BLOCKS 'Square'

In the TextielLab, Leda Devoldere and product developer Mathilde Vandenbussche investigated knitted furniture fabrics on the circular knitting machine, they tested various stitches to ensure the fabric is soft but firm and not too stretchy. The technical development process involved simplifying both the design and the stitches, with the aim of creating the simplest, purest version. The experiments yielded an archive of stitches and structures that formed the basis of BLOCKS: thick woollen, padded fabrics with hardly any stretch. To achieve the desired result, a double cloth technique was used, with a polyester thread added for extra volume. The first series was presented at the Salone del Mobile 2024 in Milan. For the presentation, Devoldere covered five blocks of foam in various suzes with different versions of her knitted fabrics. Regaredless of how the blocks are arranged, they will always form a whole. Milan was a good opportunity to introduce her design to a larger audience. In the coming months, Devoldere will continue to scale up the project.