Roberta Licini's graphic, nature-inspired blankets

We're fascinated by what moves different designers. For example, we recently learned that Italian Roberta Licini's signature designs—compositions of bold, contrasting colors and geometric shapes that somehow achieve a light, fluid feel—are often inspired by elements she observes in nature. According to Licini, her goal is quite simple: to achieve a sense of beauty and a softness that is “harmonious, and linked to a universal language.”

For every one of her designs, Licini begins with a palette of colors she encounters in a certain context—perhaps in the stones, trees, land, and/or sky she comes across on a particular day. These hues trigger a specific emotional response in her, one that Licini reinterprets through intuitively drawn shapes and superfine fabrics like cashmere, wool, silk, linen, and mohair. Of course, each material conveys the colors differently, and it takes Licini‘s expert eye (prior to launching her eponymous home textile line in 2012, the designer worked in knitwear and fashion for years) to capture a specific atmosphere in every one of her textiles—be it a luxe blanket, rug, pillow, or other design.

To learn more about the designer, check out our feature story, Simple Pleasures.