Founded in 1971, Thorp of London was established by Bernard Thorp, a passionate and avant-garde designer. The brand quickly became a leader in handcrafted screen printing, blending meticulous craftsmanship with creative freedom.
Bernard Thorp introduced a groundbreaking concept: offering customizable designs, screen-printed on demand in small batches. Each pattern is meticulously hand screen-printed in the Norfolk workshop, northeast of London, where expert artisans apply each color with precision, frame by frame.
In addition to its expertise in fabric and wallpaper printing, Thorp of London presents an exquisite collection of jacquard textiles, woven in Sudbury, Suffolk. Crafted from a rich array of materials, including linen, cotton, wool, chenille, and silk, and available in elegant shades, these weaves complement the brand’s signature prints. The result is a complete range of textiles that are structured, refined, and harmonious. Fully customizable upon request, the jacquard collection is designed to pair seamlessly with Thorp’s iconic designs.
In 2022, Maison Pierre Frey acquired Thorp of London, reaffirming its commitment to preserving exceptional craftsmanship and deepening its focus on bespoke creation, where every order becomes a truly one-of-a-kind piece.
Known for its unique, unspoiled landscapes steeped in nature and rural heritage, Norfolk’s pristine environment provides a fertile setting for endless creative inspiration. Stretches of peaceful countryside, vast, ever-changing skies and poetic coastlines offer a palette of colors and textures that are reflected in the materials, patterns and colors of the collections. The subtle nuances of sunrise on the many canals, the play of light on the waves at the coast and the vibrant tones of fields of wildflowers are reinterpreted in fabrics and wallpapers ad infinitum.
Inspiration
All models reflect the natural harmony and rustic aesthetics of the region, while adding a touch of natural elegance. Each design with its texture and tonal nuances tells a story drawn from this land, embodying the tradition, craftsmanship and deep love for its landscapes that continues to spark the imagination and creativity of the Thorp of London studio.
Viktor — Colorist
At Thorp of London there is a team of young craftsmen who are reviving the ageold art of screen printing. With skillful hands and boundless passion, they apply their expertise to create exceptional fabrics and wallpapers, turning each pattern into a reality.
Craftsmanship
For Marcello, Nicole and Jordan, each color application and precise action is a form of dialogue with the material. Every ground has it’s own character and sensitivity. Every color is assigned a screen, used like a stencil that constructs the design. Each pattern is assigned a squeegee, a tool that is soft or hard which allows the paint to be drawn across the frame. The angle and pressure used in pulling the squeegee plays a crucial role in capturing the detail and quality of the print.
The selection of the ground base kickstarts the creative journey. From cottons to linens, from hemp to jute, along with moiré fabrics and non-woven papers, each provides a unique textural impact that can dramatically alter the final appearance of the prints.
Thorp of London presents a diverse collection of 33 unique grounds, each with its own texture and feel. Like a celebration of diversity, every fabric has its own tale, expressed through its texture and weave. From the sleekness of silk to the rugged charm of linen or jute evoking nature’s elegant rusticity, each material stands out with a distinct character.
The ground materials
Craftsmanship
Viktor, the color artisan, has a mission that involves precision, sensitivity, and dedication. He's like a master musician, expertly using pigments and shades to create colors. His work often operates on the subtle edge of what we can see, where even tiny changes can completely alter a mood or convey a different feeling. A color chart of over 460 shades has been created through a demanding process, where each new shade is the result of repeated experimentation, subtle adjustments, and rigorous quality control.
CUSTOM WORKSHOP
The Thorp of London studio has edited patterns, colours and grounds to create a first collection of 360 designs divided by style in a resolutely English decorative spirit: simple or exuberant, sensitive or audacious, classic or eccentric.
Thorp of London also offers the possibility to customize and create your own design using a library of 95 drawings, a palette of 460 colors, and a range of 33 printing materials.
The collection
Rooted in the rich history of English weaving, these jacquards are woven in Sudbury, Suffolk, a historic center of British weaving. They carry on the legacy of Huguenot weavers who settled in England in the 17th century. Renowned for their mastery of silk and sophisticated floral motifs, these artisans created a Franco-English textile language that remains alive today. Thorp of London continues this tradition by working with a family-run weaving mill that preserves exceptional craftsmanship passed down through generations.
With 121 designs and 346 references, Thorp of London’s jacquard collection offers a vast array of aesthetics: silk damasks and lampas with complex structures and subtle brilliance; floral, geometric, or animal motifs in cotton, linen, or viscose with perfect drape; and chenille velvets with rich, deep textures. Each piece is woven using one of three pre-assembled chains in cotton, polyester, or silk, available in black, white, or beige, and crafted with seven different yarns: cotton, linen, wool, silk, chenille, viscose, or polyester.
Working closely with master weavers, Thorp of London’s design studio selects the ideal composition for each design, blending cotton, chenille, silk, wool, linen, or polyester to highlight the richness of each motif and enhance its precision. The process remains flexible and responsive, offering fully customizable production on demand, with a palette of over 400 colors to choose from.
The interplay between Thorp of London’s jacquards and prints creates a dynamic, nuanced textile language. While jacquards provide structure, prints tell stories. Textures engage with patterns in a quintessentially British fashion: both exuberant and elegant, eclectic yet cohesive.
