Zoffany: An Innovative Approach To Past & Present Design

Zoffany is an entry in our Great British Brands 2024 book. 

Zoffany: Great British Brand 2024

‘The Zoffany brand emerged as a result of the painstakingly passionate restoration project of the historic Tudor-Jacobean Temple Newsam, the magnificent stately house in Leeds, reinstating the wallpapers to their original glory. This was the early 1980s; these designs were collated into a collection, and so the brand was born. Restoration and provenance continue to be at the heart of Zoffany, together with preservation of design and craftship. Luxury and integrity run throughout with an appreciation of the past – in the present.

We combine modern technology with traditional manufacturing techniques. We see AI as being more of an enabler in the future, freeing up the human aspects of our creativity, allowing us to focus on our unique craftship. We saw this with digital printing and so many other, at the time, groundbreaking technologies that form part of our daily life today. Take our wallpaper factory in Loughborough, where we experiment using a variety of methods including hand-block, surface and digital print processes, combining them in ways that could not have been achieved before, heightening creativity. Our starting point is a document from which the design goes through many hands. We see digital and AI as tools rather than a solution.

Digital has opened us up to how and who we can work with. A longstanding collaborator with Zoffany is fine artist and muralist Melissa White. She works in a very authentic, traditional way and the use of digital technology allows us to capture the true essence of her artistic hand without restriction – freedom of creativity is very important at Zoffany.

We’re very fortunate with our archive. We’re not reinventing the wheel but simply revealing and discovering new emerging talents, bringing beautiful designs to light and from new perspectives.’

Peter Gomez, Lead Designer

Five Proudest Moments

1. Zoffany collaboration with Eye of the Collector in 2023. Positioning the brand in this environment allowed it to be appreciated in its true art form.
2. Zoffany’s relationship with bespoke artist Melissa White, which spans more than a decade.
3. Working with artisan embroiderer Livia Papiernik in 2023 as part of our commitment to supporting emerging talent.
4. The Arcadian Thames Collection in 2023, which revisits London in an unexpected way, capturing a snapshot of life.
5. The launch of Suffolk Damasks & Stripes Collection in 2024 – showcasing the heritage of British renowned silk weavers.

What I’ve Learnt…

• The constant cycle of historic designs and how each new generation rediscovers and interprets classical designs.
• The importance of delving deep into traditional British crafts, seeing them nurtured through institutions like the Royal School of Needlework and supporting and learning from each other.
• The relevance and appreciation of heritage British brands internationally.

ZOFFANY

Sanderson Design Group Showroom, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, Lots Road, London SW10 0XE

+ 44 (0)20 3903 3700

zoffany.sandersondesigngroup.com

@zoffanyfw