Randall Darwall
and Brian Murphy

The Landscape of the Cloth

Recently, renowned master weaver Randall Darwall and his life and business partner Brian Murphy—known for their acclaimed line of wearables—have been making quilts. The quilts are amazing, lush pieces, a patchwork of fabric gleaned from their extensive travels together, and of course Darwall’s gloriously-colored woven cloth—both new and vintage. The quilts are a perfect metaphor for Darwall and Murphy’s enduring personal and professional relationship; their collaboration is so rich and textured that it could easily be likened to a tapestry or quilt. For most of their twenty-three years together, they have worked from their Cape Cod home as a team—Darwall dyeing and weaving his lyrical shawls, scarves and fabric, and Murphy designing clothing and supervising sales. One of the secrets to the longevity of their relationship, they say, is surprise.

“We laugh a lot, we have a good time, and we spark off each other. I really respect Randy’s color sense and his knowledge and I think I constantly surprise him with what I’m doing. It’s fun after twenty-three years to still surprise each other,” says Murphy.

 

by Elizabeth Frankl
issue 34.2

This article in its entirety appears only in the print magazine.

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