Shaping the soul of objects

Faye Toogood’s work is a dynamic fusion of artistry and utility, where the lines between furniture, fashion, and sculpture blur into seamless narratives. Her designs are more than objects – they are expressions of the story she tells through the textures, shapes, and materials she carefully selects. With a strong belief that true creativity doesn’t follow a linear path, Toogood invites us into a world where everything from a coat to a chair resonates with meaning and purpose. In her studio, there’s a constant flow of experimentation, driven by intuition and an enduring respect for craftsmanship, resulting in designs that are timeless yet undeniably contemporary. 

hube: Your work spans multiple disciplines, from fashion to furniture design. How do you navigate the interplay between these fields, and what do you believe is the philosophical core that unites them?

Faye Toogood: The idea that I couldn’t design or make what I wanted because it’s not my ‘area’ is quite limiting. I look past the boundaries of disciplines and create wherever it fits, with the best possible design outcome. I never formally trained as a designer, and this allows me to think independently. I feel able to find the right medium or genre to express the narrative I want to tell at the time. My approach to design is intuitive and expressive. I don’t really see any difference between a coat, a chair, or an interior. The approach and the ethos are the same. The most important thing to me is that everything I do – and the studio does – is relevant. Essentially, it has a place, it is desired, and it’s not just for me.

Despite the varied contexts, a consistent thread runs through all our projects: meticulous attention to detail. Whether we’re crafting a piece of furniture, designing an interior, or creating a fashion collection, the process is rooted in a deep respect for craftsmanship and materiality.

h: Your designs often emphasise materiality and form. How do you approach the selection of materials for your projects, and what role does materiality play in conveying the essence of your work?

FT: I’m passionate about materials, and they are the starting point of everything I do. There’s a big area dedicated to our materials library in the studio. I’ll pull pieces from this library and see how they talk to each other.

Although rigorous in execution, there is always a purposeful rawness to my work. For me, the surface texture of a design remains as important as its sculptural shape.

I would love people to think about their relationship with materials and the hierarchies of value. Who are we to say that gold is more precious than tin? I value canvas and clay as much as cashmere and bronze.

h: Your work transforms raw, industrial materials into refined pieces of art. How do you choose materials that not only serve a functional purpose but also act as metaphors for the themes you explore in your designs?

FT: A huge part of my work has been focused on creating ‘wow’ out of ubiquitous, simple, basic materials.

For my Assemblage 6, Unlearning, we used crumpled paper, tape, and cardboard to make small maquettes that we replicated as lasting full-scale forms. It’s freeing to use such simple materials because they allow endless possibilities and teach you not to be precious about an idea. In these Assemblages, I try to push the boundaries of manufacture that wouldn’t be possible in mass manufacture. My Roly-Poly chair has been realised in raw fibreglass, patinated bronze, and precious crystal barium glass – all producing strikingly different outcomes in one form.

h: Toogood’s creations often merge practicality with artistic expression. How do you reconcile the utilitarian aspects of your designs with their artistic and conceptual intentions?

FT: I describe myself as a designer because the pieces I work on are designed to have a function, whether that is a coat, a lamp, something you sit on, or the space you live in; and this is where I make the distinction. I do, however, have formal art training, and the history of art is ever-present in my approach, whether it’s the basis of an idea or in sculptural forms.

Another reason why I’m drawn to design is that it has the power to touch people through its embedded references to history and culture. As a designer, I can use certain references to get an emotion or a reaction out of the people visiting an experience. I feel this allows me to tell a story in a better way. To me, design is not just about presenting newness but about communicating something. I don’t need to do that through words, I can do it through recalling mental pictures in someone’s head. I’m excited to play on that to get a different message across.

h: Your studio integrates architects, sculptors, and illustrators. How does this cross-pollination shape your creative process, and what philosophical insights have you gained from these interdisciplinary collaborations?

FT: We encourage people from different backgrounds and different disciplines, and we don’t like to be rigid. I’m not a trained designer since I studied Art History, so I remain open-minded about people’s skills. We encourage the team to dip into projects outside their skillset. We view ourselves as holistic designers, so projects always involve more than one set of skills, no matter how small. We do work with collaborators but work with them, rather than alongside them, and quite often we can master new skills and complete projects in-house. I see the design team as misfits because the people who work here often have a mix of skills unique to themselves. I view us less as multidisciplinary and more holistic in our approach; we like to blend and share our skills.

h: In a world where design trends come and go, how do you embed a sense of timelessness into your work, and what stance do you take on the impermanence of fashion and design?

FT: I think in a fast-moving and turbulent world, our goal should be to create pieces with longevity that are valued and handed down to future generations. I don’t set out to be a trendsetter or follow trends. Our approach is, and always has been, to create long-lasting objects and garments with high-quality materials.

The Toogood fashion collection is based on trades – a working uniform – created for anyone, whether male or female, young or old. While each collection does introduce a number of new styles, colours, and fabrics, there are favourite bestselling styles – e.g., The Photographer Jacket, the Baker Trousers, the Draughtsman Shirt – that have been part of the collection for almost 10 years. Our clients collect pieces, adding year after year to their personal uniforms.

Well-made hand-crafted products are today’s luxury goods. The market is swamped with mass-produced products at any price. Choosing and owning a handmade piece, whether it be a hand-thrown mug, a bespoke table, a hand-knitted sweater, or a handwoven rug, is a more special purchase. It connects you directly with the maker and gives you the added knowledge that you own something that is one-of-a-kind or limited edition and therefore more valuable.

h: If your creations could be experienced through other senses beyond sight and touch, such as sound or taste, what would they convey and why?

FT: The intentional approach behind our pieces often leads to a thread that can be traced through to scent, sound, and taste. A long-time friend and inspiration of mine, Skye Gyngell from Spring London, recently created a bespoke, moulded desert inspired by our Roly-Poly chair. At Toogood, we are always looking to create not just a product, but an atmosphere. For our Autumn/Winter 24 clothing collection, titled ‘Into the Wild,’ we curated a deliberate playlist to embed the pieces into a nature-inspired soundtrack as part of Toogood’s Sound Tapes, titled ‘The Roots That Clutch The Branches That Grow.’ Our upcoming Spring/Summer 25 clothing collection is an ode to Café Culture. Not only does it draw from the visuals of all things café – think jam and egg yolks – but it lends itself to an easy translation into all our senses.

h: Looking ahead, what future directions or experiments do you envision for Toogood? How do you see your design philosophy evolving in response to changing cultural and technological landscapes?

FT: In the modern world, with the introduction of AI, I believe there will be a rise in the individual, in human innovation and creativity. I think our design approach, the studio’s restless experimentation, and our championing of craftsmanship, endeavours to meet these technological challenges. It’s now about the mix, the flow, the freedom, and the refusal to be pigeonholed or to be put in a box. It’s about reconfiguring the way we see things, pushing the boundaries, and getting out there to really make a mark. I personally will be choosing to work in even more of an analogue way. For sure, AI will be able to design a better Faye Toogood chair than Faye Toogood soon, so it is my job to keep reinventing, keep experimenting, and keep up with the unexpected. A very emotional, tactile, and human approach is going to be needed even more today.