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If an invitation to the ‘Wool House’ sparks hopeful visions of a human-sized knitted cottage then you may feel a momentary pang of disappointment when you reach Somerset House in London – but it will be fleeting. For although the latest event to promote The Campaign for Wool is not ‘yarn bombing’ on an architectural scale (look up Helsinki Cathedral in Finland for an amazing example of that), the entire West Wing of Somerset House has been transformed into a woolly wonderland.
The Wool House presents a vision of wool as a modern, versatile fibre, by showcasing a series of room sets, the work of artisans and a variety of craft techniques including spinning, weaving and knitting. Curator Arabella McNie, has commissioned leading interior designers including Kit Kemp, Donna Wilson, Ashley Hicks, Josephine Ryan, Anne Kyyro-Quinn and the legendary Mary Fox Linton to design rooms. Featured alongside these room sets is a huge wool installation commissioned from the acclaimed Dutch textile artist, Claudy Jongstra.
Further woollen delights include weaver in residence, Jason Collingwood, who will work on a loom to produce rugs throughout the exhibition. Other pieces embellishing the Wool House include a 34-metre bespoke runner featuring pixilated squares by Spanish designer Cristian Zuzunaga and Shauna Richardson’s unusual ‘Crochetdermy’ Bear will take pride of place in the entrance.
There will be three rooms dedicated to fashion, including a space showcasing fine woven fabrics and live tailoring as well as numerous designer talks and classes. And a definite highlight will be the ‘Celebration of Tweed Day’, featuring a ‘tweed high tea’. Bridgette Kelly, The Campaign for Wool’s project director, said: “It is the most expansive venture the Campaign has seen to date as it looks at all the key uses of wool under one roof: and shows its potential to be both stunningly beautiful in use and yet incredibly practical too.” Wool House, 3-24 March, South Building, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA, T: +44 20 7845 4600, www.campaignforwool.org in f o r m s e l v e d g e . o r g
