printed textiles

BEHIND THE SCENES, DESIGN CONVERSATIONS, INSPIRATION, MODULAR SYSTEM, WORK IN PROGRESS

the joy of modular design - a few thoughts ahead of our new collection launches

ahead of our new collection launches, i want to revisit a core idea behind zitozza: the joy of modular design. it’s at the heart of how we create patterns — and why our textiles bring so much flexibility, structure, and character to modern interiors. we talked about this before, in our very first blog post - but we’ve come a looong way since then so it’s perhaps time to revisit these thoughts because i feel like it’s at the core of everything here, yet there is so little written about on these pages.

there’s something quietly satisfying about a system that lets you build from the ground up — pattern by pattern, block by block. at zitozza, modularity has always been at the heart of what we do. it’s more than a method; it’s a mindset.

the act of printing by hand using custom-made blocks invites a kind of architectural thinking. each motif becomes a unit — a brick, a tile, a module — capable of being repeated, rearranged, or rotated to form something larger. the process echoes the very structures that inspire our designs: functional, concrete, geometric. it’s a design language rooted in the modernist ideal that beauty comes not from decoration, but from clarity, rhythm, and purpose.

and yet, there’s so much play in it too.

modularity allows for variation — for reassembly, surprise, even subversion. every print starts with a simple shape, but it rarely ends there. colours collide, edges misalign, and new patterns emerge unexpectedly. it’s not about perfection, but about the whole picture, richness that comes from composition. the hand-printed surface becomes a space of improvisation. each textile becomes a landscape, or rather, a cityscape with buildings and structures.

our new tiles, the RAJZ set (to be released soon!) takes this even further. designed for modern interior spaces - we printed this on wallpaper for the first time ever! - and inspired by the abstract logic of architectural plans and schematic drawings, these blocks are designed for movement and multiplicity. they're not just shapes, but visual cues — arrows, intersections, corridors, walls. they suggest flow. they ask to be built with. as part of the MODERN set of course, these will go seamlessly with other blocks, allowing you to create even more patterns.

the upcoming TOYTOWN and AGGREGATE collections (also coming in may) are just our way of creating with our existing sets. they embrace this philosophy in different ways — one playfully, the other structurally — but both grounded in the joy of repetition and reconstruction. you’ll see echoes of grid systems and city plans, the raw tactility of concrete, the subtle logic of elevation lines. and you’ll also see softness, colour, and warmth. because modularity doesn’t mean rigidity — it means possibility.

i designed these two very different new collections for this summer, to emphasise the variety of moods, colour schemes, looks that you can create with the same handmade process, the same handmade texture, yet very different interiors can be achieved. i love this kind of versatility and if you want to create your own look with these systems, start here.

in an age of ready-made looks and fast consumption, there's something refreshing about design that invites creativity and such freedom of thought. modular design is never final. it welcomes revision, addition, and layering. it lets people participate in the pattern.

and that’s the joy of it.

if you want to be among the first to browse our collections when they’re released, sign up below to our newsletter. it comes with a free downloadable poster every month. stay tuned for our release!

BEHIND THE SCENES, WORK IN PROGRESS, MODULAR SYSTEM

new year, new tiles!

happy belated new year i guess, many apologies for making an appearance so late in january - as you know it is an admin-heavy, busy time of year so i will be short and to the point: we’re working on a brand new tileset! i’m so excited to show you these work in progress materials and the launch will be rather special… coming with another exciting news announcement soon! (sorry to be cryptic a bit!)

these tiles will be part of our MODERN collection, to fit seamlessly into the whole system of modular prints with our usual bold colours and our abstract, universal, architectural style - coming soon onto sustainable fabric near your home.

if you’re interested in anything bespoke, please do get in touch, we’d be delighted to hear about your project and print fabrics for your interior schemes.

BEHIND THE SCENES, WORK IN PROGRESS, MODULAR SYSTEM

new tiles coming soon...

it’s been a while since we made a blog post about anything happening at the studio, because, well, it is a well oiled machine now of things getting designed, printed block by block, then made up and sold… but even with our modular system and infinite possibilities, it’s good to refresh things from time to time and add new ingredients to the well-liked recipes. so we’re working on a brand new tileset - see a little glimpse below!

we’ll be working on some brand new prints with these in the coming months - of course, these tiles will be part of our MODERN collection, not just creating a beautiful collection on their own but working well with more than a hundred of others, extending the possibilities for ever more varied patterns.

if you’re interested in anything bespoke, please do get in touch, we’d be delighted to hear about your project and print fabrics for your interior schemes.

if you got curious about our new stuff - just bear with us while we are putting them together please, you can be sure they’ll arrive in beautiful, bold colours and our signature architectural style! do watch this space…!

SUSTAINABILITY, TEXTILE INDUSTRY, INTERIOR DESIGN

how the UK's fire safety regulations make it difficult to bring eco-conscious materials into your home

first things first, i have some excellent news to share. zitozza fabrics can now be treated to domestic & contract upholstery and curtain fire safety standards, meaning it can now be used as upholstery fabric (yes, the heavyweight jute has the rub count too for general upholstery use!)

this is fantastic news and watch this space because some new products are currently planned to launch next year - and in the meantime, please do enquire about any bespoke projects, we’re here and happy to help and print for you!

now, i’m going to write a little bit more about this though because it feels that the issue of fire safety regarding eco-conscious materials is not often discussed - it’s probably because it is not the most exciting of topics, nevertheless it is very important and people in our trade must be aware of all of it anyway.

it is important, because it is estimated that in the uk, 37000 house fires happen claiming 200 lives every year. textiles in the home no doubt play a huge role in how these fires spread and the UK has one of the strictest regulations in the world in place called the furniture and furnishings (fire) (safety) regulations 1988, to make sure that all parts of furniture, filling materials and covers too should be fire resistant for domestic environments as well as contract ones. there are different standards for different environments and materials, but the bottom line is, all cover fabric, even in domestic environments, must be cigarette and match resistant as well. these are uniquely strict regulations and testing regimes that the rest of the world does not match, perhaps for good reason - the problematic chemicals required to achieve fire proof status. watch this excellent newsnight report on the topic, aired in 2017, soon after the devastating grenfell tower tragedy.

The devastating Grenfell Tower fire has prompted a complete review of fire safety regulations in tall buildings. But how fire-safe is the furniture inside Br...

there are exceptions though in these regulations: for cover fabrics consisting of over 75% natural fibre, it is enough to pass the cigarette test only, if it is used with a fire resistant interliner cloth that passes a more comprehensive fire resistance test (schedule 3.) it is quite common for cotton and linen blends to be used like this, without excessive chemical treatments. the regulations specify what they mean by “over 75% natural fibre content” - that is cotton, flax, viscose, modal, silk, or wool. not a very comprehensive list, is it? and because other natural fibres such as jute and hemp are not specified, those of us working with these fibres must treat it further to pass the more stringent match test too. luckily, zitozza jutes can be treated for these standards. the treatment does not seem to damage the print or the fabric in any way, and we’re happy to supply it for you to even contract standards.

i am however quite disappointed that in the case of jute (and hemp - probably the two most sustainable fabrics in the world), chemical use is the only route to compliance. i don’t know whether the treatment itself can be made more environmentally friendly, but at the moment it certainly does not seem to be health friendly - many of the chemicals used for such treatments have been found to disrupt hormone function and increase cancer risk. while the EU are moving towards banning many of these chemicals, in the UK the presence of chemicals in the dust remains a huge concern (and a particular worry with jute because it’s such a fibrous material.) it is argued that due to the toxicity of the fumes, these chemicals on the fabrics can actually make house fires more dangerous - the very thing they are meant to improve.

of course, i’m aware that jute in particular in its natural state is flammable. it’s a dry, woody fibre and dundee was notorious for fires starting at the jute mills. it was worse in the past because of the batching oils, but the amount used by the industry today is a lot more reduced, and i’d like to think, or at least test it to confirm, whether its behaviour would be any different from flax or certain types of cotton. these are specified in the regulations as exempt from the match test (with a schedule 3 interliner) and it disappoints me that jute and hemp are not. this makes it difficult for such sustainable textiles to enter the UK market, at a time when there is a huge pressure to make the environmental switch.

currently these regulations are so strict that even floor cushions count as furniture, therefore, while small, decorative cushion covers don’t have to be treated, for cushions over 60 x 60 cm the cover fabric must also pass. personally, i think this is overkill and while i fully trust my supplier with the safety of this treatment, i’m still being cautious with this product range because i’m worried it reduces the eco-friendly nature of these products.

it’s been a tough situation for many businesses trying to promote eco-conscious design, although i’m aware that there is a lot of research into better, less toxic treatments and i have no doubt that things will improve. i just wish the pace of these changes to be in line with the urgency of the environmental situation.

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links:

FIRA flammability guides (UK domestic) (UK contract)

furniture and furnishings (fire safety) regulations 1988 (UK government)

testing & standards explained (maureen whitmore, interior designer)

house fire facts (first alert, smoke alarm company)

background briefing - flame retardants (breast cancer uk, charity)

the EU’s quest to ban toxic flame retardants (cool products, ngo)

the use of toxic flame retardants and their effects on health (question for written answer by MEPS to the european commission and their written answer)

britons and their unborn children at risk (the independent, newspaper)

why the uk fire regulations are killing eco-design (e-side, furniture business)

BEHIND THE SCENES, WORK IN PROGRESS, MODULAR SYSTEM

it’s all about the system

printing-block-set-brutalist-geometric-design.jpg

hello! and welcome to zitozza. we are now open and this is our first blog post. introductions are always awkward so let’s get it quickly over with. the intention of this blog is to keep it updating regularly, with all the latest research into our processes and thoughts that drive our designs, and of course news and developments around our studio. also, of course, to give a chance to look behind the scenes from time to time, share some inspiration and sneak peeks of up and coming products. so let’s start with a short introductory post.

so what is exactly do we do here at zitozza? first and foremost, surface pattern design. however i understand that’s a little generic, given that the “surface” at zitozza is made exclusively of jute, for its amazing, tactile texture and incredibly sustainable qualities. we mostly cover surfaces in the modern home such as rugs, lampshades and cushions and these products showcase the variety of patterns possible with the printing blocks. (although you can, for sure, make bags and other things of our fabrics too (and if you do, please share!)

and yeah, well, pattern design must be specified further too. we don’t just offer separate patterns in defined colourways, no. here’s the interesting bit: the zitozza look is all one system! not individual designs, not separate collections (okay, a little bit), but it’s all about the system. our patterns are made of (mostly) uniform sized, square shaped printing blocks, creating the system of interchangeable, infinitely combinable designs, and you can make it as simple or as complicated as you want. they are separated into MODERN and HERITAGE, the former consisting of brutalism-inspired, geometric elements and the latter a bit more organic and tradtional, but all arranged in an orthogonal geometry that’s unique and defining our look.

this system allows us to create an infinite number of pattern with the same printing blocks in individual colourways, suited to your taste and surroundings. because of the flat, square shapes of our blocks, we call them tiles, and instead of collections, we call them tilesets, because they are not a collection, and it’s all one system. we don’t have collections in the sense of metres and metres of the same pattern and even samples are made to order because the hand printing makes a deep level of customisation and exclusive designs possible.

apart from having immense fun making them, we want to be able to offer unique designs and something that can be varied further in a single room but remains in the same modern, hand printed style of course that we define as the “zitozza aesthetics”.

what we want to offer to the modern home is colours, play, and nice, durable things that didn’t cost the earth.

so why don’t you browse and discover for yourself what’s available? explore our “collections” or make up your own design with these blocks.