A passion for woven textiles, hand-crafted luxury, and sustainable design led Helen Milen to launch STUDiO MiLENA TEXTILES in 2018. Drawing on her previous career as a successful fashion designer, Helen combines contemporary design with traditional craft to create limited edition hand-woven art, interior textiles, and woven accessories.
Helen weaves with natural yarns, organic wool fibres, and sustainably sourced fabrics to create unexpected textures and colour combinations within her work. Different threads are twisted together to produce unique weaving yarns; printed silk fabric is combined with wool yarn to create an interesting play on scale and pattern; chunky rug yarns and plump mohair are woven through fine yarns bringing a sense of movement to Helen's designs.
"I love the endless creative possibilities weaving offers me as a designer/artist. I often begin experimenting with an idea in my mind. As I introduce different yarns and colours to the weave, something organic often develops on the loom in front of me. I just go with it! I find this approach an incredibly exciting way to work"
Captivated by the patterns, textures, and colours of life in North Yorkshire, Helen takes particular inspiration in the architecture she sees: from crumbling brick walls and dilapidated farm buildings to elegant Georgian townhouses and ancient ruins. Helen combines this with her passion for traditional textiles and a love for the changing seasons.
STUDIO MILENA MISSION STATEMENT
Sustainability is at the heart of Studio Milena Textiles. Helen sources printed silks discarded from the fashion industry, vintage fabrics, and organic fibres, which she weaves alongside wool and cotton yarns. Helen tries to include as many British yarns as possible and she is proud to use wool yarns that are spun in Yorkshire.
The environmental impact of cotton is of great concern to Helen and she endeavours to source organic, recycled and GOTs certified cotton yarns with an aim to use as little cotton yarn as possible in her work.
Zero waste is addressed by transforming leftover yarns and swatches into mini textile artworks; decorative tassel trims are hand-crafted using excess warp yarn; packaging is re-cycled and re-used and surplus fabrics from the fashion industry are used within Helen's handwoven art panels.
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STUDiO MiLENA TEXTILES
Combining contemporary design with traditional craft.
Hand-Woven in England
Helen Milen pictured in her North Yorkshire studio.
If you have any questions about my work or would like to discuss a bespoke order, please send me an email to studiomilenatextiles@gmail.com
You can also take a look at my Gallery of work here
STUDiO MiLENA TEXTILES
Contemporary Design |.Traditional Craft