Today we have an interview with designer, Lisa Corti, conducted by our first contributing writer, Liz Perez!

Perfect for new warm weather and sprouted flowers, our featured artist is Lisa Corti, a textile and surface designer from Milan. Her textile and surface designs are for both home and fashion. They’re bright, authentic, and inspired by Indian, African, and Western design. Lisa’s designs are designed in Italy and manufactured using blockprint in India.

PB: How did you discover that you wanted to become a textile designer?

LC: I was born in Asmara and lived in Ethiopia until I was 19. I remember the beauty of the African people, the ancient decorative tradition and the women’s brightly-colored costumes. These memories are my cultural background, the roots underlying my stylistic and creative choices. With my first trip to India in 1976 with my daughter Ida, I discovered an incredibly diverse, rich place, finding an affinity with the Eastern world, especially in the field of textiles, ornaments and colors.

PB: Where do you find the inspiration for your designs?

LC: Traveling is definitely the basis of my creative adventure. I love traveling and especially going back to places where I have been before. My best memories are definitely related to trips to India because I’m interested in everything about that country. It is a bottomless pit of wonder, painting, sculpture and architecture, in addition to all the incredible world of craft that amazes and enriches me every time.

PB: How do you incorporate color into your collections? What is your favorite color?

LC: For me, color is a true passion. I’ve always felt it inside me. It seems incredible but for me, cobalt blues, pinks and golden yellows are a staple, something alive to tap into. Mixing and matching them is like expressing yourself: at any time you can do it in a different way, following your instinct and sensibility. My favorite color is cobalt blue, it has a special meaning for me because it takes me back to my childhood living in Africa. For me, this color is light, vibrant, something alive that I can always tap into.

PB: Do you follow current trends and how would you describe your design style?

LC: I do not follow trends, but my sense of color, light and form are in a constant search for balance between ancient cultures and Western contemporaneity. This is how I would define my style: unique, highly personal and timeless.

PB: Are you currently working on a new collection or project?

LC: There are two collections every year, the spring summer and the autumn winter, not only for home but also for women apparel and accessories. We are always working on new designs.

PB: Who is your favorite textile designer?

LC: I draw inspiration from different countries, cultures and environments . I am always looking for ideas related to beauty and harmony.

PB: What has been the most valuable tool that contributed to your success in the world of textile design?

LC: Expressing myself and who I am. For me, style and beauty are not only aesthetic goals, but elements that are an integral part of my everyday life, in my clothes and the furnishings in my home, in an endless game of geometries, elements of nature, intense colors, transparencies and lightheartedness. This ensures that all the different colors and designs blend together to create a special, striking effect.

PB: What is the best advice that you would give new designers who have just begun their career?

LC: Be yourself, be brave and don’t be afraid to experiment with new ways of expression.

PB: What are your dreams for the future of Lisa Corti Home Textile Emporium?

LC: I started working and showing my creations from my home and now my products are exported all over the world and sold by leading stores in the United States, at my Emporium in Milan and franchised shops in Florence, Rome, Turkey and Brazil. But there is still room to grow, many goals to be reached and lots of dreams to chase. What I have built up to today must be consolidated and many new challenges wait around the corner to be confronted.

For more information on the work of Lisa Corti visit her website and sign up for her newsletter.

Contributing Writer Liz Perez is a surface designer, graphic designer, and illustrator. Find her on Twitter and Pinterest.