Over the last year, US-based textile company Maharam’s Wool initiative has led to the creation of 12 styles in over 400 colours using the namesake fibre.
Upholding wool’s strong environmental, aesthetic, and performance qualities, Maharam started its deep dive into the modern potential of the material in 2021. The initiative first required a look back in time: Maharam Design Studio set to work in historic textile regions worldwide, exploring the myriad textures, colours and construction of wool fabrics. From this research 12 styles in over 400 colours were developed, using as much recycled content – and avoiding as many chemical finishes – as possible.
Three of the resulting styles are Gemma, Gemma Multi and Terra, upholsteries conceived in partnership with fashion designer Sander Lak, best known for his former brand Sies Marjan. Lak takes colour inspiration from disparate sources – everything from vintage cars to electrical cables – taking hues out of context to play on tone and texture. This process is expressed in wool with two woven felts (Gemma and Gemma Multi) and a chunky basket weave (Terra).
Cover and above: Oxbow is the latest textile to be launched under the Wool initiative.
Explains Mary Murphy, senior vice president of design at Maharam: ‘We were drawn to Sander’s exuberant yet sensitive use of colour and the refreshing humility and ethos he brings to everything he does. Since our collaborations are intended to span decades rather than seasons, we are first drawn to a sensibility or way of thinking and the particulars of collaboration emerge later.’
Terra (top) and Gemma Multi (bottom) are two of the three textiles developed in partnership between Maharam and fashion designer Sander Lak.
Also representative of the Wool initiative – and the latest product to emerge from it – is Oxbow, a grid-like textile composed by the Maharam Design Studio team. The fabric gets its tri-tone look from yarn dyed, spun and woven in Pennsylvania – even the sheep are based in the United States. Bold accents and heathered neutrals comprise the Oxbow palette.
From the airy cross-hatch of Campana to the offset twill of Luce, Maharam’s family of textiles born under the Wool initative inspire new interior design possibilities, a reminder of the untapped potential of ubiquitous resources and a challenge to uncover new material realities.
