Our Mum and Dad’s love of textiles resulted in them starting Home Fabrics more than 60 years ago in a small store in Takapuna.
For the first few years, money was very tight and Dad worked amazingly long hours just to make ends meet. There was certainly not much money left for entertainment and they almost never went out.
They had not been in business long when they were asked to attend a business dinner, to be held at the newly opened function centre in Northcote. Dad thought it would be a great networking opportunity and scraped together the money for the tickets, but what could Mum possibly wear?
In a stroke of brilliance, Dad remembered that he had a remnant of fabric at work that would make a lovely ensemble. I recall it well - a Maurice Kain fabric named Jewel Tiara, in a colour called American Beauty. Mum’s sister Mary was brought in, and between her and Mum, a beautiful evening dress was created.
The evening came. I remember the smell of perfume and the babble of excitement as hair was done, finishing touches made, photos taken, and then the huge extravagance of a taxi arriving to collect them. Mum, who was naturally shy, was hugely nervous. What impression would she make? Who would be there? Would they be welcomed?
As soon as they got out of the car and headed inside it was obvious there was a problem. The table runners, the table skirts and the luscious flowing draperies were all Maurice Kain’s Jewel Tiara, colour: American Beauty. And to make matters worse, the person who had sold it to them and forgotten, was none other than our Dad. The remnant that Mum was wearing was left over from that very job!
We understand that Dad’s recovery was long, slow and very, very painful.
It’s hardly surprising then, that textiles are in our DNA.
I only remembered that story recently, but it is now obvious why one of my addictions is cutting off 3.5m of the latest fabric and racing it to Raymond the tailor, to make me a new jacket, shirt or trousers. The enthusiasm for the newest texture construction or design is contagious. My darling wife reassures me that it takes a man who is comfortable in his own skin to wear a floral jacket or one covered in humming birds ,or maybe even bumble bees. Some harsh friends suggest it reflects a huge ego capped with a little ‘look at me’, but I love it. I prefer to believe it reflects our passion, pleasure and excitement in what we do.
This is why when we redesigned our showroom, we created a gallery-style experience to reflect our passion for the art, artists and artisans of the textile industry. We have regularly changing exhibits, celebrating the work of individual textile designers. Call in this month for the final weeks of our Clarke and Clarke studios’ showcase and come again in June to see the ‘Eden Collection’ by Paige Cartledge.
- Gerald Sheehy
Redgraves Home Fabrics, 35c Constellation Drive, Mairangi Bay 09 476 9102 www.redgraveshomefabrics.co.nz
