kristin colombano of fog & fury has always been an artist, but the journey that led her to felt making was circuitous and full of serendipity. born and raised in the bay area, kristin studied painting and photography at the san francisco art institute. she began her career working as a graphic designer and photographer. while on a photo assignment for the asia foundation in mongolia, kristin was completely taken by the felt covered yurts - the traditional dwellings of the nomadic people who have been following herds of sheep and yak for thousands of years on the steppes of central asia - dotting the countryside. the yurts are collapsible and are reassembled again and again as the families travel throughout the plains. felt is employed as the cover because it is light weight for easy travel, insulating, durable and fire resistant.

kristin was so inspired by the yurts and other household items made from felt that she brought home as many pieces for gifts and samples as she could fit in her suitcase. upon her return to san francisco, she enrolled in felting classes so she could begin exploring this ancient medium. seven years later, fog & fury, kristin’s artisanal design studio for custom felt upholstery, blankets, pillows and art pieces was launched.

in keeping with the mongolian tradition, kristin’s hand fabrication process is slow and meticulous. she begins by laying out the wool fibers (kristin sources locally whenever possible) and layering on the designs in alternate hues. the colors in the felt designs are all natural, undyed and reflect the coats of the various breeds of animals: sheep, goat, alpaca, llama, camel, yak and rabbit. some designs also include all natural silk fibers. 

(kristin laying out the bottom for the halo design)

(layering on a silk fiber design)

when the pattern or design is established, kristin gently sprinkles the piece with water, using a light hand so that the strands don’t move or migrate. she then adds a small amount of soap which changes the PH and lifts the tiny scales on the fiber stalks and encourages them to tangle together. next kristin begins agitating the piece with small wooden hand tools, creating friction and increasing the connections between the fibers. finally, she rolls the textile in bubble wrap or canvas and squeezes out the excess water. the finished piece is hung to air dry.

(gently squirting the wool with water)

(carefully agitating the fibers with small wooden tools)

(ready for the roll up)

kristin adheres to the ancient practice established by felters thousands of years ago, but her organic designs are thoroughly modern, which gives her pieces depth and a compelling dichotomy. the other artistic mediums she has studied and embraced (painting, photography and graphic design) have all informed her felt making… her layout strokes and gestures are painterly, particularly apparent in designs like halo, brush and striation, while more graphic designs like broken lines and terrain show the influence of years of graphic composition work. her love of both minimalism and brutalism (deliberate plainness, jagged shapes, textured surfaces, asymmetry) permeates her work, but it is her deep respect and collaboration with the material and process that drives her practice most. unlike other mediums, once the fibers connect and tangle, there are no “redos”… it is a one way journey that frequently leads to unexpected results. kristin revels in the celebration of imperfection and loves that this process creates all kinds of beautiful accidents and irregular surfaces that can’t be controlled, adding to the striking uniqueness of these one-of-a-kind products.

(painterly “halo” pillows)

(painterly “brush” throw blanket)

(radial “striation” wall piece)

(graphic lines)

(graphic “terrain” pillows)

because kristin sources only the highest quality fibers, fog & fury’s pieces are exceedingly soft and tactile, down to the backs of her pillows which are finished in suede, linen, velvet or silk. while elegant and modern, they are also warm and inviting, adding coziness, texture and dimension to a home space.

follow kristin colombano on instagram: @fogandfury to keep up with her gorgeous work or contact her to order custom pieces. she loves collaborating with designers and creating specialty pieces… the applications for her felt are endless: bespoke upholstery, bedding, cushions, art works or tapestries…