West Elm is known for its modern furniture. But the company’s latest collaboration with manufacturing company Designtex brings them squarely into 2020. The pair created a textiles company called Crypton that makes fabrics with the ability to be disinfected easily.
The two companies launched four new fabrics that feature a unique bonded fabric system making them strong while also being easy to clean. Having the ability to disinfect these surfaces makes it so any germs that linger on the soft surface can be killed, leading to a reduced risk of infection. This is a huge step in the fabric world as soft surfaces are notoriously hard to clean and rid of germs swiftly.
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Plus, the styles will be fashion-forward with midcentury vibes leading the inspiration. Expect mélange bouclé, chevron chenille, chunky tweed, and corduroy as part of the line.
“The collection is especially perfect for this moment, mixing residential luxury with high performance for cleaning and disinfection,” Susan Lyons, the president of Designtex, said in a statement.
Designtex is a leader in the textile industry, focusing on creating materials for senior living facilities, hospitality hot spots, and health care hubs. So, they have a keen sense of what works best in a high-touch space with the possibility of transmitting infections. On the other hand, West Elm has focused on residential solutions, making it the perfect partnership for creating a comfortable and accessible yet high functioning fabric.
“We wanted to bring the tactile quality of layered and luxe textiles to the performance fabric arena—an area not always associated with warmth and comfort,” said Paulo Kos, vice president of design for West Elm’s contract division. “As leaders in their industry, Designtex seemed like the perfect partner to make this a reality.”
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This is the fourth collaboration for the two, with the first one being in 2016. Incredibly, the ideas and process to launch Crypton started before the pandemic.
