Sport by Patricia Urquiola for Kvadrat
Kvadrat has launched the world’s first recycled polyester upholstery textile made out of 100% ocean-bound plastic waste – Sport designed by Patricia Urquiola.
Sport unites a vibrant, high-tech contemporary expression with a compelling sustainability story. Tiny graphic floral forms play across its surface, infusing the upholstery with a characterful, intricate expression. Inspired by sportswear and the look of technical textiles, Urquiola gave Sport a sophisticated binding that adds tactile multidimensionality to its structure. Sport is the world’s first upholstery textile that is made out of 100% ocean-bound plastic.
Sport exemplifies Kvadrat’s commitment to conscious design principles and is created in close collaboration with #tide, a Swiss-based company committed to conscious entrepreneurship and to building a global supply chain for premium second-life raw material made from ocean-bound plastic waste. They have developed an award-winning method able to transform plastic litter into a high-performance raw material that can be used to create high-quality, durable materials. The post-consumer plastic used to manufacture Sport is mostly collected before it reaches the water no further than 10 km away from coastlines and on remote islands in Thailand. #tide works with the local community to prevent plastic waste from reaching the ocean by collecting it from the shorelines and removing it from the ocean.
Marc Krebs, Co-founder #tide: “The partnership with Kvadrat means a lot to us: we share the philosophy that the highest standards in design and materials can be combined with important sustainable and ethical actions. Both Kvadrat and #tide want to create a much-needed social and environmental impact that protects the oceans and supports coastal and island communities in their fight against plastic pollution”.
This means Sport offers sustainability benefits over other ocean plastic polyester textiles. These often incorporate plastic recovered much further from the coastlines and in the sea – up to 50 km away – meaning the plastic has already started to disintegrate in the sea. What is left is very porous. Hence, other ocean plastic textiles typically have to integrate either virgin polyester or polyester recycled from other post-consumer plastic sources.
The colour palette of Sport derives its signature colours from the three different coloured yarns used in its construction. The design comes in various colourways incorporating a scale of rich, warm and cold accents and neutral notes. These hues give the textile a bold look and enhance the qualities of the ocean-bound polyester.
Patricia Urquiola: “The colours for Sport are divided into ‘salt and pepper’ monochrome nuances, which illuminate the textile’s high-tech graphic character, and solid shades which fade its texture away.”