First look: Western Mongolia meets Kew Gardens in John Pawson and Oyuna Tserendorj’s cashmere throws

From the wild expanses of the Khovd Province in Western Mongolia to the botanical oasis of Kew Gardens in west London, a new collaboration between Mongolian-born cashmere designer Oyuna Tserendorj and British architectural designer John Pawson brings together old friends and a shared devotion to sublime simplicity.

The pair have partnered on a cashmere throw collection inspired by Pawson’s 70m-long Lake Crossing (also known as the Sackler Crossing) that meanders through 120m of the Royal Botanical Gardens. Crafted from 100 per cent Mongolian cashmere, the five-piece capsule has been made by the nomad community with whom Tserendorj has directly worked since she started her eponymous ready-to-wear brand, Oyuna, in 2002

John Pawson x Oyuna: how the collaboration came to fruition

'I always say, it’s all architecture, whether it’s a fork, an entire monastery or a throw,' Pawson tells Wallpaper*, regarding his approach to designing textiles as opposed to other mediums. 'At the same time, I have enjoyed the opportunity to focus with such pure energy on matters of colour, tone, pattern, rhythm and texture.'

Their partnership came about instinctively, says Tserendorj, who met Pawson through mutual friends in London over ten years ago. 'I love it when things happen intuitively. I like the process the most; how the collaboration develops, all the work, ideas, and moments relating to creating it.'

This project has been in the works for some time. When it came to choosing an image to translate into abstract patterns for the throws, Pawson initially selected one that Tserendorj had taken of a frozen Tolbo lake in far Western Mongolia on one of her annual trips. But when the first samples arrived, the duo weren’t convinced of the results. 'But we weren’t in a rush,' says Tserendorj. Instead, they turned their attention to Pawson’s celebrated archive and landed on the pathway he completed in 2006 as a stimulus.

As a result, the patterns and elemental colour palette are inspired by the shades and surface textures of the Lake Crossing, along with the cement and slate that Pawson is famed for working with. Meanwhile, the finished pieces celebrate the friends’ shared DNA of architectural lines, pure form, and attention to detail that quietly presents itself and unveils in a sensorial way when encountered.

'I see so much of the thinking that has shaped my own work underpinning Oyuna’s pieces,' says Pawson. 'There are multiple underlying threads of connection. Not in terms of literal correspondence, but thematically… we both understand the defining importance of the material palette.

'Collaborations are very important, they keep the thinking fresh,' he continues. 'It’s always about the scope for genuine exchange [as] design advances through dialogue.'

Each throw, priced at £1,195, may have taken eight to nine hours to be made from cashmere yarn, but the process defines slow luxury and the throws have been conceived – like Pawson’s objects and structures – to be enjoyed for generations.

'The nomads take care of their goats for a whole year, combing 15 to 20 goats’ hair in spring to get enough cashmere for one throw, [working through] the long winters and welcome summers that all [combine to result in] that beautiful natural fibre,' explains Tserendorj. 'If we count that, it took a year to make these throws. [But], if [we consider] the wisdom and tradition of nomads who know how to live at one with the land and the livestock? Then we could say it took centuries.'

John Pawson x Oyuna launches mid-October and is available exclusively from oyuna.com and the OYUNA store, 89 Golborne Road, London.

johnpawson.com