Caroline Cecil Textiles Harks Back to Ancient Egypt for Acacia Collection

When in doubt, look back. That’s the strategy that Caroline Cecil Textiles’ namesake founder took in creating the Acacia collection, whose playful patterns reflect an earlier time—much earlier. Each motif in the fabric series reflects elements of ancient Egypt, visualized through restrained forms and an earthy palette of ochre, navy, and celadon—a nod to the mineral-based pigments used by the ancients. (Even the collection’s name refers to a sacred plant with healing qualities.) Gamal interprets an Egyptian amulet, while Kiya modernizes a scrap of fabric that dates to the New Kingdom. The patterns began life as India-ink paintings, which were then translated onto Belgian linen via hand-screen-printing—a method that respects the visual texture and lived-in color of historic textiles.

