The Art of Liquid Colour: Inside Victoria Richards' Studio
Victoria Richards' studio feels like stepping into a painter's diary. Along the shelves, folded silks rest beside sketches and dye jars, while brushstrokes dry slowly on suspended fabric. This is where she has spent decades distilling colour into cloth, working with the patience of traditional screen-printing and the spontaneity of a painter who can't resist rotating a screen mid-print or letting colour bleed exactly where it wants to go.
A selection of brightly hand painted silks by Victoria Richards.
Her pieces aren't just textiles; they're autobiography written in dye and thread, each one a chapter in an ongoing romance with colour that refuses to behave. Using traditional screen-printing methods combined with her own painterly practices, she creates rich, layered fabrics through overlaying colour and over-dying the finished lengths. The result? Textiles so vibrant and unique they've earned places in the permanent collections of both the V&A and New York's Museum of Fashion and Textiles.
Tie design-work in progress - inside a Victoria Richards sketchbook.
For over 25 years, the Channel 4 newsreader, Jon Snow, has been sporting Richards' ties – those bold bursts of colour somehow made government briefings and budget announcements a fraction more bearable. Richards produces three distinct collections of ties: the meticulously hand-painted limited editions, larger runs of hand-painted ties (each still unique thanks to the nature of her process), and those exclusively designed woven pieces.
Hand painted, heavy silk tasar scarves by Victoria Richards.
The fashion world also took notice, and her collaborations read like a who's who of European design: Nicole Farhi, Paul Smith, Valentino, Christian Lacroix. She's created designs for their collections, produced fabric runs for catwalk shows, and crafted finished garments for their retail outlets. Beyond the haute couture houses, she works with companies and individuals on bespoke projects, adapting her designs to reflect corporate identity or creating short runs of unique pieces for special events.
Design-work in progress - inside a Victoria Richards sketchbook.
On Saturday September 20, during London Textile Month, Richards opens her Brixton studio doors for an intimate 90-minute journey through her practice. It's a rare opportunity to witness the alchemy of colour meeting cloth, guided by an artist who shapes fabric not by trend, but by hand, memory, and pure intuition.
Ahead of her event, we caught up with Victoria for our ‘5 Minutes with a Friend’ series:
Victoria Richards
Portrait of Victoria Richards in her studio.
Victoria, what is your first memory of a textile?
Smocking in the bodice of dresses that I wore as a young child. I loved poking my fingers in-between the stitching.
Can you put into words what you love about textiles?
I love the feel and texture of different fabrics, and have always enjoyed how wearing certain textiles can alter how you feel. Of course colour can change a mood, but when combined with softness, structure or sheen colour can be used to create multiple effects and moods.
Where is your most inspiring space or place to create?
Clockwork Studios of course! Our lovely studio was originally Fred Karno’s Fun Factory, where Charlie Chaplin started his acting career. Its a wonderful creative space filled with artists and designers sparking off ideas from one another.
What has inspired you recently?
I love the paintings of Sean Scully, with the bold painterly stripes he creates in such wonderful colours. Emily Kame Kngwarreye at Tate Modern was also such an inspiration.
What is your most cherished textile, and why?
I own a beautiful tapestry piece by my dear friend Shelly Goldsmith. it reminds me of our long friendship and I see it daily as it is hung in our hall near the front door.
Where did you learn your craft?
West Surrey College of Art, now UCA. It was the most hands-on creative, and inspirational environment.
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Further information:
Meet Victoria on 20 September as part of London Textile Month, for her Open Studio and Talk: Colour to Cloth.
Tickets are available here.
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Image Credits:
Lead Image: Chrome Neckerchief by Victoria Richards. Printed silk twill with hand-rolled edge.
All other images courtesy of Victoria Richards.