Summer Launches from Kvadrat

Atrium Outdoor by Patricia Urquiola is an outdoor textile with an environmentally focused finish free from fluorocarbons, whilst Ara by Margrethe Odgaard is an unconventional mélange crafted with solid dots of colour jacquard woven into a neutral background. In addition, a new rug from Karin An Rijlaarsdam, Braid, with delicate, organic features is made from recycled post-consumer polyester; Vidar has been re-coloured by Raf Simons; and a re-edition of the classic rug Aram with new individual colour is launched.

Atrium Outdoor by Patricia Urquiola

Atrium Outdoor is an outdoor upholstery textile by Patricia Urquiola inspired by her celebrated textile Memory designed in 2013. The textile has a plain base with a subtly spontaneous pattern, reminiscent of scratches on wallpaper, the textile manifests memories of the past. Atrium Outdoor combines two similar coloured yarns with a contrasting yarn. This construction infuses the textile with distinctive depth and a subtle wave-like movement in the foreground.

Patricia Urquiola: “Atrium Outdoor can be defined as a very material textile, with its particularly textured expression. Seen from afar it looks homogenous, but, at the same time, its ‘scratches’ design project a sense of movement.”

The palette is the result of extensive research into colour expression, comprising neutral yet distinctively characterful warm shades. The colours include a selection of rose and terracotta hues, as well as a scale of green nuances, and a signature bright yellow shade.

Atrium Outdoor is water-repellent, fast-drying and completely free from fluorocarbons. The textile also has an environmentally focused finish that provides resistance against chlorine, seawater and artificial weathering. Unusually for a technical weatherproof textile, Atrium Outdoor is made with a highly durable specially developed Trevira CS yarn.

Ara by Margrethe Odgaard

Ara is a vibrant upholstery textile by Margrethe Odgaard, continuing her exploration of innovative mélange expressions. The colour concept is inspired by tropical birds celebrated for their vividly coloured plumage.

Margrethe Odgaard: “The colour concept is to let characterful, relatively classic base colours engage in dialogue with sparkling and colourful dots inspired by tropical birds. The fact that the vivid colours only serve their fullest on the back of the fabric, creates a fabric that appears exclusive as if it holds more than the immediate.”

Unlike conventional mélanges which are made by blending fibres, Ara is crafted with solid dots of colour jacquard woven into a neutral background. This energetic contrast between the sparks of colour and the background gives Ara an eye-catching expression. Instead of being attached onto the surface of the textile, the dots are woven into the pattern, and will not wear away with use, offering strong durability and longevity.

The dots of colour are arranged into three different families, finalised after extensive research into the dynamic between the different nuances and the base colour of Ara.

Vidar 4 by Kvadrat/Raf Simons

Woven from bouclé yarn with a regular loop size, Vidar 4 has a deep tight, large-grained texture that lends itself particularly well to the graphic use of colour in upholstery. Originally designed by Fanny Aronsen, Vidar 4 has been re-coloured by Raf Simons, with shades ranging from moss green, dark aubergine, ruby red and midnight blue through to brick and earth tones and easy neutrals. The gentle satin surface finish of the weave contrasts with the deep shadowy tones in the depths, giving a multifaceted richness to the intense colours in the range.

Braid by Karin An Rijlaarsdam

Featuring the delicate, organic irregularities reminiscent of natural surfaces, it might be a surprise to learn that Braid is made from recycled post-consumer polyester. Designed by Karin An Rijlaarsdam, who is focusing on creating sustainable designs with a positive environmental impact – the rug is inspired by braiding techniques, crafts, and landscapes of Grand-Bassam on the Ivory Coast where she is based. It is the first design in the Kvadrat rug collection that includes recycled polyester.

Braid is made from braided ropes – one thick, one thin. The thick ropes are machine braided from 32 thin yarns in 4 different colours and divided into two subtly contrasting colour groups. The thinner rope exists of 8 thin yarns in two colour groups, matching one group from the thick rope. The slimmer rope is stitched in a slightly wavy curve on the thick ropes which gives a beautiful irregularity to the design. They are then arranged as a spiral for a rug or in rows for a rectangular design, before being stitched into place. The making of Braid results in minimal production waste thanks to its stitching technique.

Aram 2 from the Kvadrat Rug collection

Aram 2, a re-edition of the flat weave rug Aram, explores the dynamic between volume, structure and colour. It is handwoven from pure New Zealand wool and brings a fresh perspective to the artisanal Sumak weaving technique. An exceptionally comfortable rug, Aram 2 is characterised by subtle movement in its meticulous colour blends.

It is constructed by looping bundles of plied yarns around the warp, creating a multidimensional expression reminiscent of magnified braided ribs. These are space-dyed by hand in stages, in a scale of lighter to darker shades. This approach infuses every single yarn with an individual colour expression. The rug comes in 13 versatile colourways inspired by understated yet characterful tones of minerals and metamorphic rocks.

Notes to Editors

About Patricia Urquiola

Patricia Urquiola studied architecture and design at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Technical University of Madrid) and completed her studies at the Politecnico di Milano where she graduated under the mentorship of Achille Castiglioni. In Spain, she was awarded the Golden Medal for Merits in Art and received the Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic.

In 2001 Patricia Urquiola founded her own studio where she specialises in industrial product design, architecture, art direction and strategy consulting. Creative Director of Cassina since 2015, she works with a roster of leading design companies. Patricia Urquiola also gives lectures at leading universities and has work shown in prominent museums and design galleries across the world.

About Margrethe Odgaard

Margrethe Odgaards is a Danish textile and colour designer driven by a constant search for fresh way of exploring colour and pattern. She works with colour as a full, sensory perception and believes that products made with the intention of nourishing the body and mind will have a positive impact on the viewer.

A graduate of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Design, Margrethe Odgaard also studied at the Rhode Island School of Design in the USA. Before setting up her studio, she worked for several years as a textile designer at French fashion company EPICE. This followed a spell as a printing assistant at The Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia.

About Karin An Rijlaarsdam

A graduate of the Academy of Arts in Utrecht, Dutch designer Karin An Rijlaarsdam works across several fields including, interior design, textile design, product design and colour design. She travels extensively across the world and often finds inspiration in her surroundings.

Karin An Rijlaarsdam is the Creative Director and founder of CLOUD-9 design; a studio focused on creating sustainable designs with a positive environmental, and or social impact. It is located on the Ivory Coast. She works with a roster of leading design brands across the globe, such as Apple, Beats by Dr Dre, Capellini and Kvadrat.

About Kvadrat/Raf Simons

The Kvadrat/Raf Simons collection brings the acclaimed designer’s exceptional sense of style to the home. Distinguished by the innovative blending of colour and materials for which Raf Simons is known in the fashion world, the collection of textiles and accessories for the home is by turns sophisticated and playful, and produced to the exacting standards associated with Kvadrat.

The collaboration between Kvadrat and Raf Simons is built on a mutual appreciation for fine craftsmanship reflecting Kvadrat’s commitment
​to quality, and Raf Simons’ refined elegance. Conceived as a suite of diverse yet complementary tones, weaves and textures, the textiles and accessories are suitable for use in a wide variety of interiors, and work beautifully together in a multitude of inventive combinations.