23.10.2017
Awards, Designers
German Design Award Winner
We are extremely happy to announce that our After Party rug designed by Garth Roberts has won the German Design Award 2018 in the Home Textiles and Home Accessories category! This prestigious award is decided in one day and all of the products that have been nominated are sent to the German Design Council in Frankfurt where a panel of over 40 industry professionals view, touch and decide the winners. No photos are ever used in the judgement process. We are honored to have won this award and a big thank-you must go out to the German Design Council!
The After Party rug was developed in 2016 and presented for the first time in January 2017 at IMM Cologne and Maison & Objet Paris. We chatted to Garth Roberts about the rug, the inspiration and it’s unique “non-pattern”.
5 minutes with Garth Roberts
1) Where did the idea for the design of the “After Party rug” come from?
The ‘after party’ concept started from the idea to use the rug to convey a mood rather than an ordered graphic pattern. After playing with this direction a bit I realized that the scattered patterns of random shapes and colors have an energy that is both emotional and visually stunning.
2) What was it like to see the rugs for the first time?
Since the intent of ‘after party’ was to conveying a visual mood using an unconventional approach, I was quite hopeful but open when it came to the results.
When viewing the first finished rugs, the artisanal uniqueness and mixed with the variations in materials and textures added depth to the project that was unexpected but very positive.
3) What does Artisanal production mean to you?
The artisanal process and heritage of rug making is something that started long before the ‘after party’ project and in collaboration with companies like cc-tapis, it will continue for many years to come. I am glad to have been able to tap into this tradition; to be a part of the hand made culture, that my design and the concept is a part of this story.
4) When do you do most of your designing?
Most of my designs are a mix of deep research and personal reflection. The perfect combination of this mood for me is in quiet moments without the distractions of the day’s activities in mind.
5) Are you a digital or analogue kind of designer?
I am an analogue designer that needs a hard drive. Honestly, my design method is
not dependent on one mode or tool, but I am very sensorial when I create.
I really need to touch, feel, taste and smell to get deeply involved in a project.
6) Can we expect an “after” After Party?
The ‘After Party’ was the result of a special creative collaboration and just scratched the surface of the idea of non-pattern. Working with cc-tapis to develop ‘After Party’ has been a wonderful experience; I think we’ll have a lot more creativity to share as this dialogue develops even further.
