Launched in 1968 with a collection of fabrics by Nanna Ditzel, Kvadrat has quckily become the go-to brand for upholstery textiles. Made in Ebeltoft, Denmark, its collections are created by the world's most celebrated talents and used in homes, museums and hospitality projects globally.
A new film charts the history of this wondrous design company, featuring striking imagery from its 50-plus years as well as testimonials from some of the many designers and artists who regularly collaborate with the brand on collections, products and special installations.
Kvadrat: what some of the world's most celebrated designers have to say
‘There is this total freedom, there is this total experiment, a hippie kind of attitude, although it’s a business it feels very free,’ comments Belgian designer Raf Simons, whose collection of textiles for Kvadrat was launched as a brand in 2014 and expanded to include home accessories as well as upholstery fabrics.
‘It does feel like a family, it does feel like a community of friends,’ adds American designer Jonathan Olivares, who has been tasked to design Kvadrat's New York showroom opening later in 2021. ‘They’re a perfect melting pot of art, architecture, engineering, design, colour research.’
Long-term collaborators Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, who have worked with Kvadrat on textiles as well as products such as the ‘Ready Made’ curtain collection from 2013, focus on Kvadrat's colour expertise. ‘They really master colours,’ says Erwan. ‘[they are] incredibly strong at making a huge variety of textile, but always with a very centered philosophy.’ Adds Ronan: ‘when you see the range of colour, it’s a marvel, it’s like opening a box of water colours: the delicacy of greens, the beauty of a yellow.’
Kvadrat's creative expression also come to life through the work of artists such as Pipilotti Rist. ‘I share with Kvadrat my love for colours,’ says the German artist. ‘Colour is like music, you fall into it, it’s dangerous, it’s overwhelming.’
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