‘I derive a lot of inspiration from paintings and fibre art’: clothing designer Ulla Johnson on the art she collects and why

The designer Ulla Johnson, a born-and-bred New Yorker, founded her eponymous clothing line in 1998. The brand has seen steady growth ever since; it has particularly ramped up in recent years, thanks to the popularity of Johnson’s colourful and bohemian but still well-tailored garments.

Johnson often looks to artists for inspiration—for a recent ready-to-wear line, she worked with the estate of Lee Krasner to transform the late artist’s paintings into textile prints and clothing. Even in the Brooklyn brownstone she shares with her husband, Zach Miner (an art consultant) and their three children, art is a part of Johnson’s everyday life.

The Art Newspaper: What was the first work you ever bought?

Ulla Johnson: I truthfully can’t remember the first piece I ever bought, but the first I bought for our family brownstone in Fort Greene was Diana (2017) by Kathleen Ryan—a monumental brass-and-rose-quartz hanging sculpture we had to build into the very structure of the house.

What was the most recent work you bought?

A Gilbert Poillerat wrought-iron-backed painted mirror at auction.

How quickly do you decide to buy a work of art?

Sometimes immediately on sight, other times I can be very patient—years or more to find the right work by a specific artist. I’ve been looking for the right gilded weaving by Olga de Amaral for years.

What do you regret not buying when you had the chance?

A set of Africa dining chairs that Afra and Tobia Scarpa made for Maxalto.

If you could have any work from any museum in the world, what would it be?

I would never want to own something that is held in trust for future generations to learn from and enjoy. My great dream is to leave an important collection of fibre works by female artists on view and available to the public.

What are you most looking forward to seeing during the exhibitions, fairs and auctions in New York this spring?

The textile show at MoMA, Caspar David Friedrich at the Met and the Alma Allen public exhibition along Park Avenue.

How does art inspire your design work?

I derive a lot of inspiration from paintings and fibre art, such as unexpected colour juxtapositions, textures and motifs. These often inform the initial spirit of our collections. What we really try to do every season is bring together the hands of so many artists and artisans. Over the past few years, we’ve been fortunate to partner with artists I admire very much for our ready-to-wear collections and runway shows—Alma Allen, Shara Hughes, the estate of Lee Krasner and Julie Hamisky—with more exciting collaborations on the horizon!