By design.
Drawing inspiration from art, architecture and her Italian heritage, fabric and wallpaper designer, Anna Sassi, shares the inspiration behind some of her most-loved patterns.
Jan 13, 2023
In Swan Reach, East Gippsland, a small studio hums with creativity as bold, modernist geometries take shape – destined for homes, hotels and businesses around the globe.
This is where Anna Sassi works her magic, crafting textiles that balance flair and function with a deep respect for slow design.
Drawing inspiration from art, architecture and her Italian heritage, Anna’s collections feature striking geometric compositions, that are rich with colour and a hand-drawn quality. “I love helping others bring their pattern dreams to life,” she shares.
Anna’s career began with “endless” childhood sketching and years of design training, but she says, “It wasn’t until the culmination of becoming a mum, Covid and moving regionally that I was forced to overcome my imposter syndrome and finally put my work out into the world.”
“...I’m constantly blown away by the fact that I can reach audiences across the globe from my little pocket in Swan Reach.”
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Now, inspired by the natural beauty of the region and life in Swan Reach, she’s striking a balance between raising her two young girls and two “lazy, but beautiful” kelpies, crafting her own collections as well as working with other artists and businesses to create original designs for use in a diverse range of projects including fashion, homewares and branding.
“Living surrounded by nature keeps me sane and inspires me daily. I’m constantly blown away by the fact that I can reach audiences across the globe from my little pocket in Swan Reach.
“I’m incredibly grateful that I can raise my family in such a beautiful part of the country and be part of the dispersed but vibrant creative community in Gippsland.”
Generously pulling back the impeccably designed curtain on her creative process, Anna shares the inspiration behind some of her most-loved patterns.
(A) Finestra
Shadows are a great place to find interesting shapes and patterns. Finestra was inspired by the light and shade thrown across windows lining an apartment building.
Recently, the design has been used in a boutique art-deco-inspired hotel in Chicago.
(B) Pablo
The Pablo print started as a series of gouache paintings exploring geometric compositions. I then digitised the artworks and combined them into a large-scale repeating pattern that can be used across upholstery or wallpaper.
Most recently, I teamed up with a local Melbourne furniture brand, Oden Designs, to upholster their iconic Birdie Chair with this print, resulting in a statement piece and an incredibly comfy armchair.
(C) Sumi
Sumi was developed in-between naps with my second daughter during a period where I was exploring new mediums. It’s named after the Japanese marbling technique applied in this design.
As with a lot of my work, I envisage the design being used in a commercial interior setting: a moody lobby or a luxe powder room.
(E) Harlequin
I have a nostalgia for harlequin-style characters, inspired by a trompe l’oeil mural above the stage in my parent’s old restaurant that features a musician strumming his mandolin on the steps of the Amalfi.
As I was composing this pattern, I saw an abstract harlequin forming with its large, ruffled collar and round face. It’s one of my most recent releases, a beautiful spotted design with soft textural qualities defined by smooth, graphic lines.
(D) Ettore
Often, I will see a group of shapes in architecture, nature or objects and immediately see a pattern form. In this case, it was when I discovered the work of Italian architect Ettore Sottsass, falling in love with the geometric forms of his graphic crystal vases. The resulting eye-catching lattice pattern is one of my favourites in the collection.
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Need some vibrant colour in your life? Skip on over to annasassi.com or enjoy more of Anna’s creations at @anna.sassi on Instagram.