Alfredo Häberli for Kvadrat

This London Design Festival Kvadrat launched a new textile collection by Alfredo Häberli, which has been celebrated with a special installation by the designer.

Alfredo Häberli, DIS-PLAY, Kvadrat London showroom. © Alfredo Häberli. Photo: Jonas Kuhn
The Alfredo Häberli knit collection comprises three vibrant yet refined knitted upholstery textiles. Nebula, Nadir and Galaxy.
Though they are constructed using different knitting techniques – and therefore each design has a distinctively individual expression – they all share an intriguing character, which provokes a strong sense of curiosity in the viewer.
Alfredo Häberli for Kvadrat
Top: Alfredo Häberli, DIS-PLAY, Kvadrat © Alfredo Häberli. Photo: Jonas Kuhn. Above: Alfredo Häberli, DIS-PLAY, Kvadrat. Installation photography by Annabel Elston
Thanks to their knitted construction, Nebula, Nadir and Galaxy offer good stretchability, which makes them ideal for organically shaped furniture.
The colourways for Nebula, Nadir and Galaxy combine contrasting and tone-on-tone hues, which range from bright to earthy. Though their respective colourways are distinct from each other, they are linked by the colours of one or more yarns. Consequently, Nebula, Nadir and Galaxy work particularly well together.
Alfredo Häberli, DIS-PLAY, Kvadrat © Alfredo Häberli.
Alfredo Häberli, DIS-PLAY, Kvadrat. Installation photography by Annabel Elston

For the launch of his new textile collection, Alfredo Häberli has created an out of scale setting in the Kvadrat showroom in London entitled DIS-PLAY, an oversized mood board capturing the creative process in creating the textiles.

“I am a big admirer of anonymous objects. Objects just created for the reason of function, precise need or just joy or passion. My studio is full of it, the drawers, the pin wall, and the shelves. In between books and models. All these create and stimulate, together with art or fashion pictures, my world of colours. I have a book, in which I do collages on colours, compositions, abstract images. With no reason or pretending.

When I work on a fabric collection, on the colours range of it, or colours for an interior, I take these collages of surfaces, objects and use them to find harmony or contrast in a range. It is a feeling, a mood.

The idea behind the installation showing the three Knits collection during the London Design Festival at the Kvadrat showroom, is to DIS-PLAY this moment of the process. What is fun are the different sizes on the wall and in the vitrines. The models are big in comparison to the fabrics and the real furniture small. I play with different sizes of the mood boards.” explained Häberli.

Alfredo Häberli, DIS-PLAY, Kvadrat. Installation photography by Annabel Elston
Alfredo Häberli, DIS-PLAY, Kvadrat. Installation photography by Annabel Elston

Based on a floral Japanese picture, which is transformed into a pixelated raster using the knitting technique, three-dimensional Nebula features a pattern of organic, abstract shapes. The lines in the pattern are in a contrasting hue or tone-on-tone with the base colour, and emerge from the fabric to eye-catching effect when it is seen from close up.

Intriguingly, depending on the colourway, the textile can appear to bulge in or out. During Nebula’s construction, thick polyester yarns are inserted between its back and front layer, which is made from a blend of polyester and wool for extra comfort. Nebula is suitable for soft seating. It works particularly well on large surfaces and lounge furniture.

Alfredo Häberli, DIS-PLAY, Kvadrat. Installation photography by Annabel Elston
Alfredo Häberli, DIS-PLAY, Kvadrat. Installation photography by Annabel Elston

Nadir is thick and tactile, as it is also constructed with thick polyester yarns between its front and back layers. Its pattern is based on interlinking and overlapping rings in different sizes, which build an irregular, directionless pattern. Though Nadir is knitted, its pattern appears to be stitched or embossed, depending on the specific colourway.

The front layer of Nadir is made of unicoloured polyester FR for added flammability resistance. Consequently, it is suitable for a wide range of contract applications, and is particularly well-suited to soft contract use.

Alfredo Häberli, DIS-PLAY, Kvadrat. Installation photography by Annabel Elston
Alfredo Häberli, DIS-PLAY, Kvadrat. Installation photography by Annabel Elston

Galaxy features an irregular but refined pattern of small dots, which contrast with a unicoloured, light or dark background. This recalls the clusters of stars that make up galaxies. The colours for Galaxy include neon, bold hues and natural shades. In some colourways the contrast between the ‘stars’ and the background shade is strong; in others it is more subtle.

Made from polyester FR, Galaxy combines flammability resistance with good durability. Accordingly, it is ideal for contract applications, particularly for offices.


Knit collection 2014
Design: Alfredo Häberli
Producer: Kvadrat

DIS-PLAY
Kvadrat
10 Shepherdess Walk
London

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