The secrecy is in the upholstery fabric. Maharam is the brand partner of Herman Miller which textiles lively upholster its furniture.
Founded in New York, Maharam has a high quality and design textile’s portfolio to the most diverse business sectors such as health, hospitality and residential furniture.
Maharam brand was founded in 1902 by Louis Maharam. He aimed to develop and offer a variety of high-quality fabrics to a wide rage of fields. The company had already passed through four generations of Maharam’s family, that led to the company’s exponential growth since the United States of America to the international market. The brand’s presence in this market have been getting stronger every year, until it became world leader.
The brand’s textile development is made through collaborations with famous designers and other textile manufacturers. These dedication to the design world is one of the company’s pillars, having, therefore, a unique compromise to each one of its products. The result of these commitment is a strong international presence in the design and interior decoration market segment.
From dedication to innovation – Maharam’s upholstery fabric
The Maharam textiles do not go unnoticed in a piece that is upholstered with them. These are distinct regarding the touch, the colours and patterns. The superb quality of the of the upholstery fabric is a brand’s seal since its very beginning.
The distinction of the brand’s products have them being represented in permanent collections at MoMA, in New York, at Stedelijk Museum, at Amsterdam, at Chicago Art Institute, and many other recognized institutions. Besides this privilege – in consequence to its attention to detail -, Maharam was rewarded with the Cooper-Hewitt Museum Design Patron Award, for its dedication to design and for its cultural initiatives.
Maharam is, without doubt, an icon of the 21st Century regarding the design sector. With the development of innovative and sublime fabrics, Maharam has the monopoly of the high reputation textile sector. These upholsteries can be used to a great variety of environments such as hospitality, retail and residential spaces and as the health sector. So, there is a focus on textile development which offer a diversity and functionality aligned with the current ways of living and trends.
The partnership made in 2013 with Herman Miller allowed both companies to offer a major dedication to each client. Since then both companies offer a major dedication to each client. Since then, they have developed daring and innovative products that have enhanced the user’s experience. This innovation combined with high design and high quality make these textiles incredibly durable and elegant.
Currently, the company is recognized by its engagement in a variety of subjects such as product, graphic design, art and architecture. In this way, the company can offer products focused on aesthetics and performance, independently of their function and price. This is due to the creative, engineering and designer teams that develop a cohesive and balanced solution regarding the needs of their clients.
Maharam’s upholstery fabric
The product’s variety of Maharam is remarkable. This range of upholstery fabric is divided and subdivided that almost looks it doesn’t have an end. In this way it is possible to adjust them harmoniously to the decoration existing in the space.
It is possible to acquire high quality textiles, with any pattern and colour one wishes. Beyond that, these fabrics are manufactured with diverse uses in mind. The brand manufactures upholstery fabric specially to coat chairs and sofas, so that can be the statement piece in any room. The leather is also one of the products manufactured by Maharam, which have several colours for one to choose.
Regarding home decor, the brand designs walls and windows covering, curtains and carpets – all highly durable.
The brand also pays great attention to innovation and beauty of its products, creating a perfect balance between technology, tradition and elegance. There is a strong need to pay tribute to the icons of design as Bauhaus school and Wiener Werkstätte, as well as to offer a different and innovative perspective.
This new approach to the textile sector is obtained through a partnership and collaboration with contemporary designers. Maharam’s partners are professionals like Hella Jongerius, Scholten and Baijings, the fashion designer Paul Smith, the german industrial designer Konstantin Grcic, between may others.
Maharam’s upholstery fabric and its environmental impact
The textile industry can be more wasteful than it looks like. For that reason, manufacturers as Maharam have to have a special attention in its sustainability strategy.
Without putting the high quality and fabric design at steak, the north american brand follows several lines to reduce its ecological footprint:
- the use of natural fibers as cotton, linen, wool, cellulose, silk and hemp – fibers which renew themselves faster in its natural environment – rather than fibers which need more treatment with toxic products;
- Recycling of fibers and fabrics in order to avoid new upholstery fabric from natural sources. Therefore, it is possible to save energy and decrease the waste;
- Significant reduction of toxic and chemical products, such as antimicrobial additives, flame retardant and stain resistant trims.
This strategy has already allowed the company being certified by:
- Reducing its energy consumption;
- Reducing its water consumption;
- Reducing its paper consumption;
- Reducing its waste through recycling;
- Optimizing its textile trims;
- Facilitating the “green” cleaning
- Encouraging its collaborators to buy hybrid vehicles.
About Maharam
In 1902, a Russian migrant called Louis Maharam founded the brand and started selling fabric leftovers in a wheelbarrow in New Yorkk’s East side. After a few generations, the company have grown and turned into one of the biggest high-quality upholstery fabric brand of the 21st Century.
During all the years in which Maharam is in the market, the brand has already worked with other international brands such as Nike and Vitra.