Photo Credit: Atelier Pendhapa
Designing a home can be a daunting task with so many options across style, function, and quality—not to mention a whirlwind of trends that come and go quicker than you can unload a moving truck. The good news is, a classic design emerges even more glorious amongst its counterparts in this ever-changing climate. And now, two traditions of timeless craftsmanship mingle to forge an assemblage of new classics with the launch of the AKAR Collection by Atelier Pendhapa x Métaphores.
Atelier Pendhapa, a London and Singapore-based architecture and furniture design studio, fashioned nine collectible pieces of furniture from wood and other organic embellishments, and each showcases a different horsehair Le Crin fabric from Hermès sister company, Métaphores. Hailing from the luxury label’s textile division, the innovator in weaving and fabrics for interior design brought its expertise in the specialty centenarian technique of hand-weaving horsehair to the collaboration.
Photo Credit: Atelier Pendhapa
The collection’s name, AKAR, refers to the word for “roots” in Indonesian, and this essence is palpable in the collaborators’ approach. Atelier Pendhapa and Métaphores worked closely together to curate a range of fabrics highlighting the wide variety of techniques used in weaving horsehair, a highly distinguished practice that can be traced to the 1787 Le Crin patent.
Vested with the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant label, the patent has been reverently passed down through generations and used for centuries in France. Now, the Challes workshop in France’s Sarthe region is the only one to carry on the hand-crafted tradition, which requires remarkable patience and precision. In fact, the technique is so intricate that only a few meters are woven each day.
Photo Credit: Atelier Pendhapa
These days of meticulous craftsmanship unfold in the retelling of a rich history, one that emerges from strong roots with a modern sensibility to best showcase each fabric’s unique characteristics. Horsehair is a natural byproduct of the local breeding activities of nomadic populations, like those in Mongolia, for transportation and agriculture, and the country’s cold climate is a testament to the Le Crin fiber’s resilience, with its naturally coarse, yet lustrous quality. Leveraging this robustness, Métaphores combines the material with linen, wool, sisal, and metallic threads to reinvent the weavings with artful motifs, light effects, and venturesome nuance.
Photo Credit: Atelier Pendhapa
And it’s not just the story of horsehair that’s being retold. Atelier Pendhapa approaches the collaboration with fundamental materials that push the boundaries while staying true to their organic nature. Wood is conceptualized as a thread woven alongside horsehair, resulting in pieces that challenge gravity and invoke a jeweled elegance, with horsehair cushions like mounted gemstones marking the collection’s holistic quintessence.
Photo Credit: Atelier Pendhapa
The Atelier Pendhapa x Métaphores AKAR Collection is available through The Invisible Collection.
Photo Credit: Atelier Pendhapa
