Few designers have shaped modern British tailoring as distinctively as Ozwald Boateng OBE. Renowned for bringing vibrant colour, pattern and cultural storytelling to Savile Row, Boateng has spent decades creating pieces that bridge heritage and innovation.
Now, in collaboration with Savoir, he has translated the same design language into luxury interiors with the Authenticity bed. In this conversation, Boateng reflects on the inspiration behind the collaboration, the significance of Kente in his work, and why fashion and interiors are becoming increasingly interconnected.
Where did the idea of designing a bed first come from?
I’ve always had a strong demand to extend my design language into the world of interiors, particularly through my work with textiles. I’ve long said that if I found the right collaborators at the right moment, I would explore that further. Once I visited Savoir, I knew I wanted to extend that vision into beds.
What drew you to collaborate with Savoir?
I am drawn to craftsmanship - and Savoir excels in it. I had never fully understood what goes into a handcrafted bed: the precision of the springs, the technical expertise, and the time involved. Once you see it firsthand, your appreciation changes entirely. It made me realise just how important a bed is in our daily lives.
Working with Savoir has been a real treat, allowing me to challenge conventions and bring my own design language into the process.
What does the Authenticity bed represent to you?
The Authenticity bed represents the marriage between my creative language and Savoir’s craftsmanship. The sculptural headboard celebrates British craft, with bespoke woven leather inspired by traditional Kente cloth. The design reflects an understanding of the significance of the bed, given how much of our lives we spend in it.
As a fashion designer, how did your approach to designing a bed compare to the way you develop a clothing collection?
I approached this the way I approach a collection. The bed had to have its own architecture, its own point of view. Working with Savoir gave me a partner with the technical depth to realise that vision without compromise, but the design language is unmistakably mine.
Kente cloth has been a recurring influence throughout your work. Why was it important to incorporate this into the Authenticity bed?
Kente has always been central to my work; bringing it into a piece of furniture, something you live with intimately, felt like a natural progression. Every detail, down to the lining at the back of the headboard, has been considered with intention. The Authenticity bed is Savile Row, reframed.
What does Kente cloth mean to you?
Kente cloth has always been a cornerstone of the creative language of my brand. It is a direct connection to my cultural roots. In Ghana, Kente is intrinsically linked to the Ashanti, and the Ashanti kings wore it as a cloth of royalty. It carries a long and distinguished tradition.
How does Kente cloth connect with your heritage?
What has always fascinated me is how pattern, throughout history and across every culture, has been used to represent something. Whether it is tartan in Scotland, Kente in Ghana, or the woven textiles of any number of civilisations, pattern carries meaning, identity, and heritage. There is a profound symbolism that connects these traditions, even across vast distances and entirely different worlds. That is something I draw on consciously in my work.
How have you successfully juxtaposed that with your Savile Row pedigree?
I have always been drawn to the idea of bringing cultures into dialogue with one another, finding those connections and creating something entirely new from them. Kente gave me the opportunity to do exactly that. To take a traditional African cloth and reinterpret it through a modern lens, within the context of Savile Row. It remains one of the most powerful expressions of everything my brand stands for.
How important is British craftsmanship to you?
I think fashion and interiors are going to converge even more. As a designer, if you have a strong concept, it shouldn’t live only in clothing. It should extend beyond that space. For me, it’s about creating experiences. I recognise that, which is why I’m building an interior language alongside my clothing. When you experience my clothes, I want you to also experience my interiors. I think they sit together very naturally and complement each other.
- Ozwald Boateng OBE
Discover the Authenticity bed on our Authenticity – Savoir Beds.
