Designs of the times
Interview with the founder and director of interior fabrics brand Designs of the Time, Yvan Puylaert available from loft
Interview with Yvan Puylaert
Our family name has enjoyed an outstanding reputation in the world of interior decor for three generations, but I didn’t want to rest on that. At the end of the 90s I set up a brand-new business premise that immediately heralded the beginning of greater visibility for our distinctive features. Today, Puylaert Designs of the Time is enjoying limitless expansion, while I have managed to surround myself with a group of dedicated distributors and agents who are just as impassioned by colour and materials as I am.
[V]: How did you first become interested in fabric design?
YP: I was looking to find a way to express my feelings about a pure, natural, casual lifestyle. The idea of building a brand with this DNA would enable me to enjoy my life during working…
[V]: Your fabrics seem very versatile and diverse. Your inspiration must be varied. How do you create such different patterns, colours and textures?
The inspiration seems to be diverse but there is always one major leading thread… Pure, authentic, casual, natural, adventurous, travelled.
[V]: Tell us a bit about your process. How do you develop them through to the finished product?
YP: We are constantly looking to find the right cloth, texture, hand. Therefore it is important to have a good contact with the weaving mills, the finishers to discuss and to express the feeling about how the final desired look needs to be.
[V]: What type of material do you prefer to use?
YP: We prefer to work with natural linen fabrics, or mixtures with linen involved.
[V]: How has your brand look and feel developed over time?
YP: Our philosophy is an ongoing story. Since the beginning it’s been natural and casual, with each season completing the looks with impulsions of new colours, different textures and designs..
[V]: What has been the most important lesson you have learnt along the way?
YP: I would say that most important thing is to be “big” in a small niche in a type of product line that’s fitting with your personal DNA.
[V]: What kind of team do you have around you to support you and your business?
YP: The small team has the required skills for an excellent customer service, sales and creative input. Everyone involved is important – from the warehouse (checking out the goods to be sent out to high demanding decorators), to the customer service administration and the sales people on the road.
[V]: What makes you excited about your business now?
YP: It’s very exciting to see the impact of our niche market approach finds its devotees all over the world through an exquisite network of agents and distributors.
[V]: What is your creative space like?
YP: Spacious with pure materials, such as wood and steel. Plants. Some vintage design furniture.
[V]: Do you have any exciting plans for the future?
YP: My children are planning to enter the business… this gives me exciting energy for the future.
