Projects in progress
The Andrea Aranow Textile Design Archive
Mission Statement
Textile Hive was founded to engage and preserve the rich history, intricate techniques, and stunning visual beauty of the Andrea Aranow Textile Design Collection. Comprised of over 40,000 textiles spanning fifty countries, Textile Hive enables a wider conversation around textiles globally through immersive physical and digital experiences.
What is Textile Hive?
- Textile Hive is a personal collection of textiles gathered by Andrea Aranow.
- Textile Hive is a place of exchange surrounding global textile knowledge and culture.
- Textile Hive is a platform for engaging with textiles.
Backstory
Starting in 2009 with the physical collection, Caleb Sayan, Andrea’s son who had worked at the New York office for five years, conceived of a whole new way to use the material. He transported it to Portland, OR and designed a new showroom there. Each piece was photographed, then cataloged, to fit the specs of his custom designed software which enables many types of searches and comparisons.
Digital highlights
- Highly visual interface created for visual thinkers
- Designed for both textile experts and novices
- High resolution scans with attention to color accuracy and detail
- Taxonomy including over 2,300 terms to identify objects and provide context
- Unique ability to search visual characteristics and objective information
- Core experiences centered around: search, curation, discovery and exploration
- Knowledge base that enhances and deepens users knowledge and experiences with the collection