Patterns meet Design

Benedetta Covanti l Distinctive Textiles is a Montreal-based textile & homeware designer that offers bold collections of fabrics, cushions and furnitures that embody strength and beauty. We work with designers, architects and fashion designers who take pride in handmade, slow design.

Inspired by the history of textiles in Italy, Benedetta pairs her original hand-drawn designs with Canadian’s top digital technologies. Benedetta inherited her passion for textiles from her Italian grandmother, Anna, who learned textile embroidery from the nuns who raised her.

Benedetta’s artistic process is largely intuitive. First, she comes up with a concept that evolves into a story and a colour. From this, she draws a design. But, always, Benedetta carries on her grandmother’s legacy and vision of textiles as art, and as part of a full and vibrant life.

Bio

Benedetta Covanti is an award-winning designer who honed her skills over 15 years in a wide range of roles—from concept and production to design and manufacturing–with global fashion brands MEXX, Groupe Dynamite and Pontbriand in Canada; Tiago Estrada and Liz Claiborne Group Inc. (Juicy Couture, Kate Spade, DKNY Jeans) in New York; fashion designer Ines De Santo in Toronto. While doing her Master’s in Fashion Management in Milan, she also collaborated with luxury brands Fendi, Red Valentino, Mont Blanc, and Maserati.

Born in France, she spent her childhood summers in Fabriano, Italy at her grandparents’ home. There she sewed, drew, and gradually developed a love of art and beauty. The other months of the year were spent in Quebec City, Canada with her father, who was a jeweller. Her grandparents used to tell her that her drawings were Piccole Opere d'Arte, small art pieces. Eventually she began combining fabrics, patterns and digital art.

Benedetta is a graduate of Ryerson University in Toronto, Domus Academy in Milan & Wales University in the United Kingdom. Today, her cushions, fabrics and furnitures are works of art that can be found in beautiful homes around the world.  

Anna Covanti | Textile embroidery

When Benedetta spent her summers in Italy, she would sit at her grandmother’s side practicing her art, while her grandmother sewed.

 Anna Covanti (Crocetti) was born in 1920 in Fabriano, Italy. She was raised by her grandfather and educated by nuns, who taught her their embroidery techniques. Their instruction in this age-old craft led Anna to become an artisanal textile embroiderer, making one-of-a-kind pieces that took several months. Her creations featured organic shapes with white backgrounds and durable linens. Between 1950 and 1980, she worked on custom commissions and sold her work in Venice, Rome and Florence.

Anna had four granddaughters. When they grew into adulthood, she gifted each a box filled with handmade textiles. For her, this was a way of passing on her legacy and her vision of Textiles as Art. She passed away on January 17, 2019 in Fabriano, Italy.

Michel Goguillot | Textile Entrepreneur

Michel Goguillot, my French grand-father, textile entrepreneur. You can see him here with his team in Roubaix where he was getting his threads & sewing accessories for his textile boutiques in Dijon, France. Passionate about textile & entrepreneurship, cars & bikes ! A self-made entrepreneur who build a textile business.

EXHIBITIONS:

~ INDIA . Mumbai . December 7-8 . Festival of Architecture 2018. A Design Award Exhibition
~ CHINA . Shenzhen . November 5-7 . Design Week 2018. A Design Award Exhibition
~ CHINA . Xiong'an . October 18-24 . Design Week 2018. A Design Award Exhibition
~ INDIA . September 21-22 . New Delhi 2018. A Design Award Exhibition
~ ITALY . June 10 - July 7 . Como . "MOOD" Museum of outstanding Design 2018
~ CANADA . January 18-21 . Toronto . IDS 2018 . Studio North.

RECOGNITIONS:

2019 Osez Entreprendre 2019 . Montreal Region . Action Plan for excellence, innovation and entrepreneurship. 
2018 A Design Award & Competition. Category : Textiles, cloth and pattern. Lake Como . Italy . 
2012 Winner . Brand Hunter International competition . Domus Academy . Milan . Italy
2010 Bourse de la Fondation de la Mode de Montréal . Montréal . QC
2009 Millenium Scholarship . Toronto . Ontario
2008 Best project Discover U program . Liz Claiborne Inc, New York . NY
2007 National finalist . Fusion Event. Jewelry Collection . Ontario Sciences Center. Toronto. Ontario

MEMBER OF:

• Colour research Society of Canada

• IAD - International Association of Designers

 Photography by Emmanuelle Roberge photographe