Chieftain Fabrics

May 23rd – 25th 2017 was the first time that Chieftain Fabrics exhibited at the Clerkenwell Design Festival. We have visited Clerkenwell Design week in the past, but this year’s experience was totally different. It was great to be a part of this prestigious event.

Clerkenwell is an area of London which is home to many creative businesses and architects making it one of the most important design hubs in the world. Clerkenwell Design Week was created to showcase leading UK and International brands which are presented in a series of showroom events, exhibitions and special installations that take place across the area. This year CDW celebrated its 8th year and it is clear that the award winning show has firmly established itself as the UK’s leading independent design festival. There were more than 300 exhibiting brands with over 34,000 visitors during the three days of the festival. We were proud to be part of this event. With so many companies without showroom facilities in the Clerkenwell area, it is fantastic to still feel welcome to exhibit in any of the pop up areas at the heart of the festival.

Chieftain Fabrics exhibited in the Project area of Clerkenwell and we can not recommend it highly enough. On the day before the show began the set-up ran like clockwork. Workers were onsite to help with lighting, carpet or any technical issues and were very obliging, nothing was too much trouble. The show organisers were always on hand from start to finish.

Throughout the 3 days of the festival we met interesting people from both the UK and abroad. There was a constant buzz of people in the surrounding areas and everyone was there for the same purpose – to learn something new about design. We really enjoyed our time in Clerkenwell Design Week and it felt very special to be a part of the event itself. So much so, in fact, that we are looking forward to exhibiting at the event in the Project area next year.

Recently, Design Insider noted that a smooth specification process can help ensure a project impresses while saving time and money for client, designer and supplier.

Although we live in a world of constant change, both sides need to retain a level of flexibility.

Design Insider also notes how;

Traditionally there has been a lot of bespoke work…but that hasn’t really been the case for fabrics, which are much more intensive to set up. This has changed – and not just at the top end of the market. Big franchises want something unique for their brand.

Gordon points out that ‘supplier performance excellence gives companies competitive advantage. To the extent that suppliers perform well, companies enjoy a competitive boost, since this performance is reflected in lower costs, improved responsiveness to customers, better-quality goods and services and technological advantage’. Design Insider also notes that the specifier should consider whole-life costs when selecting various products for a fit-out. Products can appear cheaper in the short term, but often they won’t come with sufficient warranties or guarantees. In specification it tends to be all about value for money as opposed to bottom-line costs.

Keeping up with a fast moving marketplace is also a challenge to many designers who have an opportunity to offer innovative solutions. One recent development, according to the telegraph.co.uk, is the phenomenon dubbed ‘showrooming’, in which people use their phones to examine whether their prospective purchases are available cheaper online or elsewhere. This places conventional Contract suppliers with a real challenge as ‘showrooming’ offers immediate transparency. However, this can also lead to problems as contract suppliers specialise in ensuring their supplied products meet the special requirements and regulations that apply to all furniture used for commercial purposes – fire regulations, levels of usage, resistance to abrasion, pilling, soiling, seam strength, etc.. This also forces suppliers to be more flexible too. According to Design Insider, ‘The whole relationship between supplier and client has changed. It’s much more stressful but much more creative’.

In summary,  there is a challenge of specification, but a clear, knowledgeable, specification process can ensure a project impresses and ultimately saves the client time and money.

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References

Slideshare.net, (2015). The Art of Planning and Writing Specifications and Requirements . [online] Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/Tanel/the-art-of-planning-and-writing-specifications-and-requirements-ism-conference-0410 [Accessed 28 May 2015].

Thebcfa.com, (2015). Design Insider. [online] Available at: http://www.thebcfa.com/res/Design%20Insider%202015%20Smaller1.pdf [Accessed 28 May 2015].

Gordon, S. R. (2008) Supplier Evaluation and Performance Excellence: A Guide to Meaningful metrics and successful results. Florida, USA: J. Ross Publishing.

Warman, M. (2013). The future of shopping: from high street to iStreet. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9821702/The-future-of-shopping-from-high-street-to-iStreet.html [Accessed 29 May 2015].

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In a recent interview, Stella McCartney was asked why she did not use leather, to which she replied:

Many people claim that leather is okay to use because it is a by-product of the meat industry, however, livestock production is one of the major causes of the world’s most pressing environmental problems, including global warming, land degradation, air and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. Tanneries are listed as top polluters on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “Superfund” list, a list that identifies the most critical industrial sites in need of environmental cleanup (McCartney, 2014).

But if leather is so harsh to the environment, why is it everywhere, from shoes, belts and purses to furniture and car interiors?

According to Jacobs (2014), processing leather requires copious amounts of energy and a toxic stew of chemicals including formaldehyde, coal tar, and some cyanide containing finishes. Jacobs further explains that most of our leather is sourced from overseas, from countries like China and India.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) published an article titled “The Leather Industry’ (2014) and explain that ‘more than 1 billion animals are killed worldwide for the leather trade every single year’. In a similar article titled ‘The Global Leather Trade’ published by PETA (2014), they also claim:

Most of the leather in the U.S. and Europe comes from India, China, and other countries that either have no animal welfare laws or have laws that go largely or completely unenforced (PETA 2014).

 

Will the Fashion Industry ever move away from Leather?
Pioneering sustainable and cruelty free fashion is Stella McCartney. The Guardian reported from Paris Fashion week 2015 how she unveiled a new range using Fur Free Fur and used vinyl in accessories.

However, the media is usually quick to point out the faults with synthetic materials, for example, The Wall Street Journal reported from Paris fashion week 2015 that “the trouble with faux leather, is that it can’t easily be buffed back to perfection when it’s been scratched”.

According to a UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organisation) report titled ‘Future Trends in the World Leather and Leather Products Industry and Trade’ published in 2010, the estimated global trade value of Leather is approximately US$100 billion per year. The report also highlights:

There are now no sectors in which leather cannot be replaced by other materials, and the industry has to protect the image of leather products as synonymous with quality – both aesthetic and functional. As technical textiles develop further and “synthetic leathers” improve, the challenges to leather will become more menacing (UNIDO 2010).

In short, both leather and fashion support each other. The fashion industry will not move away from leather until consumers demand this.

Who will drive the change?

The UNIDO report (2010) outlines that consumers and users should get more education, so that no one will consciously buy an item of bad quality. “Consuming should become an intelligent and responsible act”.

Kotler & Pfoertsch (2006) believe “the main idea is to create consumer demand for the ingredient at the retail level, so that they pull the product through the distribution channel, forcing middle stages to use this ingredient.”

But it’s not just consumers who can make a major impact. Newell’s article ‘Conscious Design Can Drive Systemic Change in the Fashion Industry‘ (2015) notes that even when students love design, surprisingly they often don’t know about all the design choices they can make at the beginning of the process to improve the product and improve the industry;

when they work for a big brand, often designers only see part of the production process, and because the fashion supply chain is so complex, they are making design decisions based on limited understanding (Newell, 2015).

Newell concludes her article with:

If new generations of designers bring conscious and ethical thought to the design phase of the process, progress may begin to permeate the fabric of the industry from the ground up…designers will be able to see the big picture and learn the right questions to ask in order to make sustainability start at the beginning (Newell, 2015).

Leather appears to remain popular for the foreseeable future – as long as consumers demand it. However, change in the industry will be required. Consumers have to take responsibility and ensure they purchase ethically produced products.

Mainstream design brands will also need to embrace technical textiles further and designers need to show how synthetic leather can be used to improve products and the industry. Once synthetic leathers poses a challenge to leather, real reform will begin.

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References:
McCartney, S. (2014) Q&A WITH STELLA. Available at: http://www.stellamccartney.com/experience/en/stellas-world/sustainability/stella-interview/ [Accessed 16 March 2015].

Jacobs, B. (2014) How Bad is Leather and What Are the Alternatives?. Available at: http://life.gaiam.com/article/how-bad-leather-and-what-are-alternatives [Accessed 16 March 2015].

The Leather Industry (2014). Available at: http://www.peta.org.uk/issues/animals-not-wear/leather/ [Accessed 20 March 2015].

The Global Leather Trade (2015). Available at: http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-clothing/leather-industry/global-leather-trade/ [Accessed 16 March 2015].

Cartner-Morley, J. (2015) Paris fashion week: Stella McCartney unveils ‘fur-free fur’. Available at:http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/mar/09/paris-fashion-week-stella-mccartney-unveils-fur-free-fur [Accessed 20 March 2015].

Paris Fashion Week Highlights: Saint Laurent, Leonard, Hermès and Sonia Rykiel (2015). Available at: http://www.wsj.com/articles/paris-fashion-week-highlights-saint-laurent-leonard-hermes-and-sonia-rykiel-1425992779 [Accessed 18 March 2015].

United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (2010). Future Trends in the World Leather and Leather Products Industry and Trade . Available at: http://leatherpanel.org/sites/default/files/publications-attachments/future_trends_in_the_world_leather_and_leather_products_industry_and_trade.pdf [Accessed 16 March 2015].

Kotler, P. and Pfoertsch, W. (2006) B2B Brand Management. New York: Springer, pp 131.

Newell, A. (2015) Conscious Design Can Drive Systemic Change in the Fashion Industry. Available at: http://www.triplepundit.com/2015/02/conscious-design-can-drive-systemic-change-in-the-fashion-industry/ [Accessed 18 March 2015].

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Clerkenwell Design Week ran for its fifth year in 2014, having achieved record
success last May. For 2014, the three-day festival was housed in Clerkenwell’s most historic buildings.

To add to the local festivities, Chieftain Fabrics teamed up with GGI Office Furniture UK to offer visitors free Ice Cream cones and Crazy Golf.

To see some of the action from the festival, check out the video.

Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW) will return for its fifth year in 2014, having achieved record success last May. For 2014, the three-day festival is housed in Clerkenwell’s most historic buildings.

To add to the local festivities, Chieftain Fabrics have teamed up with GGI Office Furniture UK to offer visitors free Ice Cream cones and Crazy Golf.

GGI have been a significant player in manufacturing office furniture and seating in the UK for over 15 years. Having recently opened a new London showroom, 2014 will be their debut year at Clerkenwell Design week.

For the duration of CDW, GGI will transform the showroom into a ‘Crazy Golf’ course. Incorporating not the normal bunkers and water traps but maybe the odd 5 star base and bench desking frames.

So come along to display your golfing skills and cool down with some freshly whipped ice cream.

For more information on CDW, see clerkenwelldesignweek.com

Chieftain recently chose Cadbury World in Birmingham for the launch of the just patterns range of performance fabrics. Just Patterns is a brand new collection of patterned Crib 5 vinyls designed to complement the existing just colour collection from Chieftain.

Manufactured to meet the most rigorous of fire and durability standards, just patterns is perfect for any high traffic application where bright and upbeat accents are needed to lift the project.

For samples, cards, PDF’s and all other enquiries, please contact your local Chieftain representative.

 

Flourish Healthcare, based in London, have designed a specialist recliner chairs exclusively for Macmillan. The recliner, which will be manufactured by IOA Healthcare in North Carolina, has been designed with the patients comfort and welfare in mind.

Flourish and Macmillan have chosen Chieftain Casco as their fabric of choice for this project.

We’re thrilled to be associated with such worthy organisations as Macmillan and Flourish and delighted that we are their fabric of choice.