Monica Hofstadter Textiles and Homewares
A Brooklyn-based designer inspired by the clouds, moon, and a gas station in Iceland
There are a lot of attributes that immediately drew us to Monica Hofstadter‘s debut textile collection: 100% all natural textiles (except for one shimmering exception), un-dyed fibers, all designed and handmade in NYC, cozy-looking, comfortable-feeling, etc. At their core, however, these are products crafted from the finest merino and baby alpaca wool from Peru, as well as French cotton and mohair—all with Hofstadter’s signature inspirations balancing a notion of home and a sense of the ethereal. The textile designer initially went to school for fashion but found herself more interested in the fabrics at play than the ultimate clothing she developed. There, however, she developed a firm understanding of knits and realized she could apply it to her love of creating spaces and decorating. Looking to the clouds and the moon for inspiration, Hofstadter began turning her select materials into pillows and blankets that reflect their hand-made nature.
At present, the collection contains one material that is not all natural: mylar. The resulting creation, known as the Moon Pillow, makes it worthwhile. As Hofstadter explains, “this stems from me being obsessed with emergency blankets in the camping section of a gas station in Iceland. It’s the first iteration of figuring out how to make it into an even more interesting textile.” Hofstadter sought out the sparkling mylar, had it shredded and then spun into a mylar yarn. She then hand knotted it to make the reflective, but warm pillow—stuffed with 100% kapok fiber. It’s one of many instances where she has drawn inspiration from pre-existing but uncommon items. At present, Hofstadter also happens to be refurnishing found chairs. The self-admitted collector of things plans on venturing into furniture design herself, down the line.
You can explore all of Monica Hofstadter’s debut collection online.
Images courtesy of Monica Hofstadter
