SUNBRELLA CONCOURS INTRAMUROS X ZEINA
Article
Sunbrella® recently judged the first design competition initiated by Intramuros magazine and the Camondo school in Paris, and assisted the young graduate Zeina Sleiman in the realisation of her end-of-study project entitled "beyond the visual".
By learning the habits and uses of each person, this designer reinterprets the form and function of the dining table. Without altering its original use, she rethinks it from below, integrating different materials on the legs and internal parts, to provide soundproofing and a cocoon effect, in a children's hut spirit.
"I think it is important for manufacturers to be attentive to student projects and for students to be able to face some of their projects with manufacturers, their constraints and especially their know-how. These experiences are always rewarding and full of meaning."
Christophe Catteau, Sunbrella brand design manager
Sunbrella®'s Savane Midnight fabric, characterised by its weave and glazed appearance, has been used to enhance the table's structured arches, while also providing protection thanks to the intrinsic qualities of all Sunbrella® fabrics (ease of cleaning, resistance and durability). This reference blends subtly with the colour of the oak and the tabletop, in a modern and minimalist aesthetic.
"The contrast established between the underside and the top of the table through the Sunbrella® fabric highlighted the concept and intent of my project."
Zeina Sleiman, a graduate of the Camondo school.
Sunbrella® was seduced by Zeina Sleiman's creativity and her approach, which in certain respects is similar to the brand's approach to their search for well-being, comfort and improvement of the quality of daily life.
Thanks to the support of Sunbrella®, the young graduate was able to produce her first prototype and hopes to take this project even further by manufacturing it with a furniture brand.
This new collaboration complements the previous experiences of Sunbrella®, which has already worked with other designers and artists, including Charles Pétillon, Élise Fouin, Wendy Andreu and Liz Collins.
The artist Charles Pétillon created an inflatable structure covered with various Sunbrella® fabrics. This installation was staged and photographed in several indoor and outdoor spaces, thus contextualising and magnifying the brand's textiles.
Designer Élise Fouin created a canopy of colourful mosaics to showcase the breadth of the Sunbrella® collections. A few years later, she exhibited fabric windmills, a subtle reference to renewable energy and the beauty of nature.
In an innovative approach to the issue of sustainability, Sunbrella® has worked with two designers: Wendy Andreu and Liz Collins.
Wendy Andreu has designed a new material - both aesthetic and functional - created from the selvedges of Sunbrella® fabrics, which was unveiled at Dutch Design Week in 2019 and at Maison & Objet in Paris. The installation is paired with decorative wall panels designed by artist Liz Collins, also made from Sunbrella® fabric 'waste'. These were first presented at Design Week in Milan in 2019.