Yarn Magazine 2nd Edition

COLLABORATIONS: Jorge Macchi, Leandro Domínguez, Federico Varone, Antonio Carrau, Verónica Mercer, Jimena Tamarit & Luciana Quinteros, Silvana Mosquera, Valeria Pesqueira & Cristian Mohaded. ZOOM: Textile Dossier. SURFACES: Buenos Aires – Rio de Janeiro – São Paulo.

PROFILES: Li Edelkoort, Mary Schoeser & Rebeccah Pailes–Friedman.

#2

INDEX #2 / 2018 03 04 08

FROM THE EDITOR FOCUS COLLABORATIONS 08

JORGE MACCHI

14

LEANDRO DOMÍNGUEZ

18

FEDERICO VARONE

22

ANTONIO CARRAU

26

KÄRTON KÄRTON

30

AL BORDE LLAMA

34

VALERIA PESQUEIRA

38

MIGA DE PAN

42

CRISTIAN MOHADED

47

ZOOM TEXTILE DOSSIER – Protein fibers in Argentina

56

SURFACES 56

COMFORT

60

72

WORKSPACES

83

84

SPORTS

86

INDEX

FIVE SENSES: PATRICIA ANASTASSIADIS

COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY

PROFILES 88

LI EDELKOORT

92

MARY SCHOESER

96

REBECCAH PAILES–FRIEDMAN

01

Substance and medium

Our endless enthusiasm to express ourselves, contribute, create and grow, venture us to new expiriences. Guided by the desire to connect with others, we understand that innovation cannot take place in solitude. Every project sparks a conversation, a flow of ideas between disciplines that invigorates and brings highly talented work to light.

We honor the roots that define us, we look to the future and we accept the enormous challenge of filling our daily work with meaning. We do this, with the hope to continue as active members of a community that is passionate about design and weaving in all its forms. We have evolved, taking the best of both worlds: technological advances, which have steadily revolutionized weaving; and the hands of those whose dedication keeps the soul of the craft alive.

Yarn is substance and, at the same time, medium. It is both the raw material with which we work every day and the physical form we use to express who and what we are, what we do, who inspires us and what interests us in the world of textiles. Yarn is a publication that provides an overview of our daily work, of the possibilities and challenges we face. It is an idea that, over time, has evolved artistically and intellectually and that has led us to this new adventure: a second issue.

This is our way of transmitting our passion for what we do, as well as the gratitude we feel for those who trust us and embark on new collaborations with the sole expectation of learning and enjoying the process. When we focus on the journey, the results surprise us and confirm that when there is genuine enthusiasm, magnificent things can be achieved.

El Espartano FROM THE EDITOR

03

FOCUS

New Hard Twist Colors Our Hard Twist carpets are woven with semi-worsted yarns of pure virgin wool that undergo a high twist process. This causes them to lie in different directions, providing a textured surface and a pleasantly luxurious feel underfoot. The company has incorporated new colors for these carpets, which vary between gray, beige and brown tones. As Hard Twist carpets do not show footprints, they will maintain their appearance for longer. They are particularly recommended for spaces in need of a quality product that provides both warmth and high wear resistance, such as hotels and auditoriums, as well as residential and corporate spaces.

Two Mohaded Collections Once again, Argentine designer Cristian Mohaded has used remnants from El Espartano to design two new product lines, Ninho y Raza. Ninho (Nest) is a limited-edition series of objects (coffee tables and table lamps) that complements his 2017 collection of mirrors and containers. He uses discarded selvages – the finished edge of carpets – and arranges them in multiple overlapping layers, creating a rigid coat that wraps around the surfaces and volumes of these objects. Their natural shape and color YARN II

recall that of a nest, or ninho, hence the name of the collection. Raza (Race), on the other hand, is the first work to be produced by Mohaded in collaboration with ceramic artist Santiago Lena. It is a collection of containers that take nonspecific forms. They are cylinders that vary in height and diameter that have been assembled using different compositions of ceramics, color and textures. The ceramic skins of these objects have been pierced by an explosion of filaments, giving life to the pieces.

04

El Espartano in São Paulo The company has expanded its presence in the region with the opening of its first showroom in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. El Espartano now provides a space for customers to personally interact with our products and immerse themselves in the company’s textile universe. Designed by architect Thiago Bicas, the space reflects El Espartano’s attributes and

FOCUS

aesthetic principles: simplicity, quality and nobility. Exhibited collections are given prominence by using neutral tones, clear materials and large windows to flood the space with natural light, highlighting the tones and textures of each design.

05

Upcoming talents True innovation develops out of building new connections and a shared work culture. Our annual Textile Trainee program offers three-month internships to top students from all majors so that they can apply their knowledge and acquire new skills under the guidance of one of our mentors. These initiatives provide an invaluable advancement for the creation of true textile professionals, since they allow young people to grow and obtain real work experience, while fostering the growth of the industry itself. The program also fuels a continuous cycle of inspiration, creativity, innovation and education, and, at the same time, establishes a new platform for developing upcoming talents.

New Wilton Loom In 2017, El Espartano added a new Wilton Jacquard loom to the business, providing a technological advance for the production of premium cut pile and bouclĂŠ products. The loom, from Belgium, allows us to produce very fine carpets with a dense and compact plush. In 1960, El Espartano imported the first Wilton machines and a shearing machine to clip the YARN II

pile of the carpets and achieve a high-quality finish for our products. The Wilton looms produced an extremely dense moquette, characterized by a broad and modern color palette. Thus, the Wilton line was launched and became an immediate success.

06

Sello de Buen Diseño (Design Hallmark 2017) The Sello de Buen Diseño argentino (Design Hallmark 2017) is an official distinction awarded by the Argentine Ministry of Production to national industrial products that are outstanding in terms of innovation, sustainable production, market positioning and quality of design. Five El Espartano products received the distinction in 2017: Arquitectura para el cuerpo (Architecture for the body), by Gaspar Libedinsky, Palabras (Words), by Galpón Estudio; Pingüino (Penguin) and Ballena (Whale),

by Kärton Kärton; Malla (Mesh), by Cristian Mohaded; and Tejiendo Tendencias (Weaving Trends), a joint project by Ricardo Blanco, Paula De Elía, Carlos Galli, Javier Iturrioz, Coty Larguía and Eugenia Tron-

FOCUS

coso, Julio Oropel, Roxana Punta Álvarez and José Luis Otiñano, and Martín Zanotti. These pieces are produced by El Espartano in collaboration with a diverse selection of designers working under the umbrella of the Sustainable Design Laboratory, a space for reflection and artistic production located in one of the company’s industrial plants in Buenos Aires. The laboratory aims to break new ground by combining functionality and design aesthetics with the fundamental parameters of sustainable development. Projects arise from repurposing factory surpluses, a process that involves all the factors involved in the production chain: raw materials, machines, energy and the human factor.

07

An incident at the museum

JORGE MACCHI

YARN II

08

Four spotlights lie on a large carpet, as if they had fallen out of the sky and broken. Interestingly, the only portion of the pattern that is visible lies in the four fragmented areas that would have been lit by the spotlights; the rest of it seems to have faded away, causing the spectator to reflect on the constructive power and significance of the light, which is one of the central questions driving Macchi’s work. This site-specific installation, La noche de los museos (The Night of the Museums), was made

by Jorge Macchi for the Bemberg room of the National Museum of Fine Arts of Buenos Aires as part of Perspectiva, the artist’s first retrospective in the country. The carpet was produced using a score of yarn colors that were meticulously combined to achieve the complex effect of the vanishing pattern.

YN JM

La noche de los museos is your second collaboration with El Espartano.

It is much more complex in terms of design and scale than your first, Lampo, but it seems to be part of the same exploration. How are the pieces related?

My initial sketch for the first carpet was very complex and that obviously clashed with the technical difficulty of creating the tonal gradation. After a first meeting at the factory, we decided to create a very simple design with a single color and put all the technical effort into producing the tonal gradation. The result was very good and solved many of the technical problems we encountered with the first carpet.

What is the origin of the cube-based pattern?

I have always liked weaves that look like superimposed cubes.

It is a visual texture but, at the same time, it creates a spatial illusion. By choosing red and black I was able to work with two different gradations for each color: the black has a more abrupt gradation into the natural wool color than the red.

COLLABORATIONS

TOP: Jorge Macchi overseeing the installation of his work.

PREVIOUS PAGE: It is a disruptive work with visual effects that surprise and invite the observer

BOTTOM: Gradations of red and

to question what may have happened before he

black colors combine to achieve

entered the room.

the visual effect.

JORGE MACCHI

09

YN JM

What differences did you encounter in the process of the first and second pieces?

The production process for this second piece was radically different from that of the first. The first carpet was produced using a manual technique and showed both the strengths and defects of fabrication. For the second piece, the plan from the start was to use a digital file and for it to be manufactured using an automated process. We needed to do a lot of testing to eliminate any jumps in the color gradation. Once we got to that point, a final test was done that satisfied everyone.

What was the biggest challenge you faced when producing this project with El Espartano?

It was very difficult to not be able to see it completely assembled prior to putting it together at the museum. Due to its size, the carpet was made in three parts that were then joined together.

The project tempts me to continue working in this medium, to continue working with the motif and making it more and more complex, especially by including more colors.

“La noche de los museos plays with the institutional space, suggesting that an accident is the source of the patches of light on the carpet.”

Where would you place La noche de los museos in terms of your professional development and what did it represent for you as a design professional?

Since creating the first carpet for the Homesick home project exhibited in Bogotá, I had been tempted by both the possibility of making a more complex design that would incorporate another color, and by the opportunity to work on a larger scale in order to include more than one spot of light. The Bemberg room at the Museum of Fine Arts—with its lights that shine circles of light onto the walls and which measures approximately 9 x 10 meters—seemed to me the ideal place to undertake this more complex project. But if Homesick home included very intimate and domestic references, La noche de los museos plays with the institutional space, suggesting that an accident is the source of the patches of light on the carpet.

TOP: A pattern of overlapping cubes produces a texture that creates a spatial illusion.

BOTTOM: The 9 x 10-meter carpet was woven using the hand tufting technique.

YARN II

10

Jorge Macchi was born in Buenos Aires in 1963. He studied art at the National School of Fine Arts of Buenos Aires. In 2000, he received the Banco de la Nación Argentina Award. In 2001, he was awarded the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship. He represented Argentina at the 2005 Venice Biennial. He has been the subject of four retrospectives: Perspectiva at the Malba, ABOVE: The finishing details were

MNBA, Universidad Di Tella, Buenos Aires (2016); Espectrum, at CRAC, Montbeliard, France (2015);

done by hand.

Music Stands Still at SMAK, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Gante, Belgium(2011); and Anatomía de la melancolía organized by the Blanton Museum of Art, Austin at Santander Cultural, Porto Alegre,

FOLLOWING PAGE: La noche de

Brazil (2007) and CGAC, Santiago de Compostela (2008). Other solo shows include: Lampo, NC Arte,

los museos was exhibited at the

Bogotá (2015); Prestidigitador at MUAC, Mexico City (2014); Container at MAMBA, Buenos Aires (2013)

National Museum of Fine Arts in 2016.

and the Kunstmuseum Luzern (2013).

COLLABORATIONS

JORGE MACCHI

11

LEANDRO DOMÍNGUEZ YARN YARN II II

PHOTO: ANA ARMENDARIZ

Fashion Rebel

14

A few years ago, Leandro Domínguez began to pursue ceramics, an art form that distanced him from his academic training and career. Conceptually, it reflects the genuine interests that have always motivated his work: to investigate the process of making. Leandro Domínguez is not resentful of fashion, indeed he feels that it is the engine that continues to drive him to do new things. Transparent, demanding and rebellious in his own craft, he now splits his days between his responsibilities as creative director at a textile company and his atelier in the neighborhood of Saavedra. He feels design is not just a tool of expression and production, but the bedrock of a sustainable life. His Arashi rug is the result of the inspiration he found in his travels through Asia and refers back to the traditional Japanese dyeing technique, shibori.

PHOTO: GALLERY SPUTNIK. WALL ART: RICARDO OLIVA AND IUMI KATAOKA, DIAMANTES EN EL RÍO.

YN LD

PHOTO: ANA ARMENDARIZ

PREVIOUS PAGE / ABOVE: Leandro Domínguez dedicates time to his new passion, ceramics, in his atelier in the neighborhood of Saavedra.

TOP: Raised red lines are superimposed on a base of natural colors and an indigo blue gradient.

COLLABORATIONS

You have undergone an interesting professional journey over the years. How did it begin?

My training was mainly in textiles. I enrolled in a textile program but in first year I changed to clothing, because that was where most of the action was. Ironically, my first job was in textiles. I worked for a long time for different brands until, in 2002, I founded my own brand, Leandro Domínguez. My main business was putting together collections that sold not just in the store but also to customers in the interior of the country. The brand continued for twelve years, until 2015, when I began to have other concerns and felt I needed to find other sources of inspiration. Ceramics began as a hobby ten years ago because, while fashion is fantastic, at the same time, it is like this beast that overtakes you and you succumb to the market logic that dictates “you have to do two collections a year.” I found myself trapped over and over again in situations that I did not want to be in, even though the brand was doing well. In that regard, shutting it down was a very brave decision.

How did the idea of moving from designing textiles to designing objects under your Criollo brand come to you?

Textiles and ceramics are two elements that are linked to the primal needs of humankind. Fashion may seem superficial or ephemeral, but textiles and ceramics are primary elements that form part of where we live. There is no one that does not clothe themselves, or that does not use a container to eat or drink. Criollo is a line of kitchen utilities that continues in the same spirit of my work, but in another medium. I want it to represent what interests me about things. My goal, somehow, is to mix textiles and ceramics.

LEANDRO DOMÍNGUEZ

15

YN LD

What determines your work process?

My work has a lot to do with what is happening to me at the time, and I work in a way that I feel is very local: I always work with what I have available at hand, and not with what I would like to have. It is something that I learned in the trade.

Where would you place Arashi in terms of your development and what did it represent for you as a design professional?

It represents the moment when I realized the scope of my own work. Arashi came from Japanese inspiration because, that same year, during my travels to China, I attended some ceramic workshops. The same year El Espartano approached me I had been in Jingdezhen, the capital of Chinese porcelain, doing a ceramics workshop in the mountains with a sensei. It was there that I learned about shibori, a Japanese technique of knotting and dyeing with indigo. So, I wanted to relate that experience to the rug project. Lines are super-imposed over the stamp, forming the shape of a branch that I drew; I always include something that recalls nature. The rug also represented an opportunity in my career to participate in designing the carpeting for the auditorium of the National Museum of Fine Arts (MNBA). When I finished that project, I understood the importance it had. On the one hand, it had offered me the opportunity to participate in a project with other colleagues. The rug was a textile, something that I had never explored but, at the same time, it was inherent in my training. It had an impact on my personal work, it marked a milestone in my career. It helped me to gain a perspective of what really interested me and to cross-examine those things that I was doing automatically.

TOP (DETAILS): The handcrafted technique of shibori can generate

What does a carpet mean to Leandro DomĂ­nguez?

It is the opportunity to get away from the cold of the floor, it is a moment of rest, intimacy, warmth, relaxation. Like when you want to be next to a warm body. There is nothing better than walking barefoot on a lawn or on a carpet.

unpredictable motifs, and results are always different.

BOTTOM: Arashi turns an urban living room into a refuge for the senses.

YARN II

You spoke about the importance of the initial stages of development of your projects. What are you like at that first stage?

Barefoot, with comfortable clothes and surrounded by fabrics.

16

Leandro Domínguez is a graduate of Fashion Design from the University of Buenos Aires and began his professional career working in textile companies, developing fabrics for the Brazilian, European and Asian industries. He splits his time between Buenos Aires and various cities in Europe and Asia.

These trips have resulted in his discovery of multiple languages and images that are then reflected in his collections. For the past several years, ceramics have allowed him to apply his method and style to another line of objects that now form part of a personal collection. He is a leader in the growing professionalism of the Argentine fashion industry. In 2011, he was selected to participate in the book, ABOVE: The rug belongs to the

Moda: Nuevo diseño argentino (Fashion: New Argentine Design), which features the work of one

Alexa line, woven in two pile heights

hundred of the most creative young fashion designers. In 2003, together with Leonardo Barraud, he

using pure virgin wool yarns.

founded the brand that would bear his name.

COLLABORATIONS

LEANDRO DOMÍNGUEZ

17

Optical Illusions

FEDERICO VARONE YARN II

18

Federico Varone directs an interdisciplinary studio in the Agronomía neighborhood whose members are interested in experimenting with different product design experiences, from mass production to experimental projects. One of Federico’s unique interests lies in investigating the limits of what is “right” and what is “wrong”, of what “seems to be” but “is not”, and vice versa. In Moiré, he breaks down the traditional rectangular shape of rugs in order to inject dynamism into a surface that is usually static.

YN FV

What is your professional background?

I am an industrial designer. I have always liked to draw, I even thought about studying Fine Arts. My professional background and my current practice are closely related. I like to work at the limits of the abstract and the figurative.

PREVIOUS PAGE: Moiré breaks down the rectangular shape of traditional rugs.

BELOW: Four small square modules intersect to achieve an optical effect that generates new colors.

COLLABORATIONS

How would you describe your work process?

The fact that I am playful and somewhat immature helps me create my products. As with the last products I made, linearity makes another appearance in Moiré. I played with the composition and decomposition of the classic rug, cutting it into four parts, and then I began to play. The characteristics of the lines that make up the rug and the squares that were generated with the crossing of lines required a lot of work. At first, the result was something quite disorganized but, due to technical issues, it became more orthogonal, without losing the sensation or the idea of disorder. The same occurs in my other pieces, Ábrete y ciérrate (Open and Close), a chest of drawers; and a chair, Silla Vaivén (Rocking Chair). The game begins with simpler forms, not literal ones. Another theme that I am interested in addressing in my work is exploring surfaces. That is what I am doing in Alabeada (Warped), a series of products with warped surfaces where, after testing mock-ups made with popsicle sticks, we then made prototypes to answer some structural questions, and from there were able to make the final product.

FEDERICO VARONE

19

YN FV

Does your work follow a defined plan, or more of a fluctuating, spontaneous rationale?

I work impulsively, without a thought as to where things will go.

Have you done any work that has nothing to do with Moiré?

I don’t believe so. I find it hard to make a product that is simply “a form”. I want my products to tell a story.

What do you understand by form? What do you find unsettling about that concept?

I understand form to be the result of a sequence of thoughts transformed into a real, tangible object. Something that can be touched, that offers resistance, roughness, softness, etc. I am interested in forms that contain sensations that are not possible to perceive through the senses, that are “messages between the lines”.

Are you interested in exploring the relationship between the artisanal and industrial as forms of production? Ábrete y ciérrate is an example of a semi-industrial product. A 3D model is an industrial product. Regardless, there is a quality that can transform a product – be it industrial or artisanal – into an object that is capable of connecting with the user beyond just the technical function it fulfills. I am talking about an invisible texture, that only becomes visible through the message. In terms of rugs, it is understood that their function is to protect a floor, to decorate it, or frame it. But if the product also achieves that other invisible connection, it will create a microworld, wherein the passage of time will be more pleasant.

Do you think Moire and Alabeada have something in common?

They are about the deformation and generation of surfaces through simple, minimal components. Alabeada divides environments, it is a surface that can be deformed and transformed, depending on the light or privacy desired. Moiré, on the other hand, creates new textures, visual interferences and lines that give the illusion of volume over surface.

The shape of the final surface, which was originally a rectangle, is a sum of squares formed by a sum of lines.

YARN II

TOP: In his studio, Federico designs furniture, lighting products and objects.

BOTTOM: Loop/L60. A chair inspired by the seats of old city buses.

20

Federico Varone graduated from Industrial Design at the University of Buenos Aires and is in charge of an industrial design studio in Buenos Aires that specializes in mass consumer product design, furniture, objects and lighting. Varone has participated in several national and international design fairs, including Puro Diseño “La Selección”, Feria D&D+Dara, Proyecto Deseo, the World Bank Exhibition “About Change” (Washington, 2011/2012), 100 % Design (London, 2013), Salone del Mobile (Milan, 2014/2015), Wanted Design-Launch Pad (New York, 2016), BID (Spain, 2016) and Salone Satellite (Milan, 2017). Several of his products have been awarded the Sello de Buen Diseño argentino. He is currently collaborating with national and international companies in the design of new products.

TOP: Moiré was woven in two color variants with pure virgin wool yarns.

BOTTOM: The decomposition and recomposition of the form adds dynamism to the surface.

COLLABORATIONS

ANTONIO CARRAU

Field of Perceptions

YARN II

22

Antonio Carrau began working with skateboards and painting murals as a hobby. Today, he has ventured into different types of media, from clothes and fabrics, to objects and paper. The subjectivity of a work of art is a constant interest in his work. With his rug, Número 5 (Number 5), Carrau dares to add color for the first time to his black and white work, creating a design based on counter forms and the remains of collages

YN AC

How did you begin your design journey?

I studied Graphic Design at the ORT in Montevideo and I am currently part of the local Atolón de Mororoa studio which, during my student days, was known for being a work group free of hierarchies. I arrived as an intern and, in 2015 I was invited to join the studio. I work on all kinds of projects, some of which are very similar to the type of work I did during my studies, and others which are quite different. I am self-taught in the plastic arts.

How would you describe your work process?

I do not follow a defined process, it depends a lot on the result I want to achieve and my concerns at that moment. The tools I use the most are collage, drawing and the computer. Generally speaking, I move from one medium to another before achieving the final result. I am always trying out new techniques. For example, I use white sheets and put together textures in collage.

First, I just explore ideas and then I use it to build something else. When I was sketching ideas for the rug, I made a model out of plasticine that I later photographed and processed on the computer. Some of the textures generated in that process are reflected in the rug. I also wanted to mix colors (at that time, I was looking at ceramic pieces that mixed colors). I then made a sketch mixing two colors with enough contrast, in order to take a photo or scan it and see how to use it.

Tell us about your first pieces. What did they consist of?

At first, I was determined to find a way to draw, and I knew that if I did not have a client that forced me to do so, it would not happen. I began restoring skateboards as a hobby, then painted others by hand. That gave me a working rhythm. After fifteen skateboards, more orders began to arrive. A friend asked me to paint a wall of a pizzeria and that, in turn, led to a commission for a mural for Levi’s in La Barra, Punta del Este. Those works followed a logic, from the figurative to the abstract.

COLLABORATIONS

TOP: Original black and white sketch made using the collage technique.

PREVIOUS PAGE: Antonio’s BOTTOM: First forays of the artist.

designs arise from an analog

Sections of murals made for two

process that brings freshness

restaurants in Punta del Este.

to his compositions.

ANTONIO CARRAU

23

YN AC

How do you feel about the artisanal-industrial relationship in the production process?

I have never considered it to be a problem or dilemma. I use all of the tools available. The scarfs I made, for example, are produced using sublimation, an industrial process. I spent a lot of time researching how to print using an industrial technology but get a product that appeared handcrafted, and vice versa, asking the question: How can a handmade collage be printed on shirts using an industrial process? Then I decided that, if it was to be produced digitally, the other option would be to respect that process and it would look really robotic, and it could be the fabric that contributes the organic. And so, my investigation turned to that side of the process. The result was a series of cybernetic scarfs, inspired by the music of Kraftwerk that I was listening to at the time.

What inspires your work?

The idea of being able to develop my own universe. I am very attracted by the visual, by colors, forms and perception. I’m also interested in plants, abstraction, patterns. Whenever I watch movies, I take pictures of scenes that I like.

What was the biggest challenge you faced producing Número 5 in collaboration with El Espartano?

The color. Until then, I had worked only in black and white. In fact, the first options I sent to El Espartano were black and white. I was in the process of developing a personal language, a catalog of shapes and elements, and it seemed to me that adding color was too much. Working in black and white helped me set limits and empower my objectives.

The greatest challenge was to incorporate color. Fortunately, the palette had forty-six different colors to choose from, which helped me with this new endeavor.

ABOVE: Another textile piece by the artist. This example consists of prints on fabrics for clothing manufacture.

BOTTOM: Número 5 is woven with pure virgin wool yarns.

How do you define the graphic language, and yours in particular?

I understand language as a system of elements, forms, behaviors, alignments. As for my own language, I would say it is in development, now and always.

NEXT PAGE: The composition was created based on counter forms and the remains of collages.

Antonio Carrau is from Uruguay and lives in Montevideo. He studied Graphic Design at the ORT although he was always attracted to the plastic arts. Curious and self-taught, he is interested in experimenting and exploring different forms of expression. He is currently part of the Uruguayan design studio Atolón de Mororoa.

YARN II

24

More than cardboard

KÄRTON KÄRTON YARN II

26

Kärton Kärton was founded in 2010 by industrial designers Verónica Mercer and Luciana Quinteros, along with costume designer Jimena Tamarit. It is the outcome of a political-economic context that led them to design children’s toys made in Argentina. The brand focuses on developing sustainable, low-tech toys made with cardboard. Pingüino and Ballena (Penguin and Whale), inspired by Argentine wildlife, are two rugs that can be used as children’s play surfaces or as wall decorations.

YN KK

How do you recall Kärton Kärton’s beginnings?

We are Industrial Designers. We met working in a metallurgical factory in Buenos Aires and the idea of a project together came from that shared experience. At that time, we were collaborating with IncuBA CMD (Metropolitan Design Center) and looking to provide a service oriented towards SMEs and the manufacturing sector. Over time, we put together our current work team, where one of our most important achievements has been to provide design management consulting services.

ABOVE: Kärton Kärton provides opportunities for play through designs for sustainable toys for children.

PREVIOUS PAGE: The Ballena rug received the distinction of the Sello de Buen Diseño argentino in 2017.

COLLABORATIONS

Analyzing Pingüino and Ballena, how would you define your productive process?

When it came to the rugs we made for El Espartano, we had freedom in terms of the conceptual design of the pieces. The company wanted to understand the essence of the designers with whom they are collaborating. In our case, the three major thrusts behind Kärton Kärton were addressed: developing children’s toys, our sustainable vision and the act of play. The project went through several stages. Initially, we wanted to transform a rug into something that would refer back to that idea of hiding that children go through at a certain age. We first tested to see if the material could be worked from an angle that was not flat. Ultimately, we opted to go with something of a costume, to work with the corporal rather than the spatial. Another requirement had to do with the logistics of transporting the product. We transformed the packaging so that it offers an element of protection. We also studied the dimensions that we would use for the whale. We began from the idea of being able to move the carpet through different areas of the house, since the floor is an essential space for children’s play. The silhouette of the two products was determined through the need to accommodate the sizes of the machines and the types of finishing that could be used for these kinds of pieces. The colors of the fins were chosen based on what was available from the off cuttings. So, there were many conditions that were imposed upon us from the production stand point. As a result, we produced two items that are for two different age ranges: the whale with a cushion, for babies, and the penguin, for children.

KÄRTON KÄRTON

27

“Kärton Kärton products offer several opportunities for play, from constructive to volumetric. Then, there is the creative part, where you can engage with the product by painting or drawing on it.”

YN KK

Where did your interest in children’s playful activities come from?

Jimena, our third partner at the studio, came to us with the idea of developing sustainable toys. We were interested in working with materials that were accessible and friendly.

Cardboard fits, because we are able to absorb the production costs and can work with raw materials and local suppliers. It also is a lightweight material, which is key in terms of exporting products. We are interested in developing integrated, genderless toys that children of all abilities can play with. We want to go back to low-tech toys. Kärton Kärton products offer several opportunities for play, from constructive to volumetric play.

Then, there is the creative part, where you can engage with the product by painting or drawing on it.

Did that engagment with the final product happen at some point with the Ballena and Pinguino rugs?

Yes, that’s why we incorporated textiles into the packaging, and why it can be used a canvas, that is, it can also be customized.

Are you interested in exploring the relationship between the artisanal and industrial as forms of production?

For us it has to do with the scale of our work. We can adapt to large companies and small enterprises. We like to internalize the process, whether it is artisanal or industrial. We have even done industrial projects that combined the artisanal. We believe the difference between an industrial product and an artisanal one has to do with the type of product you offer to the market and the production volume involved.

What did the opportunity for a collaboration with El Espartano represent for you as design professionals?

It proved that Kärton Kärton could stop being about cardboard. That is, it represented the opportunity to incorporate another material while retaining our concepts. It also consisted in meeting the challenge of uniting the values and dynamics of Kärton Kärton with those of a company such as El Espartano.

ABOVE: The rug includes a cover that becomes a fun costume for children to play with.

Are you interested in your products being more than a toy?

Yes, because we work with playful ideas, and that is not limited to a toy.

YARN II

NEXT PAGE: Pingüino is a surface that awakens creativity and imagination.

28

Kärton Kärton is formed by Jimena Tamarit, Luciana Quinteros and Verónica Mercer, all of whom studied design at the University of Buenos Aires. The brand looks to create playful and integrated spaces, inspired by local wildlife and including the features of different animals in each product. The company works with materials that act as a three-dimensional blank canvas that can be engaged with in infinite ways and in different spaces.

COLLABORATIONS

29

AL BORDE LLAMA

A return to the origin

YARN II

30

Al borde llama had its start in 2009, with a cushion. Today, it is a consolidated brand with its own space in a storefront in the La Boca neighborhood, where it develops textile pieces using several weaving and stamping techniques. Silvana Mosquera, the graphic designer behind the brand, shares her love of handcrafted work and regional cultures, and fantasizes about the intersections between the artificial and the artisanal, the mechanical and the natural. Ensamble y MecĂĄnica (Assemblage and Mechanical) are the rugs she produced for El Espartano, and their mechanical weaves recall a geometric and colorful universe.

YN SNM

Tell us what guides your process.

I respect my professional training but I also value intuition, so my methodology follows both worlds. Each project has its own unique process. I take notes in notebooks that then serve as triggers. Usually, work begins from an inspiration, from something that suddenly occurs to me and I begin to think about how to carry it out: the materials, yarns, colors...

Generally speaking, I do not work with just one fiber, I am not radical. At the same time, I see what resources I have on hand. That is fundamental, because in a certain way it acts as a selection stage. I work in the middle of a whirlwind of ideas and possibilities, and I suffer great frustration if I cannot bring any of those ideas to fruition. And, when I get frustrated, I take refuge in the inspiration for the piece, thus creating a constant circle of production.

Where do you find your inspiration?

I am inspired by relationships, interdisciplinarity, biology, architecture, cinema, sculpture, travel. The creative force of anomalies, deformations, formations, assemblies, geometry, the street, nature. Daily life itself is a source of inspiration for me.

COLLABORATIONS

AL BORDE LLAMA

TOP/DETAIL: With its pure virgin wool yarns, the texture of Ensamble is soft and fluffy.

PREVIOUS PAGE: Silvana’s designs reflect her interest in the intersections between the artisanal and the artificial.

31

AB SNM

How did your interest in the Latin American context arise?

Al borde llama was founded in the middle of a trip around the country in 2009. The initial spark of inspiration came from the northern regional culture of Argentina and, specifically, the aesthetic used in carnival costumes, their colors, their brightness. I have always liked the art of carnivals, the murgas. There is, in that sense, an intention to reappraise pre-Columbian Latin American culture and its contributions to various areas of craft.

To plant our flag and abandon the romantic idealization of the European and look a little closer to home. In that regard, the neighborhood of La Boca, where I was born and work today, with its mixture, architecture, colors, has also made a strong mark on the brand. For exaple, in the series of cushions Viva! Wich refer to the idea of a flag as a symbol. Each one of those cushions could represent the design of a new flag. Technically speaking, because they do not have a repeating pattern, they are woven by hand, unlike other products by the brand.

“I have always liked the art of carnivals, the murgas. There is, in that sense, an intention to reappraise pre-Columbian Latin American culture and its contributions to various areas of craft.”

Are you interested in exploring the relationship between the artisanal and industrial as forms of production?

I am interested in that relationship in each project. Personally, I come and go between both forms because I find them complementary. I begin with manual work and some pieces are then produced industrially. Others are exclusively handmade. There are many details that cannot be achieved in the same way industrially as they can be handcrafted and, on the other hand, there are pieces that do require industrialization.

What was the biggest challenge in producing Ensamble and Mecánica?

Thinking of a rug as a 360-degree piece. With El Espartano, we designed the collection from the point of view of spatiality: since it is a piece that is located on the floor, there is a distance in terms of observation and location that is very different from what I had been working on. How we arrived at the color scheme was also interesting. The pom-poms limited me to an extent that I’m not accustomed, and I worked with tones that, generally speaking, I do not use, cold colors instead of warm ones.

TOP: Another of Silvana’s textile products which has clear referencesto regional cultures.

BOTTOM: A template for the series of cushions, Viva!

Silvana Nicanora Mosquera graduated in Graphic Design from the University of Buenos Aires, and is the founder and creative director of Al Borde Llama. She also studied visual arts with Diana

NEXT PAGE: Light green, purple and black

Aisenberg. Her pieces have been exhibited in art galleries and published in national and international

help to make a work space singular. The dialogue

design magazines and books. Textile pieces from Al Borde Llama have been selected by Opening

with outside nature refers to the dichotomy

Ceremony to be part of their New York store in representation of Argentine design. The pieces can

usually practiced by Al Borde llama.

also be found in Spain, Chile and Brazil.

YARN II

32

A bear in the house

VALERIA PESQUEIRA YARN II

34

Founded in 2001, PESQUEIRAtm is a women’s clothing brand that stands out for the high quality of its materials and its sophisticated and playful designs. The clothes are known for inspiring tenderness, fun and child-like innocence, while retaining a classic and lively style. Each season, original prints are created in collaboration with a team of artists and illustrators. Using creator Valeria Pesqueira’s iconic image of a bear, Descanso de oso (Bear at rest) and Osezno (Bear cub), two rugs that use the shape of the animal, invite a moment of relaxation, creating an intimate and magical corner that recalls a world of reverie.

YN VP

ABOVE: Oso Polar (Polar Bear) brings luminosity and freshness to areas for play and relaxation. Descanso de oso (Bear at rest) offers a variation on tones.

PREVIOUS PAGE: Hand woven designs using pure virgin wool in two different pile heights.

COLLABORATIONS

What distinguishes your process?

Since 2001, I have had my PESQUEIRAtm clothing brand and every six months we make a new collection of clothes and accessories. We have illustrators that develop three or four prints per season, and stamp the garments using the screen-printing method. We know each of the people who make our clothes personally: Lucia or Ana Laura illustrate the print, Lore sends the print and the garments to be produced, Adriana puts together the color palette for the prints, Roberto stamps them, Betty cuts, sews and packs them, and Euge and Guada sell them.

Where does the inspiration and echoes of animals and nature, which are always present in your collections, come from?

It has to do with always doing what I like: experiencing natural landscapes, animals and anything nautical, and bringing that to my work. Genuine inspiration is one of the factors that sets our brand apart.

VALERIA PESQUEIRA

35

YN VP

How did Descanso de oso come about?

It was after the birth of my second child. I had two children very close together and I began to spend a lot of time at home, and with that came the need to use those daily living spaces in a different way, to make them more comfortable, make them a supportive environment. In that context, I thought of the idea of taking my logo – the bear – and making it an object of rest, leisure and pleasure, and Descanso de Oso was born as a place for play and interaction with children.

Who are your favorite illustrators?

Ana Laura Pérez, Lucía Bouzada, Marina Haller, Adriana Torres. They are all women who leave a genuine imprint on their work, and who also make references to animals and plants.

Are you interested in exploring the artisanal and industrial as forms of production?

Yes, it’s what I do every day. I love, care and believe in the craft. My grandparents had a general store in a town in the Province of Buenos Aires and that brought me a love for craft and craftsmanship.

What was the biggest challenge in producing Descanso de Oso and Osezno?

Achieving unique, quality and comfortable products.

Creating textiles clearly has dominated your career. What did these collaborations represent for you?

It was proof I was finally capable of entering the world of decoration, of interiors, which was something that interested me for a long time, and it was also one of my first forays into the design of objects.

What does a rug mean for Valeria Pesqueira?

It is an intimate place, of leisure, pleasure and comfort.

TOP: A Pesqueira bag.

BOTTOM: Descanso de oso invites you to enjoy a real moment of relaxation.

YARN II

36

Valeria Pesqueira is a graduate of the University of Buenos Aires in Fashion Design. She has worked for prestigious brands such as Vitamina, Uma and Levi’s. With her own brand, PESQUEIRAtm, she has captured the attention of markets such as Japan and the United States, and the flagship store is located in the heart of the Palermo neighborhood, Buenos Aires. PESQUEIRAtm has created a clothing line for women and children that is made from high quality materials and tailoring, using sophisticated and playful designs. These creations are already carried in some of the most prestigious multi-brand stores around the world, such as United Arrows & HP France in Tokyo, Moma, Opening Ceremony, Steven Alan and Bird in NYC. PESQUEIRAtm has also created collaborations with other brands, such as Cartoon Network, Puma, Lee, Jumbo, Rueda, Topper, Freddo and Lycra, among others.

ABOVE / LEFT: Osezno. The yarns combine the softness of wool and the strength of nylon.

37

MIGA DE PAN

Motherhood in art YARN II

38

León buda (Buddha Lion) is a rug made by craftsmen and designed by Miga de Pan. The piece is part of the intuitive and mystical world of embroidery explored by Adriana Torres, its creator. Thirty years ago, Adriana traveled to New York and was fascinated by a paper shop that sold towel dolls.

Long-legged dolls, invented characters, animals and a certain fetish for lions have brought to life the dreamworld that has become her brand. Apart from multiple incursions into several professions, her training as an illustrator gave her the wings to be able to unleash and professionalize her designs.

On her travels around the globe, she continually researches embroidery techniques and always tries to bring home yarns, scraps of fabrics and, above all, experiences.

YN AT

Tell us about your professional training and how it relates to your first forays into embroidery.

I studied Architecture and Graphic Design. Later, I studied illustration for seven years with Silvia Mato. Silvia made us work a lot with dreams, with fears, with everything personal.

She even had classes that began with semi-hypnosis and meditation sessions. My training with her marked a turning point in my professional career. I was always attracted to textiles and, in particular, dolls, but not dolls for children. Before I had my daughter, Felicitas, it was something that was invisible to me. Then, in 2005, working as an art director, I saw an exhibition in Japan of designers who made dolls, but they were not for children, and that fascinated me. “I want to make characters,” I announced. I bought books, I set up the studio in the neighborhood of Saavedra and I wrote to Silvia Mato telling her that I wanted to make dolls with my own characters. Ultimately, many turned out to be children’s dolls because, in the meantime, I had a daughter.

How would you describe your work process? Does it mirror what you learned from Silvia at all?

Undoubtedly, work continues to be a ritual, it is a very intimate process. Ideas come to me before I go sleep or before I get up, in states of semi-consciousness. I decided to use embroidery as my illustration technique at a time when there was almost none of it in Argentina. Everyone was working with illustration. The crochet technique I use is called Russian embroidery and is used for volume. The first thing I designed was a mobile for Felicitas with different animals. It was designed almost architecturally. As opposed to the traditional Japanese technique, I think of forms in a very geometric way. In León Buda, we created the shape of a lion’s mane. Then, we made some sketches of the mane and of an elephant.

COLLABORATIONS

ADRIANA TORRES

TOP: Elefante Farnesio (Farnesio, the Elephant) 41 x 117 cm rug, with small cutout.

BOTTOM: Adriana creates children’s characters, joining them with a poetic and artistic sensibility.

PREVIOUS PAGE: León Ander (Ander, the Lion) is a circular openwork rug of 86 cm in diameter.

39

YN AT

What inspires your work?

The theme of the lion is something that I love. I do not draw people, but I am fascinated by animals.

Are you interested in exploring the artisanal and industrial as forms of production?

Both processes interest me when it comes to my collections. Depending on the product, I may prefer one over the other. Generally speaking, it is the material of the object itself that defines the mode of production. Artisanal production is interesting when you can achieve a series of works that respond to certain aesthetic and formal parameters. And that is possible if the technique can be mastered. Including tools in the process can accelerate production times, although pieces will always be limited or author editions.

Industrial production, on the other hand, has the advantage of mass reproduction and the consequent reduction of costs, although it can cause a certain “dehumanization” of the product. One way to bring these more impersonal objects closer to people is through incorporating design, which is what was done in Germany in the 1920s with the Bauhaus.

For me, the challenge is to combine both production models.

ABOVE: Original design made by hand using artisanal embroidery techniques.

NEXT PAGE: León Buda is the final

What was the biggest challenge you faced when producing León Buda with El Espartano?

Scale. The original design is small and embroidered by hand using the Russian embroidery technique. For the rug, the technique is very similar but is made using hand tufting, which allowed us to produce something of much larger dimensions.

piece produced by El Espartano from the technical translation of the original sketch.

Where would you place León Buda in terms of your professional development and what did it represent for you as a design professional?

When we began collaborating with El Espartano, I had already signed several licensing agreements with Argentine and foreign companies, and I had experience designing for serialized productions, but had always used artisanal processes. The collaboration with El Espartano gave me the opportunity to incorporate my designs into a collection of rugs produced in a way that combines artisanal techniques with the latest advances in textile technology.

What does a carpet mean for Adriana Torres?

Beginnings. When I launched my brand Miga de Pan, the first thing I made was a carpet embroidered with flowers that I called Felicitas.

What is happening nowadays with embroidery in Buenos Aires?

It took off a couple of years ago. There are illustrators who are turning to it and there are great things coming out of it. In terms of technique, it may take a little more time to see big changes.

YARN II

40

Adriana Torres is an artist, designer and creator of Miga de Pan. She studied Architecture and Graphic Design at the University of Buenos Aires. She also trained in fine arts, photography and illustration. Her collection of objects was awarded the Sello de Buen DiseĂąo argentino and was selected to represent the nation in the Argentine design pavilions at 100% Design London, Maison & Objet Paris and Pitti Bimbo in Italy. She received first prize at the National Handicraft Contest organized by the National Fund for the Arts in the field of Contemporary Textile Dolls. Her work has been published in several magazines and books, including Stich-illo (Uppercase), Encore!

The New Artisans (Thames & Hudson), Super Handmade (Designers Book) and DPI Magazine of Taiwan. Farnesio, the elephant was featured on the cover of Modern Decoration Home (Hong Kong) and Ander, the lion appeared on the cover of the British magazine Embroidery. She has taught embroidery classes in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, the United States, England, Switzerland, Germany and Spain. Her textile pieces have been exhibited at the Mar Dulce and Aldo de Sousa Galleries in Buenos Aires, in Leipzig and at the Textile Art Exhibition at Versailles, Paris. Her collection of objects is currently sold in several countries around the world.

COLLABORATIONS

ADRIANA TORRES

41

CRISTIAN MOHADED

Variations on a wave

YARN II

42

Malla (Mesh) is a series of rugs designed by Cristian Mohaded, based on simple 2D geometric construction but with a 3D effect. The optics of these rugs recall natural phenomena such as crystallization, fissures, wave movements and constellations. The apparently random deformations, added to the colors and variations of textures, provide a greater sense of relief to each of the carpets in the series.

YN CM

Your works are characterized by subtlety and the constant search for new materials. Do you follow a specific process in your projects?

I do not have a defined process, I always work according to the project, I do not believe in formalities or in a step-by-step process. I have to be free to work. I like to explore materials, techniques. I like very much to draw, to make things with my hands. They are all tools in my process, but they are all of the same importance. In particular, with the first rugs project I did for El Espartano, the first thing I did was to visit the company, to learn the step-by-step of the production process. I like to know where I stand and who I am going to work with.

How did Malla originate?

Malla developed as almost a mental preview of what I imagined for the project: a space without limits, open but orderly. This series of rugs was born from experimenting with geometric figures, such as the square, the rectangle and the hexagon. Then, by deforming them, I began to find that certain perspectives generated a more three-dimensional view of the surface. The result is a collection of products that are similar, which allowed a rich variety of textures and contrasts. As a designer, I have always tried to find a way to use the medium to communicate with people and create closeness, sensitivity and the appropriation of the products. I think that the first thing people perceive of a product is the material it is made with, and today textiles have taken on a more prominent role in daily life. Textiles have a certain warmth compared to other materials, and imply a much closer relationship to the senses, such as touch and smell.

What awakens your inspiration to create something new?

I find inspiration in the most basic and everyday things. When I’m walking, I can find things that “hypnotize” me, although it’s usually the most ordinary or least obvious things that move me the most. I am passionate about textures, colors, spaces, the details of the city. Certain natural phenomena also inspire me, and then I carry them to a bit of a more abstract extreme.

But I’m never on the lookout for anything, it has to happen spontaneously.

Are you interested in exploring the artisanal and industrial as forms of production?

I believe there must be a dialogue between the two forms, I do not believe in a rigid separation of the actions. I like to be able to combine both, to create a dialogue between them in the best possible way. I think that a good piece of design should be open to both production methods. I am passionate about craftsmanship, about its relationship to the hand and the stories behind a technique. But I am also very passionate about industry, about creating a working team to be set in motion for a design project.

What was the biggest challenge you faced in creating Malla?

Working with the heights and the different colors. The technique that was used was cut pile, or bouclé. Using the same color, we were able to generate different layers on the same carpet.

PREVIOUS PAGE: Malla received the distinction of the Sello de Buen Diseño argentino in 2017.

TOP: The graphics used are reminiscent of certain natural phenomena, such as crystallization and constellations.

COLLABORATIONS

Where would you locate Malla in terms of your professional development and what did it represent for you as a design professional?

Malla was my first carpet collection. It represented the achievement of getting to work with a company with as long a history as El Espartano. It also presented an opportunity to continue to work together on new collections, where I continue to absorb new experiences that fill me with satisfaction.

CRISTIAN MOHADED

43

TOP: Malla 01 combines bouclé

Cristian Mohaded is an Industrial Designer and graduate of the National University of Architecture

textures and cut pile at different heights.

of Córdoba (FAUDI). He was born in Recreo, Catamarca, and currently resides in the city of Buenos Aires. Recently, one of his creations was selected to be part of the design collection of the Musée

BOTTOM: Malla 03 consists of different

des Arts Décoratifs (Paris), where it forms part of an extensive international design selection. He

dimensions and color variants.

has won numerous national and international design competitions and participates in exhibitions and fairs. Today, he is a benchmark figure of contemporary Argentine design. Currently, he is dedi-

NEXT PAGE: Malla 01 shown in another

cated to the development and design of products for national and international companies. Among

color variant. Images showing the

the international brands that have commissioned his designs are the art gallery Serge Bensimon,

details and production process with

Habitat, Roche Bobois and La Redoute. In Argentina, he has worked with Voila BA, Vaca Valiente,

Cristian at the El Espartano factory.

La Feliz, Malba, Imdi Iluminación, Solantu and FOG Concept.

YARN II

44

PALACIO TANGARÁ

The legacy of Brazilian modernism A São Paulo residence that dates back to the 1940s is now one of the city’s most exclusive hotels.

The renovation work was carried out by the local firm Anastassiadis, which worked with El Espartano on the floor coverings.

YARN II

56

PANAMBY, SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL

nine function rooms, a ballroom that can accommodate 400 guests, a spa and gym, indoor and outdoor pools and a kids’ club. The local interior design studios Bick Simonato and Anastassiadis were in charge of coming up with a design concept tailored to each space. All the rooms are elegantly decorated with contemporary touches using materials inspired by nature. Each one opens on to a balcony or terrace and enjoys fabulous views over Burle Marx Park. The inspiration for the color palette came from an engraving by the French artist Jean Debret, a chromatic composition that accentuates the greenery of the exteriors. The carpets by El Espartano were carefully chosen to set off the works of art on display in the hotel. The weave design and the work of creating each thread were fundamental in ensuring that the rooms were well balanced.

MAGNA ANASTASSIADIS ARQUITETOS

10,100 M2

TYPE OF CARPET ARCHITECTURE PROJECT

CARPETED SURFACE

LOCATION

YEAR 2017

São Paulo is a vibrant city bursting with energy. The Palacio Tangará shows just what it has to offer; from its elegance and range of international level services, to its proximity to museums and cultural centers.

The building has a curious history. In the late 1940s, “Baby Pignatari”, an Italian-Brazilian businessman, commissioned Oscar Niemeyer to build the palace for his wife, as a magnificently romantic gesture. At the same time, Roberto Burle Marx was hired to design the palace gardens. But the architectural feat was not completed.

Pignatari’s relationship with his wife ended and, as a result, Tangará was abandoned and left unfinished for many years, until the Oetker Collection acquired the Palace and turned it into a hotel.

It has 141 rooms, including 59 suites, all with magnificent views of the park. Additional facilities include

SURFACES / COMFORT

57

YARN II

58

The imprint of Burle Marx and Bo Bardi Roberto Burle Marx was the most important landscape architect in Brazil, known as a modern garden artist. He lived much of his life in Rio de Janeiro, where his main works are located, although his oeuvre is scattered across the globe. The Palace is located in the park named after him, which is visually impressive, with creeper-covered palm trees and ferns, as well as a beautiful lake containing fish, turtles and swans.

The park plays an important role as one of São Paulo’s green spaces, since it contributes towards an improvement in air quality, noise reduction, flora and fauna conservation, the mitigation of heat island effects and the population’s leisure activities. This park is devoted entirely to contemplative recreation, and its main aim is to bring the people of São Paulo into contact with nature, by providing pleasant walks through the forest composed of remaining species from the “Mata Atlântica” or Atlantic Forest. The Burle Marx garden surrounding the Palace houses a reflecting pool, a set of sculptural panels, royal palms and a beautiful pergola overlooking a two-tone lawn that resembles a chessboard.

SUPERFICIES SURFACES / COMFORT

The work dates from 1950 and underwent a restoration intervention carried out by Burle Marx in 1991. In 1990, urban development took place in the neighborhood, and the norms were approved to establish the park as a large conservation area with a significant presence of native and secondary forest and the remaining elements of the Burle Marx project.

Another of the architectural attractions not to be missed on a visit to Tangará is Lina Bo Bardi’s Glass House, the former home of the Italian-Brazilian architect who designed several of the city’s iconic works. In 1951, Bo Bardi designed the Glass House to live in with her husband in what was left of the Atlantic Forest, the original rainforest surrounding São Paulo. Situated on a 7,000 m2 plot of land, it was the first residence in the Morumbi neighborhood. Though the area is now a wealthy suburb, a tamer version of the rainforest has taken root around the house, hiding it from view and forming a lush, green backdrop to the glass walls. Inside the house, there are zones assigned to different functions, but they are all tied together by the forest vistas, visible through the glass panes.

59

Five senses Patricia Anastassiadis, one of Brazil’s most renowned architects and interior designers, uses her personal history as her main source of inspiration.

AUTHOR: JULIANA N. PASSOS

The Greek eye amulet hanging over Patricia Anastassiadis’ desk holds a meaning beyond its mystical significance. With a Greek father, Brazilian mother and Polish grandparents, she is an architect who finds the inspiration for everything she does in her origins. “I am the result of a melting pot of influences,” she says. Her mother, a lawyer by training, always displayed her creative side: she paints, writes and works in the fashion industry. Her father, who worked in the textile sector his entire life, is the one who introduced her to the world of Greek mythology.

Patricia grew up among the machines at her family’s factory.

The desire to devote herself to studying fashion came naturally to her, because she was fascinated by prints. At that time, since there were no specialized schools in Brazil, her parents did not think it was a good idea. They encouraged her to follow other paths that were all related to the visual arts. “My mother convinced me when she told me about great stylists like Pierre Cardin and Thierry Mugler, who had a very good grasp of porportions and aesthetics, because they are architects”, explains Patricia. Architecture was not her dream, but she would immediately become a fan and an extremely devoted one.

After graduating from university, she set up a studio on the terrace of her house. Her first project, a restaurant whose chef was Alex Atala, proved a success. It turned out to be a combination of talent and opportunity for both figures, who, from that moment on, became favorites with the public. Today, Anastassiadis’ studio is located in a 1940s mansion in the Higienópolis neighborhood and receives projects from Brazil and abroad.

She recently took charge of the Palacio Tangará hotel, situated inside the Burle Marx Park, whose gardens were designed by the Brazilian landscape artist. The structure of the hotel already existed, which is why the project attracted a great deal of attention: “We could not allow it to become a caricature,” she says. The idea was to turn it into a foreigner’s vision of Brazil, rather than portraying the already well-known “tropical country”. El Espartano was invited to design the carpets for this exclusive hotel and create work that was tailored to the style of the project. Patricia’s history with the Argentine company dates back to a previous undertaking, the Hilton Barra, in Rio de Janeiro.

Although not located on the beach, the charms of Rio are present in every detail of that project. The ballroom carpet, for example, very subtly reproduces the design of the famous Portuguese paving stones.

“It was a way to bring something from the sidewalks of Rio inside the hotel,” explains Patricia. She recounts that the work carried out by El Espartano was especially meticulous in order to ensure that the lines were continuous and did not appear broken.

TOP: Through her architecture, Patricia contributes her perspective of a family history characterized by cultural fusion.

BOTTOM: With the city of São Paulo in the background, the Palacio Tangará stands amid the dense forest of Burle Marx Park.

YARNYARN II II

60

TOP: The Palacio Tangará was abandoned and left unfinished for a long time. Today it is a hotel that is elegantly decorated, with contemporary touches and materials inspired by nature.

BOTTOM: The Anastassiadis studio carries out research on materials and works with history and anthropology to find appropriate solutions to market demands.

SUPERFICIES SURFACES / COMFORT

Her name has become a reference, particularly in the five-star hotel industry. “That’s because I like to travel,” jokes Patricia. On her last vacation, she visited Egypt and came away struck by the size of the place. She was fascinated by the chaos she found in Cairo, especially by the unfinished buildings and the colors in sandy tones. Such experiences nourish her creative process. Not just the landscape itself, but the aromas, the textures, the food ... She likes to try and understand the process that leads up to the end result. And, in that regard, Venice occupies a special place on her list of references, due to the overlapping of influences from different periods. There, her great passion is the Palazzo Fortuny, a house with Gothic architecture that belonged to the Pesaro family and that Mariano Fortuny transformed into a photography, design, textile and painting atelier in the 1970s. “Of course I love New York, who doesn’t? But understanding the events that have taken place over the years, through small details, as one sees in Venice, is incredible,” she says.

That fascination with fabrication is reflected in the way she looks for suppliers. She likes to work with artisans, families that have been engaged in activities in various sectors for several generations.

Precisely because of the value she places on manual work, wool holds a special charm for Patricia. All the work that goes into producing a carpet—which begins with the shearing, moves on to include the treatment and ends with the fitting—is especially seductive to her. “It is very interesting to think about where it comes from and how it can be transformed,” she states.

With such a broad range of projects, ideas and references, discipline is fundamental in Patricia’s day-to-day work. She credits the more than fifty projects in her portfolio to maturity, which does not allow her to waste time. “There had to be some advantage to it, right?” she laughs. Her organizational skills also allow her to keep up her reading habit, another of her great passions. With an avid interest in philosophy and anthropology, she recently read about Wabi-sabi, the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection. This idea, which has been feeding into her new projects, is one she is putting into practice by reconstructing pieces that have become worn out over time. The important thing is to preserve history, even if it is imperfect. Future generations, who will inherit this legacy, are grateful to her.

6161

HILTON BARRA RIO HOTEL YARN II

The Hilton Barra hotel is located just meters from the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Park, in the commercial district of Barra de Tijuca. The renowned local firm Anastassiadis was in charge of the renovation project and worked with El Espartano on the floor coverings for the hotel’s main areas. For the reception, the lobby, the restaurant, the meeting rooms and ballrooms, the firm chose the traditional Wilton Jacquard, a carpet made with long fibers of pure virgin wool. In sober gray tones, its velvety finish subtly reflects the light, giving the rooms radiance.

62

SURFACES / COMFORT

63

TYPE OF CARPET

WILTON / ALEXA

ARCHITECTURE PROJECT

ANASTASSIADIS ARQUITETOS

1,850 M2

CARPETED SURFACE JACAREPAGUA, RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

LOCATION

YEAR 2014

CASA SUR PILAR HOTEL YARN II

El Espartano was invited by the architecture and interior design firm PLAN, headed by Mauro Bernardini and Cecilia Timossi, to develop the original rugs and carpets for the new premises of the Casa Sur Hotel in Pilar, Buenos Aires. Alexa rugs were chosen for fitting out the lobby, the rooms and the rest areas, with an original design by the firm in rectangular and oval shapes. For larger spaces—such as meeting rooms, corridors and halls—the floor coverings used were carpets from the Magna line, woven on looms and selected for their great durability, making them ideal for highly-transited areas. These were combined with strips of gray from the Hard Twist line.

64

SURFACES / COMFORT

65

TYPE OF CARPET

HARD TWIST / ALEXA / MAGNA

ARCHITECTURE PROJECT

PLAN ARQUITECTURA

1,470 M2

CARPETED SURFACE PILAR, BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

LOCATION

YEAR 2014

YARN II

66

BELMOND COPACABANA PALACE HOTEL

YEAR 2016 LOCATION

COPACABANA, RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL 4,000 M2 MAGNA COPACABANA PALACE TEAM

CARPETED SURFACE TYPE OF CARPET ARCHITECTURE PROJECT

SURFACES / COMFORT

This Art Deco building on Copacabana beach is one of the most emblematic hotels in Rio de Janeiro. Since it opened in 1923, the Belmond Copacabana Palace has hosted famous and stylish celebrities from around the world. Each of the rooms and suites is unique and reflects all the elegance of the period when Marlene Dietrich and Orson Welles were guests at the hotel.

For this project, the line of carpets chosen was Magna, produced using the Colortec system, a sophisticated technology that makes it possible to create custom designs combining the elegance of wool with the strength of nylon.

67

SHERATON RIO HOTEL The Sheraton Grand Rio Hotel & Resort is one of the most emblematic hotels in Rio de Janeiro and is located in the cosmopolitan district of Leblon, offering fantastic views of its beaches. In the context of the city’s preparations for the 2016 Olympic Games, the hotel decided to refurbish its spaces with the help of the Argentine firm Piana & Associates. For this project, El Espartano wove a series of Alexa rugs using custom designs. In the most exclusive suites—Presidential, Petrópolis and Tropical—the Helios line was chosen, which combines cut pile and bouclé to achieve a harmonious blend of practicality and style. The remaining rooms were fitted out with the Scroll line.

YARN II

68

SURFACES / COMFORT

69

TYPE OF CARPET

HELIOS / ALEXA / SCROLL

ARCHITECTURE PROJECT

PIANA & ASOCIADOS

830 M2

CARPETED SURFACE LEBLON, RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

LOCATION

YEAR 2015–2016

YARN II

YEAR 2016–2018 CITY OF BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

LOCATION

WILTON ALVEAR HOTEL

600 M2 (2016) / 2000 M2 (2018)

TYPE OF CARPET ARCHITECTURE PROJECT

CARPETED SURFACE

ALVEAR BUENOS AIRES HOTEL

Located in the heart of Recoleta and declared a Historic Monument, the Alvear Palace Hotel is one of the most distinguished buildings in the city of Buenos Aires and faces the continuous challenge of updating itself while maintaining its classical ambience. The architect in charge of the latest renovation chose the Wilton Jacquard carpets to achieve this delicate balance. The product was specially designed for the project in beige and gray to match the color palette of the rooms. These carpets give the furniture and the curtains a velvety look that enhances the luminosity of the spaces. Its high knot density weave increases its durability and ensures resistance to wear and tear, while retaining the characteristic pattern of criss-crossed stripes.

70

SURFACES / COMFORT

71

Towards a paradigm shift Through reformulating key concepts in corporate architecture, the new offices of Massalin Particulares contribute to socialization by improving both individual and collective production.

The digital age is undoubtedly transforming the way we relate to one another. Paradoxically, the new communication tools available to everyone are creating a tendency towards isolation. If new technologies are what enable us to access information via screens, workspaces may need to strengthen interpersonal relationships. In this context, innovation and adaptation must be an integral part of any new project.

The design for the new Massalin offices addresses these challenges and seeks to foster a change in the way workspaces are set up.

YARN II

The technology, the change management policies, the means of execution and the materials were chosen without losing sight of the initial idea: to design a workspace in keeping with the times. Bearing this in mind, the firm chose the Infinity modular carpet line, which adapts to the complex requirements of today’s workspaces. The carpets were specially designed with different variations to enable the open plan spaces to be distinguished from one another. In addition, a distinctive color from the company’s visual identity palette was used for each of the five floors of the building.

72

SURFACES / WORKSPACES

TYPE OF CARPET

MODULAR INFINITY

ARCHITECTURE PROJECT

CAFFARINI&VAINSTEIN

MASSALIN PARTICULARES

73

6,500 M2

CARPETED SURFACE VICENTE LÓPEZ, BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

LOCATION

YEAR 2017

YARN II

74

From workspaces to comfortable spaces

From open space to flex offices

The labor market has been changing in recent times to keep pace with its new applicants. Millennials are not just looking for a job, they want to “do something they like”. The space that houses their expectations must be friendly and welcoming. In other words, it should be as comfortable as being at home and as functional as an office. Following this premise, the firm incorporated domestic elements that subtly blend into the workspace equipment. Floor lamps, armchairs and rugs create a warm interior that feels familiar.

The requirement to fully optimize the initial and maintenance investments in offices, which under other circumstances might be restrictive, in this case facilitated the decision to investigate the concept of the “flexible office”, where work stations no longer have a fixed location and workers share the same open space regardless of hierarchy. Each office is thus more open and the materials used in the finishings fulfill an important role. The acoustic features are as fundamental as the aesthetic ones. Floors, wall coverings and ceilings must ensure a workspace with optimal noise levels. In this regard, the use of high-performance carpets as flooring was vital.

From meeting rooms to casual spaces

From confidential to collaborative

In addition to traditional scheduled meetings, encounters can now be spontaneous and unplanned. Drinking a coffee, fetching a printed document, changing one’s work position (from sitting to standing) or simply getting up from one’s desk to take a breath are all situacions in which encounters can take place. The places where such encounters occur must therefore be located where they are needed and incorporated into the workspace itself.

When ideas are shared, they can be added to others, enriched and grow.

Of course, there are still confidential issues that require differential treatment and spaces that prevent any leaks, but most processes are enriched if they are socialized. In order to respond to these opposing scenarios, the architects designed separate spaces, where everyone is able to both meet up as well as isolate themselves. In order to maintain continuity between these contrasting situations, the flooring was laid with no interruptions, and the decision was taken to carpet all the workspaces.

SURFACES / WORKSPACES

75

SIGLO XXI UNIVERSITY YARN II

For the recent opening of its new study center in the Al RĂ­o complex in Vicente LĂłpez, a novel combination of modular carpets and vinyl floors was chosen. The materials were selected based on their aesthetic and sound-absorbing attributes, as well as their resistance to wear and tear.

The classroom and office areas were fitted out with Datum Granite modular carpets, containing 35% recycled material, making them a sustainable option to boot. The entrance hall was fitted out with vinyl floor tiles, a practical option with a texture that is surprisingly similar to that of natural ceramics. The combination of the two products resulted in an aesthetically attractive pairing.

This new headquarters includes ample co-working space, an auditorium, meeting rooms and classrooms equipped with state-of-the-art technology.

76

SURFACES / WORKSPACES

77

TYPE OF CARPET

DATUM MODULAR / LVT (VINYL TILES)

ARCHITECTURE PROJECT

ROGANTI & ASOC OFFICE

150 M2

CARPETED SURFACE VICENTE LÓPEZ, BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

LOCATION

YEAR 2017

EVERIS YARN II

78

YEAR 2017 CITY OF BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA 1300 M2 INFINITY MODULAR

LOCATION CARPETED SURFACE TYPE OF CARPET

INTRAOFFICE

ARCHITECTURE PROJECT

SURFACES / WORKSPACES

Everis, a global company specializing in consulting and outsourcing, decided to renovate its offices based in downtown Buenos Aires. The aim was to provide open spaces in line with the latest trends in the corporate world. To achieve this, the layout was redesigned, communal spaces were added and furniture, high-tech equipment and a new carpet were installed. In collaboration with El Espartano, the architecture firm developed a custom design for the Infinity modular carpets, combining different shades of gray with pistachio green, the company’s signature color. The result was an attractive design, offering excellent quality, practicality and durability, which meets with the company’s visual identity.

79

BBVA HEADQUARTERS YARN II

BBVA inaugurated its new corporate Buenos Aires headquarters, located in one of the tallest skyscrapers in the Retiro neighborhood. The new offices occupy 23 of the building’s 33 floors.

Within a circulation plan consisting of multiple spaces organized around a central core, the architecture firm BMA asked the designers from KOM to come up with a series of Alexa rugs that would make it possible to distinguish between different spaces and divide the waiting areas. To achieve this, KOM proposed a geometric system for the rugs in the complementary areas and an organic one for those in the reception and the executive area. The challenge here consisted in weaving the original designs on a larger scale to ensure that the rugs would stand out in certain spaces.

80

SURFACES / WORKSPACES

81

DISEÑO DE LAS CARPETAS

ESTUDIO KOM

ARCHITECTURE PROJECT

BMA ARQUITECTOS Y ASOC.

ALEXA

TYPE OF CARPET 100 M2

CARPETED SURFACE CITY OF BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

LOCATION

YEAR 2017

YEAR 2017 LOCATION

CITY OF BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA 245 M2 ALTEA MODULAR / LVT (LOSETAS DE VINILO) VALERIA UDRY, ARCH.

CARPETED SURFACE TYPE OF CARPET ARCHITECTURE PROJECT

AMCOR YARN II

The architecture project for Amcor, an international company specializing in packaging development based in Argentina, resulted in an ethereal and transparent building, thanks to the prominence of the large windows and the views over the river. Taking this into account, the aim was to create a visual impact with the floor plan. The company chose a combination of Altea tile carpet specially desing in shades of the Amcor´s signature blue along with vinyl flooring for the exterior areas, the office and the meeting room. Both options offer excellent resistance to wear and tear in high-transit spaces.

82

Commitment to sustainability El Espartano’s Infinity and Altea tiles have achieved Indoor Advantage™ Gold certification for indoor air quality (VOCs), which is awarded to buildings that meet the maximum requirements for energy efficiency and low environmental impact.

The aim of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is to foster strategies that can bring about an overall improvement in the environmental impact of the construction industry. It recognizes projects that demonstrate a commitment to sustainability with regard to energy efficiency, the materials used and the quality of indoor environments, and that meet the highest performance standards in terms of design, construction methods and operations.

Committed to a policy of sustainability, El Espartano designs and develops products that comply with the new sustainable construction standards. Our modular carpets are noted for their vinyl base, which makes them very easy to lay and remove. This application system allows a high degree of flexibility, ensuring ease of fitting in irregularly shaped rooms, without unnecessary waste. It also enables individual SURFACES

tiles to be replaced where needed, thus saving on resources and materials. In addition, the Infinity and Altea lines are tailor-made to suit the aesthetic needs of each project. Throughout the design, development and construction stages, the company prioritizes the efficient use of resources. This makes it possible to minimize any waste of energy and materials from the outset, resulting in products that are ideal for projects committed to sustainability and that are acknowledged for their design, development and application strategies.

Some of the companies that have chosen these lines of certified modular carpets for their projects include Amcor, Avon, Boehringer Ingelheim, Buenos Aires Exhibition and Convention Center, Citibank, Conicet, Edenor, Everis, Garbarino, L’Oréal, Marval, O’Farrell & Mairal, Massalin Particulares, OSDE, Pfizer, Sandoz and Securitas.

83

LOMAS DE ZAMORA, BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA EPDM TIPO M

YEAR 2017 LOCATION SYSTEM

ATHLETICS TRACK LOMAS DE ZAMORA PARK YARN II

Covering an area of 33 hectares, Lomas de Zamora park houses a velodrome, a hockey court, a micro-stadium and a high-performance area, among other facilities, fulfilling the social function of bringing together local residents with a common interest in sport. Recently, a complete renovation was carried out in which the old shale athletics track was replaced with a high-performance synthetic one. This was done using state-of-the-art machinery. A sheet of polyurethane and recycled black rubber was manufactured on site, to provide durability and elasticity. A further layer of polyurethane resins was applied, followed by pigmented artificial rubber (EPDM or Ethylene Propylene Diene M-class rubber), which forms the surface of the track. Rubber is currently the most competitive building material, with the greatest economic and sporting benefits. This final layer provides the non-slip and elastic properties that allow athletes to optimize their performance when competing. The 400-meter track has six lanes around the entire oval and eight on the straight, making it one of the best circuits in southern Buenos Aires. The new facility complies with international standards for sports and is licensed for competition.

84

RUGBY AND HOCKEY PITCHES OLIVOS RUGBY CLUB

YEAR 2016 LOCATION

OLIVOS, BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA TH25 / TH50P

SYSTEM

SURFACES / SPORTS

Thanks to the development of new technologies and improvements in the production process, synthetic turf has undergone a major evolution in recent years, achieving the highest quality standards demanded by the major international sports organizations. Its main virtue is that it provides a surface that can cushion blows and absorb shocks, as well as create greater traction and perfect thrust. At the same time, it reduces injuries and makes for more dynamic games.

In short, it enables players to pursue sporting excellence while improving match conditions by ensuring the surface remains constant, regardless of the weather. The Olivos Rugby Club was the first to opt for synthetic turf for its rugby field, becoming the first pitch in Argentina to be internationally certified as complying with the IRB One Turf standard. It was made using TH50P, an El Espartano product that is 50 mm high and filled with a mixture of sieved silica sand and rubber crumb. Following the success of this pitch, the club went on to install a synthetic hockey field certified by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). This was laid using TH25 synthetic turf, a sand-filled product that El Espartano developed especially for hockey pitches.

85

PRO FI LES LI EDELKOORT

YARN II

86

In this edition, we are introducing Li Edelkoort, Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman and Mary Schoeser, three women who, through their original perspectives, expert work and personal style, inspire El Espartano in its mission and vision for the future. Edelkoort is a forecaster of trends, curator, editor and educator, who lives continually in the future. She studies the connections between art, design, fashion and consumer culture, providing an intuitive analysis of lifestyles and design. Pailes-Friedman is the founder and director of Interwoven Design Group, a company dedicated to research and design analysis for clients ranging from start-ups to NASA. She combines her experience in wearable technology and smart textiles with a passion for design and teaches at the Pratt Institute in New York.

Finally, Schoeser is a freelance writer, historian and curator who contributes to the dialogue on the contemporary practice of the textile arts, offering an insight into cutting-edge developments. She is the President of the Textile Society and is affiliated with the Victoria and Albert Museum.

MARY SCHOESER PROFILES

REBECCAH PAILES–FRIEDMAN 87

LI EDELKOORT

YN LE

How would you describe your involvement with the world of trends and fashion?

Trends are virtually everywhere on the planet, they are like an invisible space around our world. It is the shared thinking of a critical mass of people capable of finding an idea and grasping it without necessarily seeking it out. My most important tool is intuition. Intuition provides directions, the brain processes them in order to understand, to know which path to take, and then the heart begins to undergo an emotional process to discover the feelings that arise from those choices. Most of the time they are ideas that suddenly appear in my mind. And I also wonder why these interesting words come to me. From that moment on, I study those words, those ideas and put together concepts. It is an entirely mental process, in fact I never use photos, not until my work is complete.

What does it mean to be a humanitarian in the world of trends?

It means that my work has changed a lot over the years. I have seen how the idea of prêt-à-porter was constructed, how it gradually became important, then overwhelming and finally a nuisance and danger for the planet and people. Now I have a very different way of addressing the public. I have tried for a long time to encourage my clients to produce less and better, to become interested in and familiar with biomaterials. But, above all to create value and ensure their products do not become disposable. There is much more morality involved.

How do your clients react to this proposal?

A few years ago, I wrote Anti_Fashion Manifesto, in which I explain why the fashion system is slowing down, coming to a complete halt. When I wrote this, it was like being a kamikaze, because all my clients could have left me, but that did not prove to be YARN II

the case. On the contrary, they all thanked me, because that was what they were thinking and were unable to say. From that moment on, I think I have had a different kind of importance in this field. I am seen more as a defender of a new world, a researcher of new ways. For example, every year I organize Anti_Fashion gatherings in Marseille. I bring together people who are working on new initiatives involving recycling, production, retail, and so on. They discuss new ideas on how to share work and it is very interesting to see how, year after year, these events are becoming more important. For me, it is an opportunity to meet new entrepreneurs who are now saying: “This fiber should be used for that.” It makes me happy, because there is still a long way to go, and it is clear that we can create a completely new way of working.

How do you link trends with day-to-day life?

Trends are not limited to fashion; fashion is just one small part.

Indeed, what I am known for is the fact that I see the huge change of mindset in the world and in consumers, how we want to live, what we need, what the new economy entails, what the new ideals are, the colors, tastes, frequencies, elements, essences ... I am something of a visionary. A few years ago, I predicted a scenario for 2020 and, when I look at it, I see that it is all happening already, that it is incredibly accurate. They are changes that are taking place in the very long term. Most of the ideas I discover take between ten and twenty years to gain momentum. But, at the same time, for example, this summer I can repeat everything I said two years ago: “You have to work on sleeves, otherwise you will not be able to sell this shirt because the predilection for sleeves is a detail that is making people happy right now.” So I also pay attention to details. There are other people who can focus in on these details too, but not many people are able to see so far into the future.

88

YN LE

In this context, what role would you assign to the world of carpets?

The world of carpets has been through a long and difficult period.

Floors are all stripped bare nowadays; all we see is wood or stone floors. The same applies to textiles at home: we hardly find any upholstery any more just plastic, wood and metal. All very hard materials. In 2011, when it seemed that textiles were about to disappear, I curated an exhibition in Milan called Talking Textiles together with Philip Fimmano. We showed the less common expressions of textiles in professional design and we said: “We want to talk about textiles because they are on the wrong path.”

We took that exhibition to several countries and we held another called Earth Matters, on the ecological and biological aspects of textiles, and in that way, we kept the debate alive. Luckily, a radical shift took place and textiles are becoming popular again at home. We are living through the renaissance of curtains, even of textiles on walls; we are seeing tweed upholstery, fabrics, and textile designs. And we are also seeing the return of carpets.

We need warmth, comfort and sensory experiences because we live through screens all the time. So, the more we live “through” screens, the more we will need to embrace things.

Why do you refer to fashion as a system in crisis?

Because it is! In every aspect of the entire chain, nobody else thinks about fashion, from the field of education to the consumer, retail sales, advertising, designers. What is produced now is clothing, not fashion.

Is there anywhere in the world where you see a difference in this regard?

I think everyone is wearing a T-shirt, jeans and sneakers. There is very little interest in clothes now, even among the public. Although people want to wear the right T-shirt, jeans and footwear, that’s more of a product category and does not really transform who you are. One country where women still get dressed up and men still have potential is Italy. Even there, all the women wear beautiful dresses, but with sneakers.

What are the limits, if any, of your interests and concerns?

I am interested in everything related to our future, because it is not clear that we can save ourselves as a species. What we need is to try to work out how we can survive. But we need a radical change. The climate factor is a great concern for me. We are witnessing more and more natural disasters. The price we have to pay for this damage is disproportionate and I don’t think we will have enough money to deal with it. In addition, humans pose an imminent danger to themselves, which is nothing new. That would be the least of my worries, although it is a reality. Then there is the incredible threat of artificial intelligence and robotization that will take away most people’s livelihoods and jobs.

So, either we stop having children, because what sense would there be in existing if there is not much to achieve in this life, or there will be civil wars among extremists, because people will be fearful about lack of work. And we are already seeing this in America right now. In particular, we are seeing how some countries can lose control of their economy from one day to the next.

Yes, we are quite used to that ...

We are seeing very erratic movements. Unfortunately, we are not on a very good page of history. But human beings are intelligent and, in the long run, I think we’re going to win out. I think that, in 2050, approximately, humanity will prevail. Currently, we are entering more fertile ground for becoming activists and fighting for change. It is not enough to sit and think, we need to be more committed.

As a referent for future trends, what role do you assign to design, especially in Latin America?

A few seasons ago I wrote a book on trends about the emancipation of everything. There are many issues we need to address, not only the situation of women, but all situations involving people, changes, demand, fibers, color ... Even color needs to be emancipated! We should be able to say: “Poor beiges, they are so angry, they do not always want to do the dirty work, let’s also give them a nice evening dress”, “Poor jeans, they don’t want to be always a basic, they want to be frivolous too”. That would be teaching the public to think differently. What I predicted in that book, and that I could not have known at the time, became a reality two years later with millions of women on the streets.

That is a trend. The last chapter of that book deals with the emancipation of the southern hemisphere. In it I propose that designers and companies take on a leading role and be truly partners in the whole global business. That way, the southern hemisphere may be able to take all of that to the northern hemisphere, which will then be wounded, threatened, worried, inactive. I think the southern hemisphere can bring happiness, color and a way of resisting, of teaching us how to cope with adversity.

It is crucial to move forward, to abandon one’s own limits and conquer the world.

OPENING: Anti_Fashion Manifesto. The fashion industry has reached breaking point. Edelkoort courageously takes on marketing and advertising, while throwing down a challenge to education, materials, manufacturing, merchandising, designers, fashion shows, the press and consumers. It’s time to celebrate clothes! Clothing: Tigran Avetisyan.

YARN II

90

TOP: Standing Textile(s). Fransje Gimbrère proposes textiles as a new and attractive construction material with infinite application possibilities. Standing Textile(s) resulted in a technique for creating fragile-looking frameworks that give the impression of being solid volumes. Photo: Ronald Smits.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Stéphanie Baechler creates “usable minerals”. As part of her vision, minerals recover their solid state, adding durability, color and shine to garments. Photo: Stéphanie Baechler.

PROFILES

MARY SCHOESER

YN MS

Where does your interest in print design come from? Is this passion releated in any way to a desire to “humanize” the textile world?

For me prints form the basis of how we understand the world; almost every analysis is about finding a pattern and then discovering the differences. This explains the fact that prints are important as mediators between the complexities of life and our desire to find meaning in it. They can provide a sense of security because we can “read” them. And, since the visual vocabulary of wallpaper and textiles is not specific in terms of language, prints can aid understanding.

What values interest you when it comes to textiles?

Global connections—both physical and intellectual—and the continuity of creativity that links present day textiles with those made in ancient times.

As a curator in this field, how do you explain the fact that textiles have been incorporated into the realm of museums?

In an increasingly virtual world, I think there is a growing desire for real, tactile experiences, for both textures and three-dimensionality. Besides, we all have some personal experience with textiles, which means we have the ability to easily connect with objects in museums that are or make reference to textiles.

With regard to your work as an academic, what do you think is the main thing students in textile courses have to learn nowadays? What is the main challenge?

The challenge right now in academia is to ensure that theoretical analysis does not overlook the importance of understanding how things are really done, as this opens the door to ingenuity, skills transfer and the creation of communities. One of my specific interests is what I call “the state of innovation”, which I use to YARN II

refer not just to geographical location, but also to other “sites” (from churches and schools to immigration patterns and trade routes) that promote the sharing of business skills and practices.

As a specialist in the field of history and textiles, what role do you assign to design, particularly in Latin America?

Design is not simply about innovation per se, but also about the celebration of local, regional and national identities. Over the last century, the great textile traditions of Latin America have become an influence for North American and European designers. One of the most famous examples is Anni Albers and her appreciation of Peruvian and Mexican textiles, but there have been many others.

It would seem that recently indigenous textiles have begun to be reassessed as a sign of creativity in Latin America. For example, in 1997 the Colombian textile artist Pilar Tobón founded the World Textile Art Organization in order for Latin textiles, mainly those made by traditional artists from ancestral cultures, to capture the world’s attention. Such initiatives have been welcomed and recognized around the world for their importance and transcendence.

How do you think that the incorporation of technology into production processes is affecting the textile world?

Technology has been interacting with textile manufacturing for centuries and generally leads to new questions about the loss of traditional methods. However, in the long run, history shows us that two things happen. The first is that creative people promote this technology to reestablish a level of adaptability that, in turn, promotes greater innovation. The second is that, when large industries fail (a common occurrence given the changes in the location of production due to technological developments), independent producers can be successful.

92

ABOVE LEFT: James Bassler, Chueco, 2007. In a work inspired by the Peruvian technique of weaving

FOLLOWING PAGE: Dr. Frances Geesin, Torso 2, 2002. From a series of six torsos created by fusing

with discontinuous warp and weft, pieces made from hemp, silk and alpaca wool are sewn together.

polypropylene to a garment, cutting through it and then galvanizing the thermoplastic material with

Courtesy of the artist.

conductive paint. This process, which the artist describes as “drawing with metal and describing the form with fiber�, makes the forms self-supporting. Courtesy of the artist.

ABOVE RIGHT: Jennifer Falck Linssen, Beauty in the Deep (detail), 2006. Basket made by hand from

OPENING: Egyptian craftsman, Siwa Oasis wedding kaftan (detail), c.1960-2000. This garment was put

katagami paper (originally used to make stencils), sewn with a continuous loop stitch and with a visible

together by ethnographers at the University of California. It is made of gold striped nylon, decorated with

central core. The materials include sterling silver, fine silver, acid-free cotton fiber paper, indigo color,

silk embroidery and adorned with mother-of-pearl and colored plastic buttons, colored glass charms

monofilament, waxed thread, paint and varnish. Courtesy of the artist.

inlaid in silver along with bells, cowrie shells and tassels. Courtesy of the Jo Ann C. Stabb collection.

YARN II

94

PERFILES

95

REBECCAH PAILES–FRIEDMAN

YN RPF

How did you start up Interwoven?

I founded the Interwoven Design Group when I saw the opportunity to apply innovation in textiles and smart utilities in companies that did not have an internal design team to develop products in-house. I had just been working for Nike as Design Director of their brand Starter, when they chose to restructure and reorient the brand. In that context, I decided to use the break in my professional career as an initial push to start Interwoven.

Since then, I have helped many companies, big and small, to turn their dreams into real products.

How did you get into wearable technology fifteen years ago?

We have been wearing technology for centuries. Glasses, a wristwatch, a pair of running pants, are all examples of the incredible technological advances adapted for use on the body that have revolutionized the way we function, heightening our senses, improving our productivity and increasing our mobility. The fact is that, in recent years, the number of products on the market has grown exponentially. Personally, I became interested in how the things we use affect our performance when I was a competitive athlete. My coach was Jeff Johnson, one of the first Nike employees. He worked in R & D and our training team was his test group. When I witnessed how performance apparel and footwear improved our performance on the track, I was thrilled. Since then, everything I design is intended to enhance the performance of the human body.

YARN II

That is to say, the aim is not technology itself but to make the body more efficient. It introduces a very important notion into the topic, the “human body”. How do you manage to find a balance in your projects between the “humanness” of the body and the “artificiality” of technology?

I think two of the most fascinating things we human beings have are imagination and creativity. Some anthropologists argue that what differentiates us from the animal kingdom is our ability to make and use our own tools. That is how we started making clothes, to protect our skin and decorate our bodies, and we designed weapons to defend ourselves and hunt. That was the beginning of the desire to alter and improve our natural state. One could argue that this first step was as revolutionary as the first robotic prosthesis, a hearing aid or a biosensor. Technology for the body is not an artificial element, but rather a natural progression of our humanness and our desire to achieve higher goals.

When you talk about the design process at Interwoven, you mention the word “collaboration”. How do you see the process of collaborative design work?

Collaboration is a key component in any project I take on. Nobody does anything in a vacuum; the more people that work to solve a problem, the better the solution will be. Therefore, one of the main philosophies of Interwoven is working as a team and bringing in experts who can contribute experience in specific areas to help us when we are solving some exceptionally difficult aspect of a bigger problem.

96

PERFILES

97

“Technology for the body is not an artificial element, but rather a natural progression of our humanness and our desire to achieve higher goals.”

YN RPF

Where do Interwoven’s orders come from? Do they come directly from your clients or are they linked to your interest in experimental work?

Most of the work comes through word of mouth, I’ve been lucky, I must say. As a researcher and teacher, I often give talks and publish my work, which introduces people to what I am doing. I usually answer questions sent to me by email from all over the world about products that use textiles, problems with product development or doctoral research. Also, I like to explore new ideas with experimental works and other pieces that are not intended to become consumer products. I am interested in exchanging opinions about the future of technology for the body, which includes topics such as augmented reality, biometrics, artificial intelligence, sustainability, privacy and data collection, among others.

Could you name some of these experimental ideas and tell us what project were they reflected in?

The project BioWear is an example of this. Its kinetic accessories collect the user’s physical data and use that information to manipulate their external appearance. Human beings are capable of hiding emotional responses, projecting messages that contradict our feelings. But, what if we had tails, feathers or skins that made our true answers evident through biometric data? The final piece is aesthetically beautiful and has a subtle and somewhat abstract movement of the feathers. It is a physical signal that something is happening in the user that awakens interest, something that arouses the observer’s curiosity. We wanted a beautiful object, something desirable, magnetic, sexy, regardless of whatever technology it had. We wanted technology to support aesthetics, and not vice versa. As an extension of our physical bodies, BioWear raises doubts about the future and the limits of communication through fashion, design and technology.

What is the key to success in wearable technology projects?

For garments to be successful, they need to do more than just provide the right information; they need to offer the correct perception and help transform that perception into an action that really benefits the user.

YARN II

As a referent for future trends, what role do you assign to design, especially in Latin America?

I think Latin America has a bright future in terms of design. To carry out a revolution in design, it is necessary to have faced adversities and upsets, to possess a deep connection with culture and an urge to change reality. In the last decade or more, I have seen the emergence of a tremendous wave of design talent in Latin America.

Where is wearable technology headed?

Wearable technology is undoubtedly part of our future. Very soon it will be so common—like wearing a pair of glasses today— that no one will notice that clothes do much more than they do at present. This will begin with our mission to Mars, many new technologies are being developed for this incredible journey. In fact, I am currently working on a series of projects for NASA that will improve the effectiveness, safety and health of the astronauts during the mission.

You mention the mission to Mars as one of the most important events of the future. Could you tell us a little bit more about this possibility?

NASA challenged the Architecture and Industrial Design students from the Pratt Institute where I teach, to tackle design problems related to space travel. The students worked on a project to develop a transit habitat, or a module, for the exploration of Mars.

The initial semester was oriented towards research and design, culminating in a solution for the transit habitat that incorporated life support systems, sleep, exercise, medicine, the preparation and consumption of food, work stations, experimentation and relaxation. The second semester involved a critical analysis of the work carried out in the first semester and the fabrication of a large-scale Transit Habitat Prototype. Run in conjunction with Michael Morris, this course was conducted by teleconference with MIT, Stony Brook University and professors and engineering students from Carnegie Mellon University, NASA and leading aerospace industry personnel, academics and corporate taxpayers who facilitated the research with advanced materials, robotics and 3-D printing.

98

TOP LEFT: Fiber optic tutu. Inspired by the combination of nature and technology, this piece combines a traditional ballet silhouette with lights made from optic fiber fastened to different layers of the fabric.

TOP, RIGHT: Project R: 61 proposes material research along with the quest for and fabrication of the form, with a focus on the range of application possibilities in textiles, from clothing to objects and architecture.

BOTTOM, RIGHT: Wearable Technology Design Studio (NASA). The students researched and developed a series of projects with wearable technology including Arduino products, electronic sensors, solenoids, LEDs and other devices.

OPENING: The BioWear Project offers a kinetic accessory that communicates human emotions through wearable technology.

PERFILES PROFILES

BUENOS AIRES Vedia 2838 (C1429EJX) City of Buenos Aires, Argentina (+54 11) 4702 3030 info@elespartano.com tienda.elespartano.com www.elespartano.com

SĂƒO PAULO Al Gabriel Monteiro Da Silva 296 (01442-000) SĂŁo Paulo, SP Brazil (+55 11) 3071 3593 loja@elespartano.com loja.elespartano.com www.elespartano.br