Manila Collection, Alexander Rose

MANILA. A FURTHER STEP IN THE WOVEN STORY

Based in West Sussex (UK), the Alexander Rose company has been designing and manufacturing outdoor furniture since 1994. Over the last decade the garden furniture industry has seen a revival of woven furniture due to the growing consumer demand for maintenance free furniture. In fact, the company turnover for woven products has increased substantially over the years, passing from a quota of 2% in 2006 to 30% in 2011. It is estimated that the share of turnover of woven products will be 45% in 2012.

The development of HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) fibres allowed Alexander Rose to design attractive pieces of outdoor furniture suitable for all weather use. This versatile synthetic rattan is woven onto a lightweight aluminium structural frame and is available in a multitude of colours and weaving patterns (basket, V-pattern, X-pattern, single open, splitex, simplex, herringbone, crazy weave).

At SPOGA in Cologne (4-6 September 2011) Alexander Rose launched its new ‘Manila’ range featuring sets of tables, chairs and sun beds in a 7 mm flat “viro” open wave, available in dual tone mocha. Viro fibre is made from 100% HDPE, which means it is non-toxic and recyclable and has a Grey Scale rating of 5 (no colour loss of the fibre) after 2,000 hours of UV and accelerated weather testing featuring a 5 minute cycle of man-made rain followed by 25 minutes of drying time.

All of company’s woven furniture is handcrafted in the Philippines by a partner company called Woven Furniture Designs in a factory located in the island of Cebu, which is renowned for its tradition of producing top quality pieces of weave and is home to highly skilled and experienced weavers.

HUSK GOES OUTDOOR

The Husk armchair designed by Patricia Urquiola is now available in a new version for outdoors, showcased in the B&BItalia exhibition area during the décor&design lab “AbitaMi” held in FieraMilano Rho (8- 11 September 2011). Like the indoor version, ‘Husk Outdoor’ is made of recycled and recyclable materials and the production process is designed to ensure that all components can be fully disassembled, thus simplifying the recycling process and reducing the environmental impact.

Husk Outdoor, B&B Italia

Husk Outdoor features a hard shell made of Hirek  (aluminium alloy) and a set of soft cushions. The body is white, while the fixed seat support is available in black, white, orange, acid green and sky blue. Cushions come in two versions, with larger sizes on the seat or on the backrest, and are covered with technical fabric available in five shades (white, beige, orange, acid green and sky blue). The transpirational padding enables water to seep through the cushions without stagnation. The small round Husk table is light and flexible, boldly painted and available in the same five shades as the armchair support.

DOLCEFARNIENTE OUTDOOR FURNITURE: A SIDEREAL COLLECTION

The new ‘Samuele Mazza Outdoor Collection’ was also previewed at “AbitaMi” in an original “sidereal” nocturnal setting in which the outdoor furnishings shone with their own light thanks to the new reflecting fabrics used for the cushions.

Samuele Mazza Outdoor Collection, Dolcefarniente

The collection is produced and distributed exclusively by the firm Dolcefarniente based in Fano in the Marche region. We spoke to Stefano Valentini, Sales Manager of Dolcefarniente, which has been producing furnishings in hand-woven fabrics for 30 years and for this new collection offers furnishings in polyethylene-based woven resin treated with additives to withstand atmospheric conditions from - 60°C to +70°C. The woven resin does not fade or discolour over time. At the moment the product is available in nine colours (white, beige, teak, grey, brown, blue, green, black and ivory) and it is guaranteed for five years.

The structures are in aluminium or hardwood and the fillings are in polyurethane foam, rendered waterproof by a technical fabric that can resist up to two atmospheres of pressure, while also allowing for transpiration so that mould and mildew do not form. The outer covering is in water-repellent reflecting fabric available in four colours. The tables and chairs that complete the collection are in forged steel and treated with electrophoresis or hot-dip galvanized and finished with outdoor epoxy paint.

EC-INOKS BY SIFAS

The new EC-INOKS Collection by Eric Carrère for the French brand Sifas on show at “Maison&Objet” in Paris (9-13 September) is the result of an ecodesign process carried out by Sifas as part of a Sustainable Development initiative assuring clients a clean and ecologically responsible purchase based on the economic use of recyclable resources, the traceability features of manufacturing systems, and enhanced logistics (compact packaging, minimal handling and fully recyclable packing materials).

EC-INOKS, Sifas

EC-INOKS stands for ‘Ecologique & INO(X)ydable’ (ecological and stainless) and includes dining and coffee tables, stackable dining chairs, armchairs and lounge chairs. The structure is 90% recyclable 304 stainless steel tubing. Electrolytic polish finishing removes all surface ferrous particles and ensures increased resistance to atmospheric corrosion, chemical agents and salt spray.

Skids and arms are mineral filled polyamide, 80% recycled. The self-supporting canvas of the seating and back is made of natural hemp fibre Batyline  Canatex, a material that absorbs atmospheric CO2, helping to reduce the greenhouse effect. The fibre surface has been specially treated against UV radiation and is fire-retardant. The hemp fibre is factory-recyclable. The table tops are made of tempered 10mm recyclable glass with anti-UV enamel. Tempering increases the shock resistance of the glass by a factor of five. If broken, the glass crumbles harmlessly into one cubic centimetre pieces.