Performance fabric

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.

Performance fabric – Chieftain MultiStretch Rosemary

At Chieftain our passion is producing the best vinyl fabrics possible. As part of this process we work closely with specifiers, designers and members of the upholstery community. This group helped us at every step in the development of MultiStretch, an eight way stretch fabric ideally suited for seating where comfort is paramount.

Technology fabric
All of the Chieftain MultiStretch range consists of a backing cloth which is 92% cotton and 8% Lycra.
Lycra (also known as Spandex or elastane) is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is stronger and more durable than natural rubber and is a polyester-polyurethane copolymer that was invented in 1958.
With this mixture, we have virtually eliminated directionality, making the fabric easy to use and superb in upholstery.

Performance fabric
In situations where comfort needs to be at a maximum, the fabric must also remain practical for both the patient to use and staff to clean and maintain. We add silver zeolite based Ciba IRGAGUARD B5000 which inhibits the growth of bacteria, mould and yeast. Furthermore, these protective ingredients have allowed MultiStretch to counteract C.difficile, E.coli as well as MRSA and the vast majority of bacteria

Colour palette
MultiStretch consists of nine colours ranging from lighter to darker shades which provides beautiful tonal balance within the range while providing uncompromised durability. Although a limited spectrum, we have carefully focused the range to ensure it works where required.

Conscious Design
MultiStretch is REACH compliant, according to the European Chemical Agency (ECHA), REACH is a regulation of the European Union, adopted to improve the protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals.

References
Wikipedia, (2015). Spandex. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spandex [Accessed 26 May 2015].

Echa.europa.eu, (2015). REACH – ECHA. [online] Available at: http://echa.europa.eu/regulations/reach [Accessed 27 May 2015].

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Increasingly large clients want bespoke items, such as this custom ‘Santander Red’ fabric designed and manufactured by Chieftain Fabrics for Pledge, pledgechairs.co.uk

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.

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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