Kvadrat collaboration with Raf Simons
A sweeping staircase flanked in spectrum bright sheets of coloured glass welcomes you warmly to Kvadrat’s London headquarters. It’s clear immediately that this is no ordinary fabric showroom. An architectural gem by David Adjaye – slick and modern but with real warmth – it encloses the current collection of 320 fabrics neatly displayed along one wall.
Njusja de Gier, Kvadrat’s branding and communication director, is passionate and animated about this company and with good reason. They have an extraordinary approach to contemporary art, architecture and culture through which they explore the potential of their fabrics.
Founded in 1968 with the belief that “the hand weaver was to produce a fabric with such a personal aura that it could be produced by machine without losing its artistic integrity, and the manufacturer for his part was to show respect for the hand weaver’s wishes with regard to colours and materials,” Kvadrat has built its reputation on this philosophy. Primarily focused on plain coloured fabrics made with excellent durability, they have become the ‘go to’ fabric supplier for architects and interior designers across the world.
From the very beginning Kvadrat has collaborated with artists and established long standing relationships that evolve over time. This time Kvadrat are working with the designer Raf Simons to create a new, colourful and fresh collection.
www.kvadrat.dk
This post is in part an extract from Ptolemy Mann's article in the Millinery issue of Selvedge.