Unexpected collaborations are always the most exciting – we certainly didn’t expect KnollTextiles to team up with Nick Cave for a new collection. The Nick Cave collection is dedicated to the creative process of the American artist and educator with four upholstery styles, three types of drapery and three types of wallpaper. Each of them offers a completely new textile experience. In this case, the product does not represent the end of the design process, but its beginning. Consumers have to decide what’s next – and that’s always been Cave’s biggest question – what will these patterned fabrics create?
Although Cave’s work spans the visual and performing arts, he is probably best known for his Soundsuits. They can best be described as three-dimensional fabrics created by layering, rearranging, and transforming everyday items such as beads, tablecloths, sequins, and synthetic hair. His sound suits were the main inspiration for the Nick Cave collection.
“When I was asked to work with KnollTextiles, my immediate answer was yes, as their pioneering work was instrumental in my development at Cranbrook College of Art. Textile is at the heart of most of my work and I love it. How to influence the space and the people associated with it. This collection is another way for people to get in touch with my art and share this energy,” said Cave.
Giese layered many techniques and materials, similar to the process Cave used to create the surface of the Soundsuit. The top layer is a space-dyed new twisted chenille yarn, and the unique finish creates a visible wrinkle effect underneath the top layer, bringing color and texture together.
Cave’s Architectural Forest installation inspired Werth. Decorative patterns are developed from the specific parts of the artwork that it has in mind. Multicolored (27 colors of yarn in each!), colorful repetitions across the entire width fill the perfection and imperfection of his work.
Perhaps the most fun accessory, Puff is a cozy faux sheepskin coat available in 13 colors. It is based on Cave Soundsuit’s iridescent synthetic hair. With the current Sherpa trend, the creative possibilities of this upholstery are endless. (How long do you want to wear this?!)
The napkin adapts one of Cave’s minimalist figures or busts into an equally minimalist decorative surface. This pattern uses two different scale embroidery techniques superimposed on a woven background with a different pattern. The result is very visual, multidimensional and tactile.
Cave visits vintage markets across the country to find one-of-a-kind items for his creations, and vintage buttons are a favorite of his and can often be found in Soundsuits. KnollTextiles used them to create the Trevira CS Polyester Button Curtain with a natural light-to-dark transition pattern.
As long as it’s organic and open, inspired by one of Cave’s large beaded installations. Experienced embroiderers turn a 3D creation into a water-soluble base that, once dissolved, leaves a two-tone open curtain. Structural components are featured throughout, adding the finishing touch.
Sound suits are designed for movement and performance, just like curtains. Heard’s details mimic the hand-sewn beads, buttons and appliqués found in Cave’s creations, as well as the meticulous attention to detail used to bring each Soundsuit to life. For this design, ribbons of five colors are cut, overlapped and sewn row by row.
Beaded Soundsuit inspired KnollTextile to create the first floral wallpaper: Big Floral. Exuding joy, it has exaggerated flowers full of brightness and attention to detail. It is actually a mural full of movement, dimension and depth, digitally printed on a bleachable, PVC-free floor with Type II properties and textured beaded relief.
Cave’s “Architectural Forest” installation inspired the Forest. It captures vibrant colors and abstract movement through the use of warp sanding technology, where the warp threads are laid flat and laminated onto a non-woven backing. Then a transfer print is applied to the surface. This allows for a surprising amount of vibrant colors.
Soft yet tough, Wire draws inspiration from the metal and beaded sculptures of Cave’s tondo. Digitally printed textured fur is applied with matte inks on a metallic Mylar base for strong contrast. The printing technique allows only enough of the metal base to show through, thus mimicking the sheen of the original sculpture.
Kelly Bill is a senior editor at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based graphic designer and writer has always loved art and design, and she also loved sharing her discoveries with others. When she’s not into great art and design, she makes a mess of the kitchen, absorbing as much information as she can or lounging on the couch with her three pets. Find her on the @designcrush social network.
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Post time: Nov-30-2022