Mar 16, 2023
ATELIER PENDHAPA x METAPHORES
Atelier Pendhapa, the London and Singapore-based architecture and furniture design studio, has decided to partner with Métaphores to create nine different pieces of furniture, each showcasing a different horsehair Le Crin fabric.
The Akar collection
The weaving of the horsehair is made in Challes in France’s Sarthe region, the factory is nowadays the only workshop in the world in which horsehair is woven by hand. A savoir-faire that was rewarded in 2007 with the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company) certification label.
© Gaëlle Le Boulicaut
The horsehair arrives in the workshop in the form of a sumptuous plume, which is naturally black, blond, light gray or chestnut. Before the weaving can begin, it is necessary to prepare the warp. It’s advisable first to do the knotting. This part is very technical and requires up several hours work.
© Gaëlle Le Boulicaut
The horsehair weft threads are placed in a distributor and inserted thread by thread into the loom by weavers using a hooked-shaped shuttle. The output is only a few meters per day per loom. It’s the necessary condition to create a true work of art. It takes between 18 months and two years to master this savoir-faire.
© Gaëlle Le Boulicaut
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© Emilie Albert
The essence of the collaboration was for Atelier Pendhapa to best showcase the fabric’s unique characteristics. With the collection Akar, which refers to the word “roots” in Indonesian, Atelier Pendhapa pushed the boundaries of what can be made from solid wood today in using the material in its most organic form.
© Atelier Pendhapa
The wood frames are reminiscent of pieces of intricate jewelry, while the horsehair fabric cushions appear like mounted gemstones. The solid wood elements follow the outline of the horsehair seats, which seem to be floating.
The Akar collection is available online through Invisible Collection worldwide. For any inquiries, please email contact@theinvisiblecollection.com.
