Meet Hannah Haworth | Textile Designer & Sourcer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hannah Haworth and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hannah, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I’m originally from Scotland but 10years of my childhood was in a rural and remote part of the Philippines, our family lived with the indigenous Mangyan people of Mindoro island. Growing up in a place where people worked very hard, very close to the earth and the majority of everyday items were handmade was hugely impactful.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I design and import textiles from many parts of the world, my business is called Handa. I work with cloth that is made with 100% natural materials and processes (dyes included), specializing in those that have an ancestral tradition to a region. Most of my fabrics are handmade entirely, but all of them have at least one component that is done by hand- these techniques, materials and many of the designs have been passed down within their respective communities for centuries. I sell the work by appointment in my studio in upstate New York and also online.

Handa begun specifically to market the traditional textiles from the village I grew up in. I would go back to the Philippines to see my Mangyan family and haul back as much of their cloth as I could to sell in NY. At the beginning I was doing it on the side and mostly selling to interior designers and architects that I knew from working in the industry. As I began to get fully sucked in to the beautiful world of handmade fabrics (Ive been a knitter and sewist since I was a child, so going this deep into the fiber world felt and still feels amazing), I started seeking out textile making communities in other parts of the world; colorful Mayan embroidery, handwoven kutch cotton, Central Asian camel wool, Chinese indigo reists, Scottish tweed, etc. As I grew my collection, my customers also grew more varied; interiors still, but now also some fashion houses and my favorite- tailors, collectors and home sewists. I now also have a small line of home goods and upholstered furniture I produce with my husband Brian Persico. 

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in the Catskill mountains so it would depend on the season. Summer is around the corner currently- a lovely time to swim in the creeks and visit the local farms for fresh food. I enjoy going down the mountain to Catskill, theres always interesting studios to visit there and it feels good to be by the river

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
From my childhood: Ate Onak who patiently let me hang out with her all day as a young child learning beadwork. My high school art teacher Laurie Ann Carr who encouraged me to pursue a creative career. As an adult my time working at BDDW was super formative and inspiring, my husband Brian Persico and his family are also all deserving of a shoutout, and of course my own family too.

Website: handatextiles.com

Instagram: @handatextiles

Image Credits
Sofa image is credited to March SF