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“‘Fighting’ is not a bad word—it’s about believing in something and making it happen.”
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| | | The Unsung Utility of Knitted Textiles
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We’re all familiar with knitted textiles in clothing—they feel smooth and soft against our skin thanks to their form-shaping abilities and the way they stretch around the body. “Although knits are well-established in fashion, they were unknown within interior design until a decade ago,” says Renee Merckx, the creative director of textile brand Febrik. “It’s those exact same qualities that draw us to knits in clothing which furniture may also benefit from. Knitted textiles naturally follow form, especially when it comes to upholstering curvy and spherical forms.”
To illustrate the versatility of knitted textiles, Kvadrat enlisted 28 experimental designers to dream up one-of-a-kind objects using the Febrik collection, which the Danish textile brand acquired in 2018. Each object stars in an exhibition, titled “Knit!,” that headlines Copenhagen’s annual 3daysofdesign festival. (The works will also display virtually through December.) The brief, explains Kvadrat’s Njusja de Gier, was simple: “create an object where knitted textiles are the protagonist,” and show that textiles can be used for more than simply upholstering furniture. She further notes that since these aren’t commercial objects, designers had carte blanche—and could use as many textiles as they wanted.
Each designer delivered a mind-bending concept that conveys the novel uses of knitted textiles and pushes boundaries of what can be achieved within their respective disciplines. And in many instances, the objects spotlight their designer’s cultural heritage. Read more.
| | What Else Is Happening?
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The historic Aluminaire House finds a permanent home at the Palm Springs Art Museum.
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...while the world’s largest Passive House–certified project will soon open in Kansas City.
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The French interior designer Christian Liaigre, known for romantic minimalism, dies at 77.
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Reach the design world every morning. Find out more about advertising in the Design Dispatch.
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| | | Farah Atassi: Paintings
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| When: Until Oct. 3
Where: Almine Rech, Paris
What: Farah Atassi’s latest suite of still life paintings defies categorization, channeling modernist painting, decorative arts, textile motifs, and folk art to create a spirited style that’s distinctly her own. Within each canvas, the Belgian painter constructs a vivid universe populated with Cubist-style female figures, musical instruments, domestic objects, and circus props depicted in colorfully patterned rooms; some recall Mondrian paintings, while others nod to Memphis Milano and Pucci textiles.
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When Anna Devís was growing up in a village near Valencia, Spain, her parents worked as window dressers. She spent hours drawing and painting in their studio as a kid, only to discover a faster, more efficient medium in high school: photography. “I couldn’t always draw the images I had in my mind,” Devís says.
Shortly after meeting her now-boyfriend, photographer Daniel Rueda, in the architecture program at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, they began taking pictures of each other. The pastime has since evolved into a game, where the duo snaps images of themselves around the world. Architecture and landscape often play starring roles in their cheery, natural, light-filled pictures. Each one begins with a sketch: “I carry a notebook everywhere,” Devís says. “Each photograph is really rooted in illustration, only it’s real life.”⠀
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| | | ICYMI: A Movie Theater Seat for the Covid-19 Era
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What would it take to get you back to the movies? For us, it might just be LAYER’s new Sequel Seat. Helmed by Benjamin Hubert, the experience design agency updated the old-fashioned burgundy color palette to a modern one inspired by the midcentury pastels often seen in Wes Anderson films. Though the chair was in development before the onset of Covid-19, its innovations are perfectly suited for a post-pandemic world: antibacterial, popcorn grease–resistant copper threads in the upholstery, removable protective screens, and cutting-edge UV light technology for sterilization.
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| | | Member Spotlight: Maxalto
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Established in 1975, Maxalto is a B&B Italia brand that stands out for the “new classic” flavor of its collections. Blending sophisticated craftsmanship with the most advanced technology, Maxalto has a consolidated wealth of tradition, authenticity, and know-how, and owes its success to the balanced mix of past and present. Its contemporary classic furnishings combine excellent materials, meticulous workmanship, exclusive details, and customized solutions.
| Surface Says: Maxalto’s vast range of high-end clients—from Milan’s Bulgari hotel to La Reserve in Paris—speaks to its reputation for quality furnishings. At once classic and contemporary, refined and functional, each of Antonio Citterio’s designs is the result of thoughtful research and a sophisticated sensibility.
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| | Today’s Attractive Distractions
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Renowned interiors photographer Simon Watson releases a monograph.
Yuli Meroz makes an array of eye-catching crafts using raw orange peel.
Camille Walala lends her signature vibrant touch to an East London mural.
The French street artist Invader secretly installs 80 works around Marseille.
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