Hello Atelier 015

Brandon Mably

Aside from the eye-popping shirts that he wears (often made out of his own fabric), Brandon Mably is an unassuming artist. He seems far happier extolling the virtues of his partner Kaffe Fassett than he is talking about his own work. In fact, it took a little convincing to get him to sit for this interview after we had finished with Kaffe’s. But he has a great eye for design. And though he is part of the Kaffe Fassett Collective of artists, he has developed his own warm and witty aesthetic style.

A complete craft novice when he first met Kaffe, Brandon was enthralled by the color and textures he found in Kaffe’s studio. A few years later he was a published knitwear designer, and today his fabric designs are coveted by sewists the world over (including myself, his Jazz print in corduroy is one of my all-time favorite fabrics).

Could it be that Brandon’s own experience learning the world of textiles and finding his own design voice helps stoke his interest in helping others do the same? He and Kaffe travel the world teaching workshops that are just as much confidence building lessons in color and design as they are courses in knitting or quilting.

Listen in as we talk about Brandon’s first steps as an artist, his design process, and the most important lesson he wants his students to take away from his workshops.

What’s happening in Brandon’s world:

• Brandon Mably: See Brandon’s work and check out the events guide to see if he is teaching near you!
• Jazz: Check out my favorite Brandon Mably fabric, Jazz
• You Can Can: Brandon’s fabric design that features can-can dancers
• Kaffe Fassett: Visit the world of the Kaffe Fassett Collective
• Amy Butler: A fabric designer friend of Brandon’s with whom he was inspired to design You Can Can
• Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec: The artist that inspired Brandon to design his You Can Can fabric
• Rowan: A knitting magazine that features Brandon and Kaffe’s work. See their Kaffe Fassett knit-a-long, going on now!