Pukka Print Introduces The Samarkand Collection
A landmark textiles exhibition in Paris led Jools Cornell, founder of Pukka Print, in a new creative direction for the design of her latest collection of luxury linens, with inspiration taken from the well worn silk route of Uzbekistan in central Asia. Influenced by traditional suzani work, the new Samarkand collection is Pukka Print’s debut screen-print collection, with all fabrics printed by hand in India.The acclaimed exhibition “On The Roads of Samarkand” opened in Paris in 2023, showcasing a range of unique renaissance works and treasures from the C19th and C20th on display for the first time outside of the museums of Uzbekistan. It was while visiting that Jools started to formulate the idea of translating the suzani motifs on display into her own fabric collection.
“I have always loved the joy of suzani - their playful motifs, cheerful colours and uplifting spirit,” says Jools. “They have a perfect, imperfect irregularity to them, embroidered patterns stitched by hand giving them real character that I find really comforting. It’s the interpretations of floral forms that I find so original and informal - the complete opposite of a botanical, life-like painting. It’s this disregard for formality but the appreciation and nod to pattern rhythms that really enticed me. I immediately recognised the potential for placing our next collection in the heart of the Samarkand exhibition - I felt the recurring motifs could translate well into block printing, Pukka’s usual mode, and so this got me wanting to experiment with patterns and colour combinations to see how I could make them relevant for contemporary interiors.”
Following months devoted to research and design development, Jools decided to work with a new textiles supplier based in Delhi, India and, imbued with the spirit of adventure, experiment with screen printing, a departure from block printing that Pukka Print traditionally uses. This allowed Jools to play with pattern scale, allowing motifs to easily be enlarged and manipulated - something that is quite limited by hand-blocks - adding a new series of larger, complementary prints to the collection. ‘Samarkand’ includes four new designs - Tulip Chain, Pomegranate, Pani and Diamond - in four different colour stories - Pea & Rhubarb, Marine & Sepia, Lagoon & Bordeaux and Wave & Plaster. With a nod to the vibrant colour palettes used in traditional suzani work, Jools has worked to curated palettes that will layer happily into a range of contemporary interior styles and complement popular paint brands and aesthetics.
“I’ve used a repeat edit of just four patterns across each of the colourways but I love how the colour palette in each story gives them completely different characters and creates a different aesthetic. From embracing the invigorating hot pink and bright green of the Pea & Rhubarb, to the calming Wave & Plaster that brings a calm, relaxed tone, I think this collection has something inspiring for everyone.”
