Feelin' Groovy

The Age

Sunday June 26, 1994

Zinta Jurjans Heard

What goes around comes around. ZINTA JURJANS HEARD discovers the '70s look is back with a vengeance for two lots of fabric designers.

IT'S almost a case of deja vu for Robin Versluys, as he launches his bold Axis furnishing fabric range. Almost 20 years ago his then company Bolda was the big name in fabrics. Bolda had the edge on contemporary designs and the new Axis releases are reminiscent of those '70s stunners.

The mid-'70s were heady days. Along with the flares and clogs came a time of decorating muscle - orange lamps, lime green laminate, Arabia and Finel enamel homewares in bright, primary colors and bold fabrics like Finlandia and the sensationally bold and bright Marimekko, from Finland, that the world was wild about. Robin Versluys had worked for Habitat in London, managing textiles at the Fulham Road store. ``We stocked Marimekko. The bold patterns and the strong colors summed up the feel of the contemporary moment," Robin says. ``It was a fun time."

The big, bold geometrics so inspired Robin that he started his own textile company, appropriately named Bolda, when he returned to Australia. ``Marimekko was expensive, Bolda was reasonably priced, so it took off like a house on fire," Robin says. ``Purple was so big that we could not get enough dye."

That era came to an end, as did Bolda. Robin went on to form Axis, with the apt motto, ``a turning point in textiles". The Axis designs have been more restrained, big on stripes, tartans, plaids and hand- looms from India.

Now, pow. Robin has brought the bolds back. ``The time is right," he says. ``Coming out of the recession, people are coming around to fun, feeling good and this will appeal. In the '80s the rich look was all the go, with tapestries and jacquards providing the rich feel. Now we will be responding to color."

Harlequin, the pattern on the sofa in the Axis window, is enough to stop the traffic in Church Street, Richmond. The '90s bold handprints have four patterns in the range, but the big difference is that they are printed on Australian cotton, not Japanese, as they were in the '70s. It will retail around $45 per metre. Call Axis on 4277022 for your nearest stockist.