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30 B r i t i s h d e s i g n e r Neisha Crosland is making a splash with her first American collection, Espalier, i n c o l l a b o r a t i o n with Schumacher. Fabrics, wallpapers, and trims have her signature abstracted botanical motifs, geometric patterns, and unusual color combinations — all freshened for American tastes, says Schumacher creative director Dara Caponigro, who first saw Crosland's work in 2004 and has been looking for a way to collaborate since. "I was obsessed immediately — she comes to her designs with such intelligence and imagination and they can skew modern, edgy, traditional, glamorous, depending on how you use them," Caponigro says. Crosland's designs, which are archived at the Museum of the Home and the V&A London, grace interiors around the world and appeared on film sets in Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby. Inspirations for Espalier draw from Crosland's experiences around the world. "The geometric structure of Kyoto Trellis came from a cupboard front I designed for our bedroom," she says. "But I styled it in the vein of a pattern I saw on a Japanese kimono and imagining it to look like a fabric that could have been used at the Imperial Japanese court. The subtle strié running through the background was an idea I took from Roman Villa Oplontis in Naples — the slaves' quarters were filled with peeling, faded geometric patterns." Tumbleweed is the angular articulation of tree branches depicted in the hunting scene of an 1890 Persian Doroksh rug. "It reminded me of a climbing plant, which led me to explore the geometric structures of espaliered and climbing plants." Arcure's rippled geometric design was first sparked by the pattern of a 1900 French needlepoint rug and came together after she saw a Victor Vasarely exhibit in Paris at the Centre Pompidou. "Arcure with its slight Op Art feel also has an animal skin feel that people can relate to," she says. "A good design needs to feel new but also have a certain familiarity for it to be appealing." To help launch the collection, Caponigro contacted Moxie owner Dennis Brackeen, a longtime customer of Schumacher, in Houston. "We talked about doing something together before the pandemic, when Schumacher hosted a fabulous lunch in Paris at Le Train Bleu during Maison & Objet," Brackeen says. "So when Dara reached out about Neisha Crosland, I wanted to make it happen." Fifteen pieces from Moxie's inventory — antique settees, slipper chairs, and ottomans — are covered in Espalier fabrics. Everything is available to buy from Moxie. "I love the collection; it really comes alive when you see it used in a room," he says. "All her fabrics are really happy. I usually like things dark and moody, but it's so nice to see color and pattern right now." Espalier by Neisha Crosland at Schumacher, fschumacher.com; Espalier-upholstered furnishings at Moxie, 2031 W. Alabama St., moxie-interiors.com. (Continued from page 62) Louis XV sofa in Thistle Slipper chair in Tuft Braid Screen and bench in Queen Fruit wallpaper and fabric Federico Murani-style Italian sofa made in-house, upholstered in Schumacher velvet, with pillows in Espalier fabric and trim