Between creating the lavish sets seen in the Great Gatsby and Moulin Rouge! and splitting her time in New York, Paris, and Sydney, Catherine Martin keeps busy. Most recently, the film, stage, and interior designer took her talents to the 2022 film Elvis, pulling inspiration from the late singer’s life and persona to create a world rich in textures and colors, which also led to her latest textile and wallcovering collection for Mokum.
On taking inspiration from her recent work on Elvis, directed by her husband, Baz Luhrmann
My latest textile collection with Mokum, the Royal Menagerie, is directly inspired by my work on Elvis. I drew inspiration from many components of both the film and Elvis’ life. The peacocks featured in the Royal Peacock pattern are a good example as it intersects with Elvis’ love of peacocks and the exuberant 1970s aesthetic, while the Monkey Business fabric is a direct nod to Elvis’ pet chimp Scatter, who was by all accounts a very vivacious and boisterous character.
On her collaboration with Mokum
Having collaborated with Mokum and the talented design director Stephanie Moffitt previously, I know that we have similar approaches to design. We both want to create beautiful collections that have a perennial quality and a dynamic aesthetic. My favorite part of working with Stephanie and the team is the exploration of new fabric constructions. We instinctively push creative boundaries to go beyond what we achieved in the last collection.
On her multidisciplinary design approach
Whether I am designing sets, costumes, or textiles, each design process informs the other. I might be designing a set—for example Elvis’ bedroom suite in the International Hotel in the film—and I will use a fabric like Monarque, a beautifully rich velvet that I designed with Mokum, as it leans into the luxurious exuberance of Elvis’ aesthetic.
On her favorite part of her job
I love the diversity of the work I get to create. It goes without saying that I love all the collaborators that I get to work with from Baz Luhrmann and Chris Tangney (my right-hand design director whom I have worked with daily for over 15 years) to new and unexpected collaborators that I get introduced to.
On what the four-time Oscar Award-winning set designer can’t live without
My family, friends, and the odd glass of Champagne.
On her greatest career lesson
Approach every task with the enthusiasm you had the first time you did it.
This article originally appeared in HD’s 2022 Product Marketplace issue.
