Here's Faye Toogood on the books which most inspire her

Date
13 May 2015

From furniture design and a fashion line to a series of installations, Faye Toogood is a material aficionado. Her interior and environmental design work is founded in artisanship and “the irregularity of the chosen material,” meaning that no corner of the creative industries has been left untouched by her influence. We caught up with Faye to find out which five books hold the greatest sway on her bookshelf, and her inspirations – from Yohji Yamamoto to Barbara Hepworth – are evident throughout her expansive practice.

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Sheila Hicks: Weaving as Metaphor

Sheila Hicks: Weaving as Metaphor

I have become increasingly interested in experimenting with textiles and weaving both in my approach to furniture and fashion. I love Sheila Hicks’ use of material and texture from the delicate and precious to incredibly raw.

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Yohji Yamamoto: Talking to Myself

Yohji Yamamoto: Talking to Myself

Not only is the content great, the print and the patterns which the stitched binding create are incredible. It still reminds me of the trip to Japan when I bought this limited edition print.

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Barbara Hepworth: Sculptures from the Estate

Barbara Hepworth: Sculptures from the Estate

Since a visit to St Ives at the age of eight I have been spellbound by Barbara Hepworth’s work – the materiality and scale of her pieces. All of it!

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Irving Penn: Small Trades

Irving Penn: Small Trades

My sister and I launched a unisex fashion brand under our surname, Toogood. Each garment is inspired by and named after a trade. Irving Penn really knew how to capture the intrinsic personalities of each individual “worker” and we endeavour to do the same.

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Comme des Garçons: Six Magazine Issue #2

Comme des Garçons: Six Magazine Issue #2

I recently bought the whole set of Six Magazines from the late 80s to early 90s. In this issue architecture becomes fashion which in turn becomes machinery. The juxtaposition is great.

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Faye Toogood’s Bookshelf

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Faye Toogood’s Bookshelf

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About the Author

Maisie Skidmore

Maisie joined It’s Nice That fresh out of university in the summer of 2013 as an intern before joining full time as an Assistant Editor. Maisie left It’s Nice That in July 2015.

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