JIM THOMPSON - Press Centre

NO.9 THOMPSON - OPUS

OPUS is Richard Smith’s fifth No.9 collection for Jim Thompson. This directional group of prints, embroideries and wovens builds on No.9’s strengths, and will appeal to the brand’s loyal customer base.

Grazing different Asian cultures, from those of the Caucasus, through the Indian sub-continent to China for inspiration, Smith hand-paints all his own artwork with characteristic lightness and wit. The designs vary from the very graphic to pretty watercolour effects, and all are united by the No.9 colour palette.

This variety of styles makes a very flexible and exciting offering, and as before combines beautifully with fabrics from the previous collecions: Odyssey, Ottomania, Orientaliste and Orissa.


	PRINTS
	BAMBOOZLE 2090/01-04 65%Rayon – 35%Ramie 4 colorways, Martindale 38,000 rubs Bamboozle, so named because it looks like it has been confidently painted with traditional Chinese ink and brush, and because the giant disjointed stripes of bold colour are reminiscent of bamboo. Cameo shades of one colour, make it very easy to work with in a scheme.

	HERA 2091/01-04 100%Linen 4 colorways Hera is inspired by the distinctive markings of the peacock – the greek goddess Hera’s favourite. Drawn with a feathery, simplified ikat effect and printed on No.9’s signature linen, the colourings are bold, bright and beautiful.

	PAMIR 2092/01-05 60%Cotton – 40%Jute 5 colorways, Martindale 20,000 rubs Pamir is a mountain range in Central Asia and this fabric is reminiscent of the spectacular peaks and troughs found there. The design has a hand-blocked quality that works beautifully with the natural jute ground. This smart geometric fabric brings a crisp edge to the collection.

	PAMIR BURN-OUT 2094/01 75%Linen – 25%Polyester 1 colorway Pamir Burn-Out is another popular No.9 quality, and makes a stunning sheer. The geometric design is simultaneously burned-out of the ground cloth, as well as being printed with opaque white ink. Held up to the light, it makes a truly three-dimensional fabric.

	BOMBAY MIX 2093/01-03 100%Linen 3 colorways Bombay Mix is the English name for a delicious Indian snack “chevdo”, and our new paisley fabric is a jamboree of charming Indian motifs. Our first design with a border uses the No.9 rustic linen and has the look and feel of a traditional hand-blocked cloth.

	PATCHOULI 2097/01-04 100%Linen 4 colorways Patchouli is full of eastern promise – a painterly vase full of heavenly scented blooms on a softly painted paisley background. The delicate rendering and rustic linen ground help add to the vintage feel.

	CHANA 2096/01-11 100%Cotton 11 colorways, Martindale 25,000 rubs Chana, the Indian name for chickpea, seemed such an appropriate name for this small-scale and versatile design. A soft ikat effect gives an asian flavour to this charming polka dot in a mouth-watering array of colours.

	JALI 2095/01-06 60%Linen - 20%Cotton – 20%Modal 6 colorways, Martindale 44,000 rubs Pierced Indian screens were the starting point for this scrolling one colour design. An extremely versatile scale, it is printed to emulate the irregularities of hand-blocks thus giving air and movement to the overall effect.

	EMBROIDERIES

	KHAJIAR 2080/01-06 80%Linen – 20%Rayon 6 colorways, Martindale 15,000 rubs Khajiar is a small village in northern India, and this latest embroidery uses No.9’s popular glazed linen as a ground to lively paisleys, simply sketched in white thread. As well as four soft neutrals there is a dramatic chocolate brown and a juicy orange.

	PRATESH 2082/01-04 95%Linen – 5%Rayon 4 colorways Pratesh is all about the play of light of luminous embroidery yarns against a dry linen background. A geometric grid inspired by the simple outline of Indian tiles makes a striking and three-dimensional textile.

	WOVENS

	DIVANI 2085/01-05 55%Cotton – 45%Rayon 5 colorways, Martindale 33,000 rubs Divani faithfully reproduces the look of a document from a nineteenth century mattress. Truly dual purpose, it drapes beautifully and the twill structure makes a very resilient cloth, perfect for upholstery.

	ISIS 2088/01-16 57%Cotton – 43%Rayon 16 colorways, Martindale 39,000 rubs Isis is No.9’s take on a classic Oxford cloth. The combination of the rayon warp and the cotton weft make a subtle play with light. It has a wonderful soft handle making it ideal for curtains as well as being tough enough for upholstery and slip covers.

	OSIRIS 2086/01-05 57%Cotton – 43%Rayon 5 colorways, Martindale 39,000 rubs Osiris was the husband of the goddess Isis in Egyptian mythology, and this bold stripe partners the plain well. Durable yet soft, the different colour combinations of the stripe work beautifully with the plain as well as No.9’s prints.

	HORIZON 2089/01-15 60%Rayon – 32%Linen – 8%Nylon 15 colorways, Martindale 60,000 rubs Horizon has a linen-rich warp which gives a softly textured background to the twisted horizontal stripes of chenille in the weft. Tough as well as fluid, it is another No.9 fabric that takes its inspiration from classic Jim Thompson hand-woven and hand-spun silks.

	TIME OUT 2087/01-06 95%Cotton – 5%Polyester 6 colorways, Martindale 24,000 rubs Time Out is a clever retro-looking ottoman weave. It balances interlocking egg-timer stripes of two colours and would give a cool, crisp edge to any room.

RICHARD SMITH
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