Karin Sajo – the haute couture in fabric design
Auteur : Kris | 09-04-2010
It’s been over a year since I stumbled upon Karin Sajo’s private showroom in Paris, and she hasn’t ceased to amaze me. What more would you expect from an haute couture styliste who designed for Dior, Gianfrance Ferré, John Galliano and Jean-Paul Gaultier? Wow…. what a career path and she’s not finished!
Say goodbye to the traditional tassel and neutral linens
Karin is truly a hidden ‘bijoux’ at the foot of Montmartre and her talent shows through her original fabric designs, texture and colour. Her ‘haute couture’ attention to detail shows through the fabric as well as the accessories which are all hand-sketched and painted before production.
When we started cocotte-design, Karin was my first pick as she is the epitome of a talented fashion designer gone fabric designer. “It’s a philosophy – an art – to coordinate a large choice of styles, fabric, textures and motifs while telling a coherent story”, says Karin. I am still intrigued at how approachable and humble she is in terms of the amazing fabric collection she has designed.
She has now successfully launched her collection internationally at the Maison & Objet fair in Paris and has been busy ever since filling orders for Middle East, Russian, Japanese and especially American clients. This Louis XVI style sofa à la Karin Sajo was a show-stopper at the fair:
Yasna, her assistant, confirmed that the patchwork on the sofa took her months to design and she worked very closely with the upholsterer. What a perfect way to show off your collection.
I just love her new, bold, stamped-velvet ‘Astrakan’ collection in blood red, aubergine and chartreuse. What a show of elegant, Astrakan-print fabric in strong colours. Home textiles are really making a come back and I don’t hesitate to use such precious fabrics all over my house.
What a way to bring personality and top design into our tired interiors:
Karin confided that she much more appreciates the pace of the upholstery fabric design than the fashion industry. “I am not designing for a 6 month fashion mode but a 6 year cycle in home fashion”. She appreciates less stress and more time to focus on the fine details that set her apart from other designers producing en masse. What a perfectionist!
The photos do not do justice to the soft touch of her Italian, short-cut velvets – I dream of a full living room set in gray/taupe (Récital, colour ‘Lin’)……
She is one of my favourite cocottes and lucky you can buy such treasures at the Moline shop in Paris.
Thank you Karin for welcoming us into your showroom!
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