Knoll Luxe Launches New Collection with Fashion Design Studio SUNO

May 21, 2013

NEW YORK, New York, May 21, 2013 – Knoll Luxe is pleased to announce a new collaboration with SUNO, the womenswear label founded in 2008 by Max Osterweis in collaboration with designer Erin Beatty. This is the third collaborative venture orchestrated by Knoll Luxe creative director Dorothy Cosonas.  The collection brings to the interiors market the bold creativity and vision that surrounds the fashion industry. The SUNO Collection consists of seven upholstery and two drapery textiles that have been translated from SUNO’s recent runway collections. This new collection follows on the heels of the highly successful and visible collaborations with Proenza Schouler in 2008 and Rodarte in 2010.

For Knoll Luxe, Cosonas focuses on cutting-edge American designers, which follows the Knoll tradition of collaborating with the most innovative design talent of the time.

“Max and Erin have a strong understanding of pattern and texture,” says Cosonas. “They use global influences in very fresh and modern ways.”

The seven fabrics, Arber, Besos, Diamond Days, Matondoni, Millicent, Olema, Piper, Rosemond and Rutledge are based on designs from five runway collection from 2010-2013. Much of the inspiration for each pattern draws from global sources; from Indian embroidery, to vintage Japanese origami paper, to the Africa Kanga (or garment).

The challenge of translating fashion fabrics into textiles suitable for the interior has pushed Cosonas into truly innovative directions through the discovery of new mills, new constructions and new technologies. The result is a stunning collection of fabrics that are unique to the market.

Arber: Based on a dress from SUNO’s Spring 2012 collection, Arber upholstery is inspired by microscopic cells. This organic pattern features a watercolor-type effect. It is printed on 100% cotton velvet in Austria and available in four colors. Arber is named after Agnes Arber, a famed British botanist.

Besos: Besos is based on an Indian embroidery pattern featured in the Fall 2010 runway collection. Now produced in Germany on a sheer ground, it is made of 100% Trevira polyester and comes in four neutral colors. What makes this fabric unique is the precision of the high speed laser-guided embroidery.

Diamond Days: Named after a song by Vashti Bunyan, Diamond Days upholstery is woven in the US of 100% cotton, and comes in five colors. This pattern is composed of bands of triangles and has a hand-drawn quality. It is based on a design from the Spring 2012 runway collection, which featured a fabric inspired by a vintage Art Deco print. Diamond Days is a delicate balance of complex weave structure and placement of color.

Millicent: This drapery fabric borrows the theme from Diamond Days, but expands the space between stripes so they appear like ribbons across a simple linen ground. It is composed of 46% Linen, 25% rayon, 22% cotton viscose and 7% polyester.

Matondoni: Named after a fishing village off the coast of Kenya, this fabric was originally developed from a vintage Kanga cloth used in a dress from the Fall 2010 runway collection. A digitally printed diamond pattern is placed on top of an exaggerated herringbone ground. The resulting fabric has a hand-printed quality. The interior fabric is woven of 81% linen, 15% cotton and 4% polyester.

Olema: Originally a vintage Origami paper, this fabric was created for a dress in Spring 2011. Now interpreted as a woven upholstery depicting a budding branch, Olema is made of 100% cotton in six colors. This elegant floral appears as if floating on top of a textural ground. Made in the US, Olema is named after a town in Northern California.

Piper: The original fabric from a dress featured in the Fall 2012 runway collection, Piper is based on a vintage sketch from France. Visually delicate, this geometric pattern has a hand drawn quality. It has been named after Erin Beatty’s sister, Piper, and is made in the US of 79% cotton and 21% linen.

Rosemond: This cotton/linen blend is the solid coordinate in the collection. It was based on a fabric from Holland and included in the Fall 2011 runway lineup. Slubs of linen and cotton come together to create a beautiful all-over texture. Six colorways. 73% cotton/27% linen. Rosemond is Elizabeth Taylor’s middle name.

Rutledge: This glamorous upholstery pattern is created using the lamination of an exaggerated flame stitch pattern on top of a refined velvet ground. It is based on a fabric from Spring 2012 line. Rutledge comes in five colors and is made in Italy of 60% viscose, 30% cotton, 10% polyester.

About Knoll Luxe

Knoll Luxe, a luxury fabric division of Knoll, Inc., maintains a marketing and design studio at 1330 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019. Knoll Luxe has showrooms at the D&D, PDC and Merchandise Mart catering to the residential design market. For additional distribution and customer information, call 866-565-5858 or www.knoll-luxe.com.

About SUNO

Max Osterweis first conceived of SUNO in 2008 after witnessing post-election violence in Kenya. Utilizing the vast collection of Kenyan Kangas he had gathered over years of traveling, Max joined forces with Erin Beatty, a Parson’s graduate and designer for The Gap and Generra, to launch a high-end collection with a conscience. Since its inception, SUNO has evolved from its original African roots to include production in Kenya, India, Peru and its home base of New York. SUNO utilizes the local talent of each country it works with to create a fresh and optimistic collection of unique prints, textures and embroideries layered together to build a bright and modern wardrobe for a confident independent woman.

SUNO was a 2011 and 2012 finalist in the Vogue/CFDA fashion fund and a 2012 Nominee for the CFDA’s Swarovski Award for Women’s Wear.  

Press Contact:
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