glithero: 120/7 rubia spectrum for kvadrat

throughout their work, london studio glithero celebrates the beauty of the creative process, and in keeping with this, their latest project ‘120/7 rubia spectrum’ continues their exploration of prototyping and highlighting the trials and errors of their production process. working with danish textile manufacturer kvadrat‘s iconic ‘hallingdal 65’, the duo has used the vast lengths of the material as an experimental test strip of sorts; the fabric standing as a platform in which to express gradual coloration using a natural pigment known as rubia.

gradations of color as a result of the dip-dying process photo by angela moore

together with pigment specialists, glithero submerged the fabric in a large drum of the organic red dye – extracted from the the root of the madder plant – before being slowly raised at regular interviews, changing the intensity of its color. the result is a gradient color strip which reveals the passing of time, and pays tribute to a stage of the design process which is typically left unstated. this dip-dying procedure also introduces a new layer of color, susceptible to chance and imperfection which plays a contrast to the meticulously colored hallingdal textile. to express this, glithero has upholstered a sofa by italian furniture producer cappellini, with the ‘test’ fabric, showcasing the dye’s resulting color gradation.

‘120/7 rubia spectrum’ conceived as part of kvadrat’s ‘hallingdal 65’ exhibition.

details of the hallingdal 65 fabric glithero dyed with rubia photo by angela moore

the dipping process

kvadrat sketch by studio glithero