Art Pillows by Aelfie
The Brooklyn-based textile designer starts collaborating with her creative neighbors for a whimsical collection of hand-embroidered cushions
In the two years since opening her eponymous studio in Brooklyn, Aelfie Oudghiri has expanded from her remarkable handwoven rugs to create pillows, bedding and an especially dreamy collection of hand-dyed sheepskin decor. Now Oudghiri has trained her eye on a collaboration with her new Art Pillows, a collection of whimsical cushions featuring designs and illustrations by artists such as Chris Uphues, Atelier Bingo and Morgan Blair. All of the artists come from different parts of Oudghiri’s life, both directly and from afar. “Two of the artists were neighbors of mine in Bushwick, Brooklyn. One I met a party,” she recalls. “A few I encountered on Instagram and, years ago, Morgan Blair bought a couch from me off of Craigslist.”
Oudghiri, who started her career as an antique and vintage textile dealer, brings a great deal of insight to her designs, explaining that her approach to design “is informed by the history of textile production, trade and symbolism.” The Art Pillow collection tips its hat in a similar direction—celebrating a conceptual exchange between the artist and Oudghiri. While Oudghiri thinks practically about how textiles can be constructed, “A few of the artists were unfamiliar with embroidery and its limitations and, as a result, submitted some wonderfully out-there ideas,” she says. As a result, Oudghiri worked closely with her embroiderers to get as close as possible to each original concept. Each pillow is hand-embroidered in Rajasthan from 100% cotton, and filled with down and feathers locally sourced in the USA.
Art Pillows by Aelfie ($125) are available online. Each design is a limited run of 20.
Images courtesy of Aelfie
