Meet the Makers / AllAn Knight
How have your travels influenced your down to bookkeeping. I always say that kar-
product lines? ma will get them [copyists]. I like being the
One of my favorite trips was to Kenya. It
innovator. I can sleep at night, as I have paid
was not a buying trip, but for inspiration it
my dues and done my homework.
was fabulous. The colors, textures and ele- What future plans do you have for the
ments are from the beginning of time. Sam- Allan Knight product lines?
buru, which is an encampment in Kenya
We are constantly updating and adding to
that I visited, has incredibly tall and exotic
the acrylic catalog. This year we get a new ad
palms shooting out of the red mud of the
format and new binders. We will also launch
rivers – rivers filled with crocodiles and hip-
things that it is hard to home in and focus
some fabulous new upholstery pieces, such
pos. Another was Burma; I still cannot call
on one thing. Take corporate image for in-
as a beautiful chaise with hand-carved cab-
it Myanmar. Time has stood still there since
stance: We are re-inventing ourselves on
riole legs of acrylic, and some new tables in
the 19th century, but I think things are start-
paper, as I either feel tired of the old brand
a mix of great woods from rosewoods to ce-
ing to change. Still, there is a colonial at-
image or feel that we have outgrown it. I
rused oaks on acrylic bases. In lighting, we
mosphere mixed into all that oppression. I
think that evolving – giving up something
have literally dozens of new lamps as a result
think the textiles are influenced most by my
you love for something you love more for the
of last year’s trips to India and the surround-
travel. All the great colors of the world, in
sake of design – is essential for growth. It
ing countries. Also, Allan Knight Textiles
terms of silks, originate in Thailand and In-
is also hard to do and sometimes expensive.
dia. I think it is straight from nature. Gor-
Another expensive side, and always a chal-
geous color all around and beautiful complex
lenge, is spending money on those things
combinations of color play well in the textile
that others overlook because they are costly. I
development phase.
like [yan] lipao baskets, which are made
from the strands of ferns that grow in one
What are some of the challenges and tri-
jungle in southern Thailand. The baskets are
umphs you’ve faced launching your own
really expensive, especially the old ones, and
line of products?
most people just see them as baskets. I have
The challenges of product lines are some- learned that I will always see and want those
times of my own making. I like so many things, but now I try to temper the quan-
tity of those things, as I
may be one of a very few
that appreciates that very
niche item, and may per-
sonally have to live with
it someday.
How do you safeguard
your designs from being
will be launched in some form this year. It
copied?
is a bit daunting, as all of these are major ex-
I don’t know what
pansions, but we have a lot of incredible tal-
you do about the copy-
ent in our organization and we will get there
ists. Unfortunately, there
– we always do. And then there are the secret
are companies that were
products we are working on. I bet you would
born out of unprincipled
like to know about them, too!
and unfortunate people,
For more information:
who do not know the joy
of creating. Some people
Allan Knight & Associates
International on Turtle Creek Suite 101
only look at what others
Dallas, TX 75207
do, and never try to find
T: (214) 741-2227
the thing that might ig-
F: (214) 741-2238
nite them to be creative
E-mail:
aknight@allanknightasso.com
in their own right. There Web site:
www.allanknightasso.com
is creativity in everything
Left: Coin, in lipstick colorway, is a hand-embroidered circular petal and dot pattern on a
polysuede ground cloth; Top center: Haute Couture, in sunshine colorway, features hand-
embroidered stylized leaf, floral and circle patterns with pearl accents on a 100 percent silk
ground; Top right: Coin in kiwi colorway.
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