"The greatest things always happen very naturally," Mongolian-born, London-based Oyuna Tserendorj, founder and creative director of luxury ready-to-wear and homeware cashmere brand OYUNA, tells me on a rainy Tuesday morning at her Golborne Road atelier in the West End. Released on October 10 and over a year in the making, the John Pawson x OYUNA collection is certainly one of them.
A spontaneous collaboration between Tserendorj and the British architect and minimalism maestro, this new, five-piece cashmere home line sees their two worlds collide in a poetic celebration of craftsmanship, researched simplicity, and nature. Referring to it as their shared "passion project," the OYUNA creator explains that no real planning nor budgeting went into the launch, but that "it all came together organically". And what better way to introduce the serendipitous essence of Pawson and Tserendorj's joint drop than stripping it back to the essentials? After all, if there's someone who has demonstrated that beauty needs no frills, that is Pawson himself. Informed by his world-acclaimed approach to minimalist interior design, these new OYUNA throws make the architect's neutral universe promptly collectible, bringing it into your home.
Material: 100% Cashmere
Size: 78 x 57′′
Price: $1,726
"It all starts with the land and the nomads who look after it and its goats," Tserendorj says of OYUNA's tight-knit Mongolian roots, adding that once their undercoats have been collected, they go directly to the two local factories the brand has worked with for the past 22 years, before the finished product is shipped to London. That community-based storytelling served as the starting point for this artistic conversation, and soon the founder realized that it was Pawson's own work that needed to shine through. LAKE, available in ivory and feather, the forest and ocean-shaded CROSSING, and STONE, purchasable in slate or a moss and slate earthy palette, the three designs of the collection, "are cashmere interpretations of two of Pawson's projects" — Kew Gardens' Lake Crossing and his custom-made, slate stone wall texture.
Initially, "we recreated this beautiful frozen lake pattern, but as we weren't happy with the end result, we scrapped it completely and started again from the start," the OYUNA founder recalls. Combining vegetation and water-inspired colors, the John Pawson x OYUNA collection isn't just visually beautiful, but also designed to keep you warm and last for a lifetime. "I use these cashmere throws every single day," Tserendorj says. "Once you try them, you can't go back."
Soft like a feather and gentle on your skin, the throws feel like a fluffy cloud to the touch, and don't make you itchy when wrapped around your shoulders and neck. Thanks to their peaceful tones, they make a luxe, cherishable addition to your bedroom finishing touches, or the ideal homeware accessory for those wanting to balance coziness and sophisticated aesthetics in their homes. But there's more that this line brings to the table than warmth and good looks.
"If you are looking for quality that lasts for longer, then you are in the right place," Tserendorj says of OYUNA. Still, with each of these products "come the whole provenance behind them, the rich history of Mongolia's nomadic communities, the country's artisanal tradition, and John's own values," she adds. And if it is true that buying less and buying better is the way forward, then "there's so much people can gain out of this collection."
The John Pawson x OYUNA collection is available exclusively on oyuna.com and at the brand's Golborne Road flagship
Material: 100% Cashmere
Size: 78 x 57′′
Price: $1,726
Material: 100% Cashmere
Size: 78 x 57′′
Price: $1,726
Material: 100% Cashmere
Size: 78 x 57′′
Price: $1,726
Material: 100% Cashmere
Size: 78 x 57′′
Price: $1,726
