Evelyn Wyld (1882 – 1973) British Designer Textiles and Rugs

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TAPIS, 1927 by Evelyn Wyld
TAPIS, 1927 by Evelyn Wyld

Evelyn Wyld (1882-1972) was a British designer known for her contributions to the field of interior design. Born in 1882, she lived during a time when the profession was predominantly male-dominated. However, Wyld managed to establish herself as a prominent figure in the industry and left a lasting impact on British design.

Education

She studied at the Royal College of Music, London. 

Biography

She settled in Paris in c1907. She and Eileen Gray travelled to North Africa, where they learned weaving and wool dyeing with natural colours from Arab women. 

In 1909, Wyld returned to Britain, where she studied weaving and rug knotting while Gray tried her hand at designing rugs. In 1927, she and Eyre de Lanux began living together and first worked on the rue Visconti, Paris. It was here that Wyld supervised the weaving of rugs designed by Gray.

At one point, eight women worked in the three rooms on the top floor of the building where Honore de Balzac had earlier run a print shop. The wool came from the Auvergne, was dyed in Paris, and had labels that read ‘Designed by Eileen Gray at the workshop of Evelyn Wyld.’ 

Evelyn Wyld rug c1930
Evelyn Wyld rug c1930

The rugs were given names, including Héliogabale, Ulysse, Hannibal, Macédoine, Pénélope, Fidèle, Casimir, Biribi, D (for Damia) and E (for Eileen). 

The best-seller was Footit, named for the clowns Chocolat et Footit. Gray’s rugs were severely geometric; Wyld’s tended to be flowery. In 1929, Wyld and Eyre de Lanux moved to Saint-Tropez, then to La Roquette-sur-Siagne, and opened the shop Decor in Cannes, which soon closed. They designed interiors and lacquered furniture, some with the assistance of Seizo Sugawara. 

Recognition

Wyld and de Lanux showed furniture and rugs in 1927, 1929, and 1932 Salons of the Societe des Artistes Decorateurs and 1930 (I) UAM (Union des Artistes Modernes). Wyld’s rugs were shown at the 1931 rug exhibition Curtis Moffat Gallery, London. 

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.

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