Ecosophy
IN CONVERSATION WITH We chat to Kate Anderson, the founder of Ecosophy, about the inspiration behind her beautiful eco home textile brand
What inspired you to Describe your style launch Ecosophy? and inspiration… White organic linen tablecloth, from £125 and napkins, £50 for four. Below left: organic linen napkins in flax, £75 for four, all Ecosophy Kate is inspired by minimalist Japanese design
My inspiration came from many areas, including a four-year period living in Japan, which gave me an appreciation for the beauty of natural materials and minimalist design, and degrees in anthropology and development, which gave me insight into the cultural aspects of textile production and its impact on workers. I also have an idealistic desire to create homeware that will create beautiful homes and a more beautiful world. I spent about two years researching sustainable textiles and visiting producers in India, Bangladesh, Turkey and France before I launched Ecosophy in 2017.
I’ve been very much influenced by my time living in Japan, so I appreciate designs that are subtle and draw on the beauty of natural materials. I get a lot of inspiration from walks in the woods. I often find myself taking close-up photos of tree bark and hoping nobody sees me, as I must look a bit weird!
The ethos of the brand is expressed in our name, which combines ‘eco’ – from the Greek oikos, meaning household – and ‘sophy’ – from the Greek sophia, meaning wisdom. This dual meaning of ‘ecological wisdom’ and ‘household wisdom’ reflects our ethos, which is to take an ecologically wise approach to homeware production and, through our journal, to promote this approach to interior decoration in general.
Simply getting Ecosophy off the ground and turning my dream into reality.
Tell us about the ethos behind Ecosophy…
Handwoven organic cotton flat weave bath towel, £30, Ecosophy
Who are you following on Instagram?
I’m really interested in the work of Fibershed, a global non-profit working on regenerative textile systems, and I enjoy following @southwestenglandfibreshed.
What’s your proudest career moment so far?
What does the rest of this year hold for you?
I’m working on some new collections and am planning to update Ecosophy’s journal much more regularly with posts exploring how homeware can help to create a more sustainable world.
What’s a typical day Who would you like for you? to collaborate with? gihuD eitsriK erutaeF
I usually spend my mornings I would love to work more responding to emails and with interior designers. Before packaging up orders. I then launching Ecosophy, I had spend my afternoons doing toyed with the idea of pursuing more creative work, like a career as an interior designer designing new collections and and I’d love to connect with that creating Ecosophy’s newsletter. industry more. Shop Ecosophy’s textiles at ecosophy.co.uk and follow Kate on Instagram, @ecosophyhome
