We are honored that our textiles are part of the new NICOLEHOLLIS Collection; rooted in traditional methods and refined by a modern sensibility, the collection brings a sense of intimacy and artistry into the rituals of daily life. This is old world craft for modern living.
Our contribution blends Sardinian and Mexican textile design techniques; two lands where ancient traditions still speak through the hands of artisans. Each Compound Weave pillow case is a functional piece of fine art that preserves ancestral knowledge, while also offering timeless beauty for today’s interiors.
Blending Landscapes
Woven with the special wool of the Chiapa sheep - raised by the Chamula people in the Highlands of Chiapas - our pillows in the NICOLEHOLLIS Collection honor the rich textures made possible only through natural, chemical-free processes. Descendents of the ancient Maya, the Chamula have preserved their shearing, spinning and dyeing techniques passed down through generations. Having lived in Chiapas for 25 years, Madda developed a partnership with a collective of Chamula women artisans. Together, they transform the wool from raw materials into elegant textiles, weaving Madda’s Italian design aesthetic into modern heirlooms.
Hand-spun with pre-Hispanic drop spindles, the wool retains its lanolin-rich texture, allowing it to absorb our natural dyes of indigo and logwood with extraordinary depth. These dyes are steeped in Mexican history. They reveal their beauty slowly over time, shaped by light and use, reminding us that textiles are alive, never fixed.
With the wool spun and dyed, Madda dove into her alchemic design process in collaboration with the interior designer Nicole Hollis and her San Francisco based team. Synthesizing the vision of Nicole Hollis, with her Italian aesthetic and the rich materials and talents of Mexican artisans, Madda created these custom pillows using a “compound weave” inspired from her Sardinian roots. One of the earlier versions of the compound weave was originally developed in collaboration with bonetti/kozerski DPC, a New York based architecture firm. Since then, the design has evolved and been modified to create new expressions of beauty.
The Beauty of the Handmade
At Madda Studio, we celebrate the tonal variations of the wool, the unpredictability of natural dyeing and the beauty of irregularity. These are testament to the hands, the lands, and the tradition woven into every piece.
“The variation of tones in the natural wool makes this collection unique and completely different to if we used industrial, mass-produced wool, where the tones are completely uniform. As a result, each work represents and celebrates the uniqueness, the non-repeatability, the idiosyncrasy of the material and the irregularities of handmade textiles. In a world where ready-made, mass-produced and readily disposable items are abundant, we believe in the enduring quality, variability and imperfect beauty of handcrafted goods.”
- Maddalena Forcella, Textile Designer and Co-Founder of Madda Studio.
Living Textiles
It is our mission to bring traditional and environmentally sustainable techniques into the world of design, integrating the wisdom of our ancestors into modern living. We partner with interior designers and retailers to create custom textile collections that bring their vision to life while honoring the beauty of handmade craft.
We invite you to explore the NICOLEHOLLIS Collection and welcome all inquiries regarding future collaborations. Details about our Trade Program are also now available. Fill out our Trade Program form today for more information.
The NICOLEHOLLIS Collection is dedicated to the enduring beauty of craft. Guided by a belief in material integrity, timeless form, and the quiet power of objects made with intention, each piece is created in partnership with artists and makers whose work has long shaped NICOLEHOLLIS interiors.