Ruth Blanke: 'Tonto'

Fascinated by folklore, culture and craft, Ruth Blanke is a London based freelance textiles print designer. I met Ruth during our studies at The Royal College of Art and we quickly bonded over our love for print and colour, and a shared spontaneity for last minute parties! Our first collaboration was for a dress created using a pattern cutting process I developed during my time at RCA called ‘pleats shapes and tape’ which Ruth was a muse for, which she then developed a jockey inspired print for. We hope to release this dress in the future.

Combining skills from an illustration and fine art background, in addition to new technical skills and an awareness of the design landscape, Ruth’s designs are focused around contemporary political subjects with leading narratives which result in a unique, distinctive look. As an expert screen printer, Ruth blends solid drawing and painting skills with digital embroidery and placement printing to create complex repeats. In 2019 she was selected for TexSelect and exhibited at Premiere Vision Paris. Be sure to look out for Ruth in coming shows as the world reopens!

I am really grateful that Ruth has so kindly allowed us to use one of her prints as part of the DARN When Life Gives You Lemons collection, featuring rodeo style horses and overlay Jockey inspired colour block shapes. I also hope to feature more of her work in the future, so watch this space for more collaborations. 

There is nothing better than catching up with a good friend and in celebration of this collaboration we asked Ruth about her journey into becoming a textile designer, her favourite process of bringing a design to life and what her dream party would look like...

Tell us the first thing you remember about meeting Amelia (founder of DARN ) at the RCA... 
Amelia loves meeting people and she lives for collaborations! It seems to really drive her as a designer and she is one of the most driven people I know.

How did you develop the horse repeat design, we love the fluid lines and Western character - what influenced you?
This way of drawing stems from learning about Chinese calligraphy in Shanghai and the use of brush and ink. The preservation of the continuation of the line is very important over there. I aspire to be able to draw in as few strokes as possible.

What led you to create your own print designs whilst studying at the RCA? Do you have a process or material you find particular joy in working with? 
Screen printing is my joy and my treat at the end of the design. I love playing around with designs in the print room, where I abstract my designs further.

Why do you do what you do, and how has it transitioned throughout the years? 
I was very shy as a child and still am now. Drawing has always been my way to compensate for my lack of verbal communication skills. I draw every day, and always have. I come from an illustration background but I wanted to learn how to apply print to products. Textiles were my gateway into this and provided me with an opportunity to present a more abstracted narrative.

Tell us about your favourite studio/working space you have found yourself in during your years as a print designer...
It has been a strange two years because of the pandemic, so the end of my kitchen has been my studio. I like it there, it is very peaceful and looks out onto my garden.

Are there any songs or albums that have been on repeat lately? 
I've been listening to Os Mutantes, they are Brazilian and pretty old but I'd never heard of them until recently!

Are you currently working on any personal projects you can give us an insight into?
I try to get down to east London printmakers whenever I can, but I've been very busy with freelance projects lately.

And now for some daydreaming - tell us about your dream party and what would you want to wear? 
I miss parties! My favourites are the after parties where anything goes and everyone talks shit in the kitchen until 5am. I own a lot of vintage clothes, but I don't get the chance to wear them much lately.

Fingers crossed for more opportunities very soon!


Thankyou so much to Ruth for bringing her skills and character to our latest collection. We hope you all love the Tonto print as much as we do! You can find it on the 100% silk Tonto scarf and keep your eyes peeled for additional designs featuring the print, set to arrive very soon...

To see more of Ruth’s work follow these links: Website: ruthblanke.com / Instagram: @ruth_blanke.