Continuing in the Knoll history of design innovation, Dorothy brings together global resources and influences from the disciplines of art, architecture, design, fashion and technology. Knoll Luxe will appeal to the high end corporate and hospitality markets, as well as the residential designer, through its use of the finest quality, premium yarns and a fashion-forward modern aesthetic for which Knoll is so well known.

Over a year in development, the premier collection of Knoll Luxe consists of ten patterns in 71 colorways. Knoll Luxe will be an ongoing endeavor, separate from the rest of the KnollTextiles fabric line, with another introduction in the fall and two a year henceforth.

Knoll Luxe will maintain a separate identity through graphics and unique marketing materials, including tickets, sample folders and brochures made from FSC-certified recycled paper, and a sample box made from recycleable 100% acrylic. There will also be a separate web presence: www.knoll-luxe.com.

In designing Knoll Luxe, Dorothy has reached out to high end mills from around the world, several of which Knoll had never worked with before, in order to assure that this collection retains a separate identity and quality. Fabrics make use of luxurious fibers such as mohair, cashmere, wool, and cotton, and pass all standard ACT tests. All are GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified®.

Under Dorothy's direction, each of these mills developed unique colors—and in some cases, yarns—to allow a diversity of weave structures. The products color coordinate across the board, providing a strong mix of color, texture and pattern.

North Island, a pebbly texture available in 7 colors, was inspired by an archival fashion textile, requiring the development of a special yarn in its construction. Reminiscent of a classic Knoll textile, North Island has a warm luxurious hand. It was woven in New Zealand by a mill that specializes in high end wool production. North Island is made of 98% wool and 2% nylon.

Lyon is a small scale stripe incorporating 10 warp colors in each colorway. As a result, this fabric has great flexibility to coordinate with diverse color palettes, and with the entire Knoll Luxe line. Woven in France by a mill new to Knoll, Lyon is unusual because each stripe is created by a custom colored warp (it is more difficult to customize the warp than the fill), while the weft is a single tone selected to achieve the most clarity of color in each version. Lyon is woven mostly in cotton with a calender finish, a process that applies heat and pressure to the fabric to give it a glaze and a softer hand. Lyon is made of 85% cotton and 15% nylon. Available in 7 colorways.

Brugge is a classic diamond pattern that is perhaps the most transitional fabric in the collection. The cotton chenille ground yarn gives the fabric a very soft hand, while the diamond is created with a space dyed yarn, which lends a subtle multi-color effect. Woven in Belgium, it comes in 7 colorways and is made of 59% cotton, 29% acrylic and 12% wool.

Bavaria, also developed from an apparel archive, is a complex multi-colored all over texture with a lot of character and depth. It combines five fibers (25% cotton, 15% cotton chenille, 25% wool, 10% polyester and 25% acrylic) with four yarns in the custom warp, and another four in the filling. Woven in Germany, Bavaria comes in 7 colors.

Garden City is based on a circular motif from an Oscar de la Renta dress. This large scale, graphic weave is known as a double cloth, which means that two layers of textiles are simultaneously woven on the same loom. This allows for clarity and pureness of isolated tones, but not reversibility of the fabric. There are 7 colorways. As the name suggests, it is woven domestically. It is comprised of 100% cotton.

Hampshire is a hefty herringbone that uses a new-to-the-industry knitted ribbon cotton yarn in the fill, which looks similar to a shoelace. This new yarn updates the classic twill weave with added cushion and a more architectural weight. It is woven domestically of 50% cotton and 50% rayon. It comes in 6 colors.

Galloway, a heathered warp stripe in 7 colors, and Stirling, its coordinated solid counterpart in 8 colors, can be used as either upholstery or drapery fabrics (drapery use may require treatment for commercial applications). Both are woven using custom-colored yarn from a mill in Scotland. They are made of 96% wool and 4% cashmere. The latter lends richness and an extra soft hand.

Mohair Prima is like no other velvet on the market. Made of 70% mohair and 30% viscose, this fabric has a very tall pile height, giving an unprecedented softness and high durability. The pile height allows the yarn to naturally curl, resulting in a unique shading effect. The fabrics are "cross dyed," which means that in a single bath the viscose and mohair take on different tones to give more visual interest and added texture. Woven in Holland, it comes in 8 colors.

Jaipur is unlike any fabric Knoll has ever produced and is unique to the contract industry. This signature pattern, inspired by a tunic design, is made in India using hand guided embroidery machines. The pattern is first hole punched, then stenciled on to the solid cotton ground cloth one yard at a time. It is chain stitch embroidered using custom colored mercerized cotton threads. There are 7 colorways. Composition is 79% cotton and 21% polyester.

About Knoll Luxe

Knoll Luxe, a luxury fabric division of Knoll, Inc., maintains a marketing and design studio at 76 Ninth Avenue, 11th floor, New York, NY 10011. For distribution and customer information, call 866-565-5858 or www.knoll-luxe.com

Press Contact:
Andrea Loukin
718 230-8032
andrea.loukin@verizon.net