Woven Beauty: Leatherworks by Elizabeth Whelan

By Stacy Straczynski, Associate Editor

I am absolutely in love with the new Leatherweave Collection from New York-based Elizabeth Whelan Designs. For me, the design captures the perfect blend of texture and visual elements to keep my senses intrigued. The concept of tightly woven thin leather strips, which is inspired by the patterns found upon the backs of beetles, that seems basic in construction (I remember making similar weavings with yarn in my third grade art class) is anything but upon inspection. The intersecting colors provide a mass of texture to excite the eye and the leather strips are perfectly laced together for a smooth feel. The “fabric” is completely soft to the touch and extremely flexible. (I can fold the swatch completely in half and the fabric still retains its shape without damage to the original design.) Read more about this new collection at www.contractmagazine.com.