July 11, 2016

Cooper Hewitt Accepts 7 Designtex Textiles Into Permanent Collection

The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, has accepted seven Designtex textiles into their permanent collection—Clerkenwell, Myddleton, Chiyogami, Radar, Loop to Loop, Shibori Stripe, and Hint. The textiles, which debuted within the last three years, will be displayed alongside the two Designtex wall-coverings in the museum’s permanent collection.

“There is more demand for textiles with sustainable manufacturing practices, and companies like Designtex are taking on this responsibility and producing some very innovative fabrics,” says Matilda McQuaid, Deputy Director of Curatorial and Head of Textiles at the Cooper Hewitt, the country’s only museum dedicated to historical and contemporary design. McQuaid noted that the New York-based museum rarely accepts this large of a selection from an individual company.

“Taken together, these designs offer a superb portrait of what Designtex represents and our values as a company—striving to develop more sustainable solutions for our industry, exploring the craft principles of traditional textile production as well as embracing technological innovations in the creation of new kinds of materials,” says Susan Lyons, President of Designtex, a Steelcase subsidiary.

This honor comes shortly after Designtex, located in New York, unveiled new textile and wallcovering collections at NeoCon, including Bespoke Surfaces, a line uniquely tailored for architectural environments.

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