Fashion Veteran Matthew Williamson Wants You to Buy Antiques
After a pivot to interior and home product design, Williamson is teaming up with e-commerce platform Vinterior
By Madeleine Luckel
The designer Matthew Williamson.
Photo: James D. Kelly
"I think a room without an antique feels a little flat," Matthew Williamson tells AD PRO. Williamson, who is best known for his work as a fashion designer, has made a career shift in recent years to focus on all things interiors. In addition to taking on decorating projects for various clients, Williamson has debuted a series of colorful product launches. Now he's partnered with Vinterior, an e-commerce platform that—as its name implies—specializes in vintage furniture. His first contribution is a product edit titled the English Home, which plucks out some of his favorite pieces currently available through the site. But despite the edit's verbiage, Williamson isn't advocating for a made-in-the-U.K.-only point of view.
A 19th-century marriage chest with painted flowers is one of Williamson's selections for the English Home.
Photo: Courtesy of Vinteriors
The same goes for his approach to time periods. "I would not be slavish to a certain era," says Williamson, who admits that he is somewhat partial to pieces from the 1970s and the Arts and Crafts movement. The natural, free-flowing designs synonymous with both styles also have a clear through line to Williamson's body of fashion work. While his saturated, pattern-heavy garments were widely beloved, Williamson says that he is very happy to have switched over to the slower-paced design industry. He also prefers the one-on-one interactions with clients that are so much more likely to take place.
And while Williamson notes that he thinks people are increasingly open to upcycling in fashion, furniture and design seem to be well ahead of the reuse curve. That, however, doesn't mean that there aren't caveats when it comes to working with vintage pieces. "No one wants to live in an antique shop," Williamson says, adding that he would never design a room filled only with antiques—especially antiques from a single time and place.
A large Murano fruit flower gilded chandelier that is part of Matthew Williamson's edit.
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Instead, his own professional ethos is more about "cherry-picking" what's right for a client. When asked how he handles individuals who might be skeptical about shopping vintage altogether, Williamson says, "It's funny, I'm working with a client right now who is exactly that person.… The chandelier they like is a reproduction, and I'm trying to educate them that if they bought an original it would be much more beautiful." Ultimately, Williamson believes that even filling a space with 30% antiques can make a big difference, bringing in a sense of eclecticism while avoiding an accidental museum-like appearance.
These days, Williamson is of course working from his own home, which is located in Spain. "I'm really grateful that I can find myself painting or creating something," he says when asked how his daily routine has changed. And of course, he has more on the horizon to think about in terms of his Vinterior partnership. Next up, he'll be launching an edit of outdoor pieces. It's a natural fit, considering Williamson's own warm Mediterranean habitat, and the fact that he himself is often on the hunt for furniture that fits in naturally to a coastal setting.
A deck area of London's Blakes Hotel, which was designed by Williamson, hints at his outdoor aesthetic.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Williamson