FEELGOOD FABRIC
Project: Quest
Designer: Jane Marks-yewdall, Mirfield, U.K.
Manufacturer: Camira, Mirfield, U.K.
“An amazing project that transforms waste from land and oceans into a beautiful textile collection for multiple uses, with colourways and textures playing a role connected to the concept.” — Gabriele Chiave
Made entirely from recycled plastic waste — recovered from oceans and beaches and sourced from post-consumer bottles redirected from landfill — this multi-use textile boasts some serious eco-conscious cred wrapped in an understated yet striking aesthetic. Camira’s second collaboration with Seaqual Initiative, an organization dedicated to combatting marine litter, Quest was created as a complement to the Oceanic textile: Whereas the chunky Oceanic is suitable only for seating, Quest can also be used for vertical panel and acoustic installations.
A direct response to the 12 million tonnes of plastic debris that finds its way into the world’s waterways each year, Quest boasts manifold positive impacts. By using Seaqual Yarn (a blend of ocean and beach plastic waste and recycled PET polyester yarn), the manufacturer removes 1.5 kilograms of rubbish from the environment for every four yards of fabric, or the equivalent of 23 plastic bottles per single yard. The material is also free of harmful chemicals, is lowvoc-emitting and meets multiple environmental building standards such as LEED v4, BREEAM International and more — all this while achieving over 100,000 rubs and being bleach-cleanable to meet the exacting standards of commercial and corporate settings.
Defined by a balanced hopsack weave, Quest has a subtle two-tone surface enhanced by a curated palette of 27 colours, each extolling the natural beauty of seaside landscapes — from fresh spring greenery and blue seas glinting under the summer sky to burnt-orange autumn sunshine and the cool, wintery grey tones of barren beachside cliffs. In short, Quest is imbued with warmth and elegance while staying true to an admirable ethos.
Project: Glyph Terracotta Tiles Collection Designer: Marie Guyodo, Berlin, Germany Manufacturer: Cosmographies, Berlin, Germany
“I love the graphic approach to the design, which still has a strong connection to the handmade process of ceramic.” — Garth Roberts
Marie Guyodo conceptualized her Glyph tile collection to be a new design language — and what a beautiful language it is. Informed by her work in the fashion industry and as a textile artist, the hand-hewn terracotta tiles demonstrate both an affinity for storytelling through design and a slow-approach philosophy that favours consciousness over mindless mass production.
Made to order in the Portuguese region known for its artisanal Azulejos tilework, the series wonderfully communicates how clay’s natural allure is enhanced through the application of heat and the human hand; imperfections translate into poetic characteristics, ones that can craft interiors that tell their own unique story. A framework for unrestrained creative expression, Glyph’s “material alphabet” comprises nine patterns, 13 colours and two textures (raw and soft), which can be mixed and matched in combinations that are vibrant and loud, muted and hushed, or any decibel in between.
What’s more, the collection has a sustainable edge: The clay itself is 100 per cent recyclable, and the on-demand production process means less waste: Leftover liquid and scrap clay from one batch goes directly into the base body of the next and heat from the kilns is captured and used to dry tiles before firing. A combination of matte glaze and traditional enamel ensures the tiles are waterproof and stain-, frost- and heat-resistant, making them suitable for indoors and outdoors, walls and floors — everything from showers to swimming pools.