Helen Milen

Textiles

Helen Milen the weaver behind Studio Milena creates contemporary handwoven textiles, combining modern design with traditional weaving techniques. 

Her collections evolve slowly to offer intricate handwoven art panels, limited-edition interior textiles and luxurious scarves, woven as art in themselves.  Each carefully crafted piece is brought to life with unexpected colour combinations, beautiful textures and experimental weave structures. 

Captivated by life in North Yorkshire,  Helen takes particular inspiration in the architecture she sees:  from crumbling brick walls and dilapidated farm buildings to elegant Georgian townhouses and modern structures.  Her work develops by exploring the relationship between architecture and nature within rural, urban and coastal landscapes.  These influences are woven into Helen’s textiles with an intuitive use of colour and contrasting textures.  Taking her initial concept as a starting point, she spontaneously adds colour and yarn as she weaves.  The warp threads become her canvas.  The weft threads are her paint.

Considered design and sustainable ethics are pivotal to the essence of Helen’s creative practice.  Weaving with only natural fibres and yarns including locally sourced wool, organic cotton and British wool fleece.  You will also find printed silk fabric left-over from the fashion industry entwined into her woven art panels.

Each Studio Milena collection is designed, handwoven and hand finished by Helen in her garden studio situated in a picturesque village on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors.