Annie Legault’s Stunning Textile Universe

For Annie Legault, her textile company, Amulette, came as a surprise. She was finishing her BFA when an installation of hers in Old Montreal gained traction, ballooning a hobby into a business. “The enthusiasm was instantaneous,” she says. As Amulette nears its decennial next year, the enthusiasm for Legault’s functional art pieces and homewares has only grown, with a new series of wall pieces and lamps launching in the fall.

Amulette deftly brings the craft of weaving and macramé, previously synonymous with ’70s vintage, into the 21st-century fine art space, displaying an impressive level of craftsmanship and design acumen in each lamp, rug, and hanging planter. “The Amulette concept was to counter the darkness and the cold, hence my choice to work with lighting and natural, warm materials,” says Legault, whose pieces are most often crafted from jute, merino, or alpaca wool.

Since the beginning, her work has blended the realms of art, design, and craftsmanship. It’s a trifecta that’s evident in every Amulette piece, from the textured Fringes Rug, as at home underfoot as it is on the wall, to the RAW Collection chandeliers that ebb and surge in hanging volumes, some circled with tassels and others undulating toward the ground in simple silhouettes.

In addition to the pieces available on her website, she takes commissions, often collaborating with architects and interior designers on custom projects. Recently, several of her RAW Collection lights were installed at Philotimo in Washington, D.C., making a unique focal point in the Greek fine-dining eatery.

“High on concept, low on technology” is the company’s apt Instagram tagline—for each creation, Legault dreams big and promptly delivers with nimble and capable fingers in her Griffintown studio, no machine required. Just well-made design statements that embrace fibrous form and function in all their inviting woven glory.