Steven Alan is synonymous with button-down striped shirts that look good on everyone.
So we took note when he designed a line for West Elm, inspired by classic shirt stripes that are rendered in pale washes of India ink, hand-blocked patterns, and quilts with frayed edges— a menswear-inspired shirt for your bed. West Elm put Alan in touch with artisans in India, Nicaragua, and Haiti, all employed through fair trade cooperatives, to translate his iconic clothing brand into bedding, and tables, vases, and rugs, too. "I wanted the collection to feel organic and modern at the same time, so I combined a color palette of earth tones with a clean design," he says.
Above: The Quilt in Pewter is made up of vertical stripes hand appliquéd on a solid woven background; $169 for the queen size and $189 for the king. The quilts in the collection are all made in collaboration with Eco Tasar, a cooperative that supports Indian artisans specializing in silk-making and weaving. Companion quilted pillowcases are available in a Standard Sham ($29), King Sham ($34), and Euro Sham ($34).
Above: The quilt has subtly frayed edges for added texture.
Above: The Hand-Blocked Stripes Pillow Cover is printed on 100-percent hand-spun silk and tinted with natural vegetable dyes. The 12-by-21-inch deep coral pillow is $39.
Above: The Aliye Wool Dhurrie Rug is handwoven in two panels from gabbeh dyed yarns in 80-percent wool and 20-percent cotton. The panels are then stitched together resulting in stripes of color just slightly offset; prices range from $159 for the runner to $849 for the 9-by-12-foot size. The Steven Alan Papier-Mâché Side Table, 20 inches high and 22 inches in diameter, is handmade of recycled materials in Haiti; $299.
Above: Alan applied bands of earth tone to a set of ceramic Stripe Vases. The vases are handcrafted by Nicaraguan potters from the fair trade collective Chaka MarketBridge, a group that helps local artisans to scale production and reach new markets; prices range from $14.99 to $39.99 depending on size.
Above: The Quilt in India Ink is a web of pale blue triangles dyed with a light wash of India ink and then appliquéd on a 100-percent cotton background; $169 for the queen size and $189 for the king.
In the midst of a bedroom makeover? Browse all our favorite Beds and Bed Linens in our Shop section. Going green in the bedroom? Weigh in on the Gardenista Big Debate: Plants in Bathroom?
More Stories from Remodelista