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Uncomplicated, hand crafted and imperfect are attributes that are increasingly sought after in the materials with which we surround ourselves, given the hectic nature of modern life.
Interface’s latest global collection, World Woven – launched at its London showroom during Clerkenwell Design Week – embraces this thinking. With a delicate combination of old and new, the collection weaves together modern sensibilities with memories of some of the most enduring textiles of the past.
Developed by Interface’s exclusive product designer David Oakey, of David Oakey Designs, World Woven is inspired by classic and enduring woollen textiles that are rooted in the traditions of plain woven fabrics made for fashion, upholstery and home accessories.
The link may be less obvious and direct than Oakey’s previous collections for Interface – Urban Retreat and Near & Far – but World Woven is similarly influenced by, and draws upon, the principles of nature-inspired (otherwise known as Biophilic) design.
Indeed, Oakey believes that the beauty of hand-weaving lies in the fact that it is closer to nature than the synthetic uniformity of ‘modern’ machined production. In traditional Scottish tweed, for example, what looks like solid green actually has at least ten to 15 hues, which is similar to the way nature works with colour. Other artisanal fabrics, like the freeform weaves known as Saori, are similarly diverse.
Inspired by these classic textiles, World Woven likewise recreates nature’s irregular patterns and colour variations, albeit in a more abstract manner. This allows designers the flexibility of using just one of the products to create a simple neutral background or combing multiple textures to create diversity and movement similar to that found in the natural world.
The collection also reflects a wider trend identified in Europe for replicating a residential-like style in the workplace. The movement towards more comfortable commercial designs clearly illustrates that workplaces of the future will be places employees want to be in. Designers are increasingly being asked to create surroundings that make workers feel good, and World Woven spearheads that demand.
Visit www.interface.com/worldwoven to learn more.
