HOME SERIES X MAUREEN DOHERTY
From the atmospheres crafted behind closed doors to the rituals practiced within, the home series invites members of our community to reflect on the meaning of home, in their own words. We hope this series offers our readers a sense of inspiration and groundedness as we bundle up during this wintertime season.
In our latest edition of the home series, we have invited Maureen Doherty to explore this theme. Maureen is the founder of egg. Since her late teens she has worked in fashion, bringing designers such as Fiorrucci, Valentino and Issey Miyake to prominence in the UK. Founding egg in 1994, Maureen’s vision was to create something that encapsulated her vision of what a shop should be, to sell the beautiful and everyday. An instinctive shopkeeper, Maureen is a visionary and a storyteller. The simple love of shop keeping and of dressing customers remains with her today, creating the perfect atmosphere, the unseen that makes something work, seem to be second nature.
How do you describe the work you do?
We work as a team. The ethos is comfort and clothes you wear to relax.
Tell us about a cherished item of clothing you’ve kept and repaired over the years. Where did it come from? How has it lasted this long? What do you enjoy about wearing and owning this particular garment?
The item I have cherished most is an antique cloth from Indonesia – it has travelled all over the world with me as a wrap, scarf, sheet.
What kinds of heirlooms do you have in your life? Please describe one or two precious items that have remained in your family for generations.
My father was an engineer, he loved and always wished to be an archaeologist. He gave me two pots from the Ur of the Chaldeans he participated in for my 21st birthday. They are precious. The other is the apron my grandmother wore for baking.
Can you describe an item in your home which makes you feel particularly cosy or comfortable?
My Norlha blanket
How do you decide what kinds of objects and fabrics you live with? What draws you to particular items over others?
I have always been attracted to hard woven cotton and hand thrown ceramics. My precious pieces by Lucie Rie and Edmund de Vaal give me joy.
What do you enjoy about winter? Are there particular rituals you adopt during the colder months?
I love fire and the sound of rain on the roof.
Where do you turn to find inspiration?
I find inspiration often in the most unlikely places. nature, light and shadow, and of course art and books.
Thank you to Maureen Doherty for opening up egg to us. egg trading, carries a selection of Norlha blankets in their shop in London. The clay coloured blanket featured in this piece is our Nomad Classic Blanket, and the felt blankets are our Felt Ocean Blanket and Felt Chequered Blanket.