Mitzi Mills is owner and founder of ANZEA, a Fort Worth, Texas based textile supplier providing contract upholstery. The company pride themselves in offering textiles in an array of leading edge colours with bold designs and that are highly durable and long lasting. Mitzi and her team are extremely environmentally conscious, having their own environmental mission statement and being Google Approved by retailing sustainably manufactured products. So we are proud to bring you the Designer Insights of Mitzi Mills.
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1) In your own words describe your unique style and creative aesthetic?
My creative aesthetic is inspired by the clean shapes, the open spaces and closeness to nature embodied in mid-century design. This era of ideas was created by those who believed the forward-looking style could implement social change and create a better society where good design would be available to the middle class as well as the wealthy. Those creators believed that engaging with nature was key to exploring the world in new ways.
2) When starting a new project, what is your creative process?
When starting a new collection I refer to the images I have gathered from travels, simplify the forms and shapes and see where the repetition of these images leads. I look to weavers that embody my desire for responsible manufacturing and high performance to bring the vision to the marketplace.
3) Out of the creative people you have worked with, who is it that you respect and admire the most?
Charles Sawyer, art historian, inspired me to see the creative talents in myself and to support the creative endeavors of young artists and designers. His involvement in the WPA art program after the depression was inspiring. This program supported artists and craftsmen and brought beauty and aesthetic appreciation of art and architecture to the general population
4) When looking for inspiration is there a particular thing you do to get inspired?
When looking for inspiration I begin with the beautiful shapes I have collected and the images I have taken of commonplace textures from urban settings and the spectacular images from nature. This approach works well for me because I am able to keep things simple and refined.
5) What has brought you to this point in your career? And what is your advice for people looking to follow in your footsteps?
I am at this place in my career because I followed my vision of simple beauty. Advice: Look for designs that make you smile and the rest will follow.
