Concertex design director Aaron Mensik has always been fascinated by topographic maps. The interesting patterns and lines the maps display form into winding curves and rings that are dense in some areas, and loose and flowing in others. It’s these organic contours that are displayed in Mensik’s newest collection for Concertex, Topo.
Launching this month, the Topo collection draws inspiration from the beauty held within the natural world and the forces that shape it over time. Mensik transformed topographical map features into functional textiles for the hospitality, contract and healthcare markets.
“Topographic maps have a very minimal, serene feeling that I have always been intrigued by,” says Mensik. “They reflect the shaping of the landscape through wind, water and the movements of the Earth. These images seemed like a natural fit for my first collection with Concertex, which I wanted to be a reflection of the changes that our company is going through.”
The collection features 10 new patterns that include an assortment of refined woven and coated fabrics that artistically illustrate the metamorphosis of the natural landscape.
Mensik says his goal is to curate and refine what Concertex currently offers, while creating new designs. He wants to draw clients in with both refreshing and bespoke designs that can be used for any type of space.
He selected the colors within the Topo collection in an effort to evolve the current Concertex palette, which have traditionally included basic neutrals and bright, bold colors.
“To align with the concept of the collection, I am adding earthy hues such as soft reds and yellows and neutralized blues and teals,” he explains. “These colors work naturally with the earthy patterns and textures within the new collection and also follow the recent popularity for softer, more muted tones.”
Two patterns in the collection—a Sunbrella Contract indoor/outdoor textile called Marble and an ultrasonically embossed polyurethane named Topo—are highlighted to be statement makers with their bold, sophisticated designs.
“Marble, with its large-scale, organic pattern, is well suited to open, outdoor spaces where the full scale of the pattern can be appreciated,” says Mensik. “Topo’s overlay of printed lines and embossed, metallic dots gives it a complex, yet serene, look when needed. Supporting these two patterns are a great group of basics that can be used for any upholstery application.”
To learn more on the Topo collection, you can listen to Mensik on the I Hear Design podcast, recorded live during NeoCon 2019.
[Read next: “Mapping” Out the Latest from Concertex and NappaTile]
