touched by fire

It takes nothing to destroy beauty ….. so what? You might say. Well, we should remind people what beauty is, help them recognize it and defend it. Beauty is important, yes, beauty… 

Cento Passi (One Hundred Steps) by Marco Tullio Giordana (2000)

who we are

Touched by Fire is a small company based in Christchurch (New Zealand). Our ambition is to ignite a passion for exquisite forms, fabrics, textures and colours. Our designs come to life from the experience of a place, a mood or a moment. Some begin as an art work, some from the manipulation of patterns on found objects or images. Each has a unique story to tell while breathing away its own beauty and ephemerality.

our story

In 2016 we were invited into the workshop of a family-run company in Bologna (Italy) which produces high-end scarves for top European fashion houses (e.g. Armani, Les Copains, Patrizia Pepe, Ann Demeulemeester). During our visit, Gianni – the old man – introduced us to a vast array of fabrics, forcing us to touch and probe a variety of textures and weights. We were overwhelmed by his expertise and got excited by the whole tactile experience. As we were about to leave, Gianni asked us if we were willing to design a range of scarves. The offer was too enticing to turn down. Our company was founded when we replied: “Si!” and our first collection began to take shape.

Finding a name for our company took a while. We went through all kinds of possibilities: just not right or already taken. One day, at the end of a long night filled with words, the name came to us: Touched by Fire. Perfect! Why? Because it perfectly describes our burning desire to navigate between the creation of artistic images and the making of wearable objects, between diverse media and traditions, between the wall and the body. Even more, Touched by Fire captures our passion for images and objects that talk about traveling, experiencing the world and seeing beauty in the ordinary

the production process

All our scarves are conceptualised and designed by Simon Ogden in New Zealand. Once the designs are ready, they are sent to Italy. In Lake Como natural fibres are blended and woven into fabrics that hang softly and best react to natural dyes, bringing the nuances of colour and the details of the design to life. At this point, the printed material travels to Bologna. In Bologna a team of committed artisans cuts, washes and finishes each of our scarves by hand before they journey back to New Zealand