ROCK HILL, S.C. – Springs Creative is making a major addition to its abundant trove of documents, fabrics and designs.
The just-announced acquisition of Frank Cassata Archives by Springs Creative will result in the formation of the largest design archive in the history of the industry, according to the company.
The Frank Cassata Archive library encompasses traditional to modern designs, one-of-a-kind apparel and home decorative archives as well as an extensive collection of more than 700 wallpaper and fabric swatch books.
The materials will be housed in the Baxter Mill Archive Design Center in Rock Hill, a hub for artistic inspiration and innovation. With the Frank Cassata library, Baxter Mill Archive becomes the repository of over 1 million documents, textiles, fabrics and artistic creations.
The center also encompasses the legacy works of the former Springs Global archive collections including Springmaid, Wamsutta and Lowenstein, Concord House and Daisy Kingdom. Additionally, it houses two previous acquisitions; The Ilene Danchig and Alicia Messina Studio Archives.
“In our commitment to fostering a collaborative environment, the Baxter Mill Archive Design Center stands as a testament to our dedication to providing clients with the opportunity to directly engage with seasoned textile designers and artists: from inception of great creatives to just-in-time digital printing of new curated collections,” said Derick Close, chairman and CEO of Springs Creative.
Frank Cassata, who will be consulting with Springs Creative, began collecting textiles as a hobby in the 1990’s after careers in architecture/interior design, travel and culinary arts said he was looking for a way to share what became his massive collection with designers.
“Since I know the history and provenance of every piece in the archive, I am looking forward to presentations on the collection and helping to set it up in its new home,” he said, adding, “And of course, there is designing. I am looking forward to helping design wallpaper and prints for a broader audience.”
The Baxter Mill Archive Design Center will be moving into the new “The Thread” complex, situated in the heart of Rock Hill.
“We envision this new location as an ‘inspiration destination,’ where designers can access abundant resources, nurturing their creative ideas and envisioning limitless possibilities,” said Kathy Phillips, chief curator of Baxter Mill Archive Design Center.
She added, “They can literally design their collection in the morning, utilize our creative services and CAD technology in the afternoon, and leave with manufacture-ready files or have our state-of-the-art textile digital printing operation put those designs to fabric the next day.”