Bonjour, and welcome to our second installment of the LC Conversation: industry insights from sustainability pioneers!
Creative collaboration, meaningful conversation, explorative travel, and driving curiosity with a thirst for learning have long been hallmarks of Laurence’s lifestyle and now extend into the LC team values as a whole. The LC Conversation gives us an opportunity to connect with people in a new way, and share these connections with our audience.
This series features a diverse array of tastemakers, visionaries, and thought-leaders from an assortment of creative fields, as they answer the same set of questions to give us insight into their philosophy, experience, style, and artistic view.
This week, we’re excited to introduce Kathryn Richardson, Vice President of Sales at Libeco Belgian Linen.
Kathryn has been in the textiles field in various industry roles from retail to wholesale management at companies such as Laura Ashley, Williams-Sonoma, F Schumacher/Waverly, and Revman Industries. After 4 years as EVP with Swing, an MA-based design company, Kathryn moved back to NY to work for Libeco, a Belgium-based linen weaving mill, in 2007. Kathryn has been at Libeco VP of Sales for Libeco, overseeing the US and Canada, for the past 13 years.
Kathryn has a passion for natural fibers and promoting textiles. She currently serves on the Board of Directors as Vice President and Marketing Chair of the International Textile Alliance and is a past Board Member and President of the Sustainable Furnishings Council.
Let’s begin!
What is your present state of mind coming into 2021?
I had welcomed the break of the holidays and the end of the year as a very needed mental reset for me, my staff, and for all. I have found in coming back in Jan, however, that we are far from done with the exceptions to normalcy and the need to stretch and move is creating more and more stress in my immediate community and extended customer reach.
We all are craving new and renewed experiences and yet we are still all somewhat stuck. In that sense, I have a great sense of positive outlook and a pent-up itch to soar, to create, to thrive. I am very positive on the outlook of our industry and in textiles in general, despite the hardships. I see 2020 as the fire that has tempered the metal and made it stronger.
How do you think recent events are affecting consumer trends with respect to design, architecture, and interiors?
I certainly see the stress and pressure affecting all. Some are learning more patience from the experience of all of us in the same boat scenarios with sourcing, timing, shipping, etc. I see increasing demand in sustainable products due to an awareness of wellness in the home, the need to create a safe haven in one’s own spaces, and a respect for mother nature that has not been present.
How do you incorporate sustainable practices in your business?
Since the product we produce at Libeco is so earth-conscious to begin with, we have a head start in this. But being mindful of healthy products that are positive for the earth also means we must embrace people-conscious production, business philosophy, and social responsibility.
From partnerships with organizations providing living wages for women in Tunisia doing embroidery work, to investing in eco-friendlier cooking stove production to reduce CO2 emissions, to providing a living wage to everyone in our employ, these things as well are proof of Libeco’s commitment to the spirit of true sustainability in our business. We want to be here and be healthy and happy for another 160 years and beyond.
How do you interpret the meaning of “Circular Economy” with regard to sustainability?
This takes two meanings for me – one, the way in which linen is a truly natural product that is grown with no irrigation, little to no chemical pesticides or fertilizers; processed with still ecological methods, with water-recycling; and can be recycled with no trace again after it’s full lifecycle.
It also means that Libeco works in harmony with its partners and industry colleagues in supporting a healthy linen textile industry so we are regenerative in the process, innovative and thinking always of how to improve and respect the full nature of flax as a natural, farmed resource.
What practices do you regularly engage in to support your health and wellness?
I am an avid organic gardener and woodworker and love to be outside. My husband, a trained chef, and I eat very healthy and spend a lot of time outdoors. I take time to be grateful every day.
What is your design motto or favorite quote?
“For most of history, man has had to fight nature to survive; in this century he is beginning to realize that, in order to survive, he must protect it.” – Jacques Yves Cousteau
Who is your artistic muse or icon (from past or present)?
I have always loved Ansel Adams and Dorothea Lange. Black and White photography has a clarity about it that I find very compelling. Adams and Lange both capture a time of the past that pays homage to things of the past that resonate today and give us a view on a more simple, purer time in a way. They also make us feel a sense of responsibility to the present while honoring and respecting the past through a quiet, observational lens.
In what places do you feel most inspired?
At any source of water.
What is one item you cannot live without?
Books
What is your favorite fabric?
That one, of course, is easy! Linen!
What color do you find yourself continually drawn toward?
Green
Which collection will you never forget?
The sculpture garden at the Rodin museum in Paris.
What book have you read recently that made a tremendous impression on you?
I read a lot, and my tastes range from biographies to fiction, to histories, business books – I read it all! But I was recently reminded how great books are in reading A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein with my 10-year-old nephew. Simple prose and poetry with a wry sense of humor that really makes you think and reflect. Great book.
What music most inspires you?
I love classical Spanish acoustic guitar and old-school southern blues.
What would be your daily uniform if you had to choose just one?
Jeans, ankle boots, and a comfortable cashmere sweater.
If you could tell your younger self (when you were just starting out) one thing, what would it be?
It gets better and better as you get wiser!
Thank you, Kathryn!
