The mark of transformative design is translating ancient concepts that work, to solve modern problems. As we grapple collectively with sustainability as a concept, the textile and lighting industries have much to reckon with in terms of circular design. Enter the Knit Series – designed by Canadian lighting company Hollis+Morris in collaboration with Dutch textile studio BYBORRE – promoting a new paradigm of responsible design, where transparency in business and tactility in design don’t contradict, but catalyze.
A fascinating, almost biomimetic abstraction of the traditional line of globes, the lights wrap slowly around the surface of the cylinders, creating a dynamic movement within each piece. The central cylinder is upholstered in a textured, knit cloth, with openings to allow hardware and light to shine through.
This cloth has been specially engineered, utilizing three-dimensional knit structures to promote texture and reduce waste. Using recycled materials, traceable yarns, and waste-conscious production, BYBORRE can significantly reduce energy consumption in the manufacturing process and pave the way for new sustainable paradigms within lighting design.
The knit is expertly woven to achieve a sloping pattern that works nicely with the curvatures of the central element, following the path of the globes. A light gray and taupe interact for a striped, mottled base, while pops of a brilliant, neon red-orange give the overall look a peachy tone when viewed at a distance.
The Knit Series represents a profound shift in the collapsing of boundaries within disciplines – lighting, textile, fashion, architecture, and sustainability are not distinct players, but in fact work in concert, helping to mold a more responsible and democratic design future. As lighting is essential to maintaining human health and happiness, it seems not only responsible but necessary to consider how light touches our lives in a spatial, material, and emotional way.
The red version, presented at this year’s Dutch Design Week, features a lacquered scarlet body, extending cylinders from three arms, all terminating with a neat globe on each end. Upholstered in textural red fabric, the bulbs end at varied heights, creating distinct vertices as one moves around the piece.
Each element, from the lighting components to the yarn that creates the fabric, has been rigorously tested for quality, transparency, and sustainability, a breath of fresh air in the lighting and textile space. What’s more, the pair places an emphasis on local manufacturing, non-toxic finishes, FSC-certified wood, and repairability that encourage repair over replacement.
Sculptural elegance meets environmental stewardship in this series as both BYBORRE and Hollis+Morris display a deep commitment to responsible sourcing and transparency.
But its design has implications beyond innovative construction and striking aesthetics. The unique product skin, if you will, acts almost as a membrane absorbing sound and filtering ambient light as it responds to subtle shifts in perspective.
The Knit Series also represents a shift in how textiles are perceived as a construction material outside of fashion or typical upholstery, a trend mirrored in fine art as fabrics enter the upper echelon of palette-worthy materials.
Questioning – and subsequently eliminating – the boundaries between the aforementioned industries can only amount to innovation within those fields, leaving all parties informed by specialized industry knowledge from the opposite partner. In this case, through often forgotten or unexplored production methods, both BYBORRE and Hollis+Morris position themselves to look well into the future, able to pivot quickly with science on their side.
To learn more about the Knit Series by BYBORRE and Hollis+Morris, visit hollisandmorris.com.
Photography courtesy of BYBORRE and Hollis+Morris.