Home Kitchen Linens! A Q&A with Studiopatró Designer, Christina Weber
We can't get enough of the linen home goods from Studiopatró. While founder Christina Weber is a locally-based designer, she may seem more like a big shot based on her recent success. After all, foodie celebrity Michael Pollan was wearing one of her aprons on the cover of April's O Magazine. And it seems like servers at all of the hippest restaurants are donning them as well – both Tamarindo and Miss Ollie's in downtown Oakland came to us to order big batches of linen aprons for their staff. They look darn good, too! (Check out the pics below.)
While it's hard to keep them in stock sometimes, you can find all kinds of Studiopatro goodness here in our shop, from tea towels to aprons. The dotted tea towel with the risotto spoon is especially popular with folks in need of a housewarming present. To help you get to know the designer behind the goods better, here's a little Q&A with Christina Weber:
We love your designs. What inspired you to create Studiopatró, and why kitchenware?
I started Studiopatró three years ago to follow a passion to make beautiful things for the home. My background is in graphic design, and I spent years designing with ink-on-paper, working on catalogs for Williams-Sonoma, art directing photography, and working with talented food stylists and chefs. I love to cook and bake, so the kitchen was a natural place to start, and the tea towel became a natural canvas for new designs. Now I love working with the texture of ink-on-linen.
You often say that you think products should be both "useful" and "beautiful." Can you tell us more about your ethos?
I've always liked how linen tea towels are treated as keepsakes and heirlooms. They're often made to commemorate historic events, but our towels are more apt to celebrate daily life. I think of our tea towels as accents – they're a place to rest your eye, and they give a bit of beauty and color to your life and home. I love that the simple kitchen towel can become a special token, and still remain its humble and hard-working self.
How has your experience as a designer and art director at Williams-Sonoma informed your work?
I've learned so much at Williams-Sonoma... how to photograph products simply, how important it is to convey ideas in your visuals, and lots of branding skills. I also bring a lot of graphic design experience into my work. It's so important to have a voice in written communications.
It's so cool that you're right here in the Bay Area. What are you up to these days, and how can we support your work?
We're starting to produce new designs for Fall and Winter, and I'm excited. We have new colors and patterns for the tea towels, and new aprons too. So it's time to print, sew, photograph, write, update the website, get the word out, sell, etc. Some days it's all business, but doing things locally brings meaning to all the effort. We love to work with our local screeners and sewing companies, and watch their businesses grow too. The relationships make it all worthwhile.
Servers at Tamarindo in their Studiopatró aprons.
Server at Miss Ollie's in her Studiopatró apron.
Photos by CentsationalGirl.com, Nicole Grant Kriege
