featuring ultra-fine cork fabric and velveteen.
Kaleidoscope Patched Large Cushion in Multi made with 65% rayon and 35% linen.
Any advice for up and coming designers?
“Work hard and gain some experience before launching into the commercial world,” advises Megan. “There is so much more to running a successful business than just the product itself. The creativity is not the hard thing – it is the rest of it that can make or break a business. I still love my work so many years on, and it is the ‘creating’ that excites and motivates me – I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
Check out the entire homewares, fashion and jewellery collection at Megan Park.
What do you think of Megan Park’s new homewares collection? Tell us in the comments below!
