Designed to dry – Kitty van der Mijll Dekker x Vera Roggli

Over the years, our relationship with household textiles has changed significantly. Discover more about this history and dive into the story of Kitty van der Mijll Dekker, a leading designer of her time. Her work served as an inspiration for contemporary designer Vera Roggli.

Table Linens

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, household textiles were used very differently than they are today. Kitchens had a variety of cloths, each with its own function—the pan cloth, tea towel, and chef’s cloth, among others. The upper class would bring out pristine white damask table linens for special guests or occasions, while young women would carefully collect every piece of their textile trousseau in preparation for marriage. These products were often simple in design, focused primarily on functionality. Kitty van der Mijll Dekker was one of the first textile designers of that time to challenge and transform this tradition.