Drawing inspiration from fashion and wildlife, these new contract textiles for commercial, hospitality and institutional settings are anything but dull. Here are five standouts from the likes of HBF Textiles, Momentum and Designtex.
1 Blocks and Grid by Maharam
Dutch duo Carole Baijings and Stefan Scholten applied their signature lines and pastels to these wool fabrics for Maharam. They developed two large-scale compositions based on the 10 yards typically required to upholster a sofa, resulting in massive eight-metre repeats. Both textiles are now part of the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum’s permanent collection.
2 Elodie Blanchard for HBF Textiles
HBF invited the Brooklyn designer to create a line of upholstery fabrics. She devised three categories: Texture, Geometric Patterns, and Conceptual Ideas, of which Remember Houndstooth (shown) is a part. The enlarged pattern of the classic, in a cotton, polyester and nylon blend, is available in a bevy of colours, plus optional Nano-Text stain-resistant performance finish.
3 Typography by Momentum Textiles
Hearsay (pictured) is one of three graphic patterns in Momentum’s Typography line inspired by fonts. The recycled polyester nylon fabric, in 23 vibrant shades, is Greenguard Children & Schools Indoor Air Quality Certified, making it ideal for institutions.
4 Arezzo by Knoll Textiles
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s well-received retrospective of late fashion designer Alexander McQueen inspired Knoll Textiles’ Dorothy Cosonas to create her edgy cotton, polyester and viscose blend. The upholstery fabric comes in four colourways: Dolce, Aqua, Truffle and Squid Ink.
5 Designtex + Charley Harper
Fashion designer Todd Oldham had worked with Charley Harper in the artist’s later years, so when New York manufacturer Designtex asked Oldham to transfer the artist’s whimsical patterns onto various fabrics for healthcare it was a natural fit. Leaves is one of two stain-resistant and bleach-cleanable polyurethane upholstery materials that feature a patented Cleangene+Silicone top coat for added protection.
