Milla Novo

Tapestry maker

Share Save Itinerary

A Chilean touch

Milla’s motivation is to revive macramé
She is inspired by her Chilean heritage
Scale is central to her work

Milla Novo found her way into crafts very naturally with her mother being a traditional Mapuche weaver. “The first objects I made were quite elaborate macramé bracelets with my sisters. We used to go to sell them in artisan markets in Chile." Milla picked up handicraft again as a means of healing after her job as a flight attendant, her childhood dream, led to sleeping problems and a burnout. Wanting to bring a fresh breath to the dusty 70s-style macramé wall hangings, Milla experimented with her own structured style which pushes the boundaries of scale and colour. Since 2017 she has been working from her home studio housed in a beautiful repurposed monastery and more recently started the Ropeworks project, recycling rope leftovers with her creative partner.

Interview

What is your approach to making?
I am very social and my background as a flight attendant helps me to be the host of my work. I listen and take notes a lot - my client’s stories, their projects and passions. When I’m creating, I think about the conversation we had, the feeling of that moment.
How do you express tradition and innovation?
Macramé is a very traditional old craft with a dusty image and I take it to another level making wall hangings for luxury interiors. Furthermore, dimension is another innovative aspect I experiment with.
What is the purpose of your wall hangings?
I love creating a one-of-a-kind piece of art in my recognizable style that blows everyone away and has been especially made for my clients. It is about creating something unique, which is actually wanted by many people.
Why did you create your own line of metallic ropes?
When I got invited to the Salone del Mobile in Milan, I wanted to go and shine with my biggest work ever – aiming for gold. So, I developed a gold rope with my supplier and went to Milan with a black and gold wall hanging, which is when people started to take notice of my wall hangings.

Milla Novo is a rising star: she began her career in 2017