Kaffe Fassett has spent a lifetime dismantling preconceptions. In 1951 aged 14, he changed his name after reading a book about the Ancient Egyptians. After arriving in England from California in 1964, he modelled for the likes of Bill King, Richard Avedon and David Bailey despite having previously been told that he looked “too much like an actor” to ever make it. In 1968 he began challenging the theory of colour with his vibrant knitted creations, starting a yarn-fuelled frenzy amongst the masses and introducing the concept of a male-leading voice in the world of knitting. In 1985 he published his first book (he’s since authored 50 titles). In 1988 he became the first living textile artist to have a solo exhibition at the V&A. And in 2018, he received an honourary MBE in recognition of his services to the crafts of knitting and needlework.
Living in Colour:
Kaffe Fassett
Words by Leanne Mascoll Wheaton
As I listen to Kaffe recounting these landmark moments – an enthralling tale delivered in his soothing Californian lilt – I realise that you could be lulled into the idea that his path to renowned artist has been smooth and straight. Unless Kaffe’s drawn on the hurdles, he just doesn’t talk about them, but it could be argued he’s had to work harder than most for the recognition he enjoys today.
Kaffe first picked up a pair of knitting needles on the train back from a Scottish mill with fashion designer Bill Gibb. On the journey up he fell in love with the colours of the landscape and, upon arrival, promptly bought 20 colours of wool. A 20-minute knitting lesson from a fellow passenger on the train home changed the course of his life. “It all started off as this whacky thing I could do on the side while I was painting seriously and being a serious artist,” he laughs. “Little did I know it would turn into a career.”
A feature in Vogue Knitting and a commission for a main fashion feature in Vogue caught the eye of the Missoni family, who offered Kaffe a job. His star was on the rise but the art scene – a peer group that, as a talented painter, he inherently belonged to – was not ready to accept him. “It was so tough at the beginning. There was absolutely no respect for textiles,” he recalls. “We were so low on the totem pole.”
Kaffe first picked up a pair of knitting needles on the train back from a Scottish mill with fashion designer Bill Gibb. On the journey up he fell in love with the colours of the landscape and, upon arrival, promptly bought 20 colours of wool. A 20-minute knitting lesson from a fellow passenger on the train home changed the course of his life. “It all started off as this whacky thing I could do on the side while I was painting seriously and being a serious artist,” he laughs. “Little did I know it would turn into a career.”
A feature in Vogue Knitting and a commission for a main fashion feature in Vogue caught the eye of the Missoni family, who offered Kaffe a job. His star was on the rise but the art scene – a peer group that, as a talented painter, he inherently belonged to – was not ready to accept him. “It was so tough at the beginning. There was absolutely no respect for textiles,” he recalls. “We were so low on the totem pole.”
Disputes surrounding his chosen medium aside, Kaffe’s drastic approach to colour and pattern reinforced the fact that his art wasn’t making a play to exist within the confines of accepted convention. “I think bright colours often scare people and make them uncomfortable but I find them stimulating. For me, no matter the discipline – whether it’s mosaics, a painting, or a rag rug – it’s always been about exploring bold colour.”
Kaffe does this with skill, managing to find harmony in the kind of pairings that are intentionally at odds with the expected. Zingy orange nestles up against fuchsia pink, post-box red jostles alongside chartreuse green and each of his quilts features one pattern in five different colourways, and it all works beautifully.
This experimental approach extends to the “colour lab” home he shares with husband and business partner Brandon Mably, too. “To us, it’s all a big film set,” Kaffe explains of their shared approach to interiors. “We’re constantly changing things – adding, moving, taking away. People can’t understand it, but it’s an amazing playground.”
Kaffe does this with skill, managing to find harmony in the kind of pairings that are intentionally at odds with the expected. Zingy orange nestles up against fuchsia pink, post-box red jostles alongside chartreuse green and each of his quilts features one pattern in five different colourways, and it all works beautifully.
This experimental approach extends to the “colour lab” home he shares with husband and business partner Brandon Mably, too. “To us, it’s all a big film set,” Kaffe explains of their shared approach to interiors. “We’re constantly changing things – adding, moving, taking away. People can’t understand it, but it’s an amazing playground.”
The film set analogy is fitting – every room has its own vivid story to tell. The delicate roses, jumping off vibrant yellow walls in the living room, were hand painted by Kaffe after a discussion about the room “feeling bare”. The hallway is dominated by a pink largescale needlepoint tapestry Kaffe has nicknamed “The Barbara Bush” after the First Lady bought and completed the craft kit. The dining room plays host to the most beautiful hand-blocked reproduction 1930s wallpaper. Not satisfied with one shade, Kaffe opted for three, collaging them into a unique ombré landscape. Each wall is trimmed with a garland, fashioned from the Christmas decorations he designed for a tree at the V&A in 2005. These kinds of stories exist in every nook and cranny of their home.
To the outsider’s eye it might all look a little chaotic, but every space has been crafted with function at its heart and for all of his rule breaking, Kaffe immediately realises when something isn’t in its rightful place. “A good friend of mine put a stuffed toy on the mantelpiece and I was like ‘ahhhhhh!’. It was so funny. I just had to move it. It didn’t even occur to me that I cared that much.”
After 50 years of concepting and creating, I question whether Kaffe’s scope for colour innovation is nearing saturation. Not even close. “I find inspiration everywhere,” he explains. “A piece of chewing gum stuck to the pavement, a group of dresses on a rail, an oil slick on the road, a pile of rubbish – when your mind gets into that space, you start seeing things everywhere. It’s all grist to the mill.”
To the outsider’s eye it might all look a little chaotic, but every space has been crafted with function at its heart and for all of his rule breaking, Kaffe immediately realises when something isn’t in its rightful place. “A good friend of mine put a stuffed toy on the mantelpiece and I was like ‘ahhhhhh!’. It was so funny. I just had to move it. It didn’t even occur to me that I cared that much.”
After 50 years of concepting and creating, I question whether Kaffe’s scope for colour innovation is nearing saturation. Not even close. “I find inspiration everywhere,” he explains. “A piece of chewing gum stuck to the pavement, a group of dresses on a rail, an oil slick on the road, a pile of rubbish – when your mind gets into that space, you start seeing things everywhere. It’s all grist to the mill.”
“I find inspiration everywhere. A piece of chewing gum stuck to the pavement, a group of dresses on a rail, an oil slick on the road, a pile of rubbish – when your mind gets into that space, you start seeing things everywhere. It’s all grist to the mill.”
Kaffe is lucky he finds artistic stimulation in the everyday as thirst for his work shows no sign of abating. He’s constantly on the road, mounting exhibitions from Canada, to South Africa, to Japan. This month, he adds Anthropologie to the list. You can see The Wonderful World of Kaffe Fassett, a recreation of the artist’s studio, in the Anthropologie King’s Road Gallery until 13th October.
As it turns out, Kaffe feels right at home here. “In all honesty, I can’t pass an Anthropologie store without going in. It’s the whole atmosphere. The displays, the unique pieces I discover,” he confesses. “The whole approach to the decorative arts is unseen on the high street too and it’s brilliant. Anthropologie has always seen the value in what we do and use it to make people’s everyday lives a little bit more colourful.”
As it turns out, Kaffe feels right at home here. “In all honesty, I can’t pass an Anthropologie store without going in. It’s the whole atmosphere. The displays, the unique pieces I discover,” he confesses. “The whole approach to the decorative arts is unseen on the high street too and it’s brilliant. Anthropologie has always seen the value in what we do and use it to make people’s everyday lives a little bit more colourful.”