Sustainability sits at the forefront of the design and development of the recent Kirby Design collection
Journal
Wave by Kirkby Design
Fleck Eco by Kirkby Design
Leaf by Kirkby Design
Wave by Kirkby Design
Fleck Eco by Kirkby Design
Leaf by Kirkby Design
Fleck Eco by Kirkby Design
Kirkby Design | The sustainable collection
Sustainability sits at the forefront of the design and development of the recent Kirby Design collection.
Combining style with practicality, it was a study into recycled products and sustainable materials that informed the creation of four innovative collections that reduce the impact on the environment without compromising on quality.
As well as using recycled and sustainable yarns, all fabrics in this launch are fully recyclable, meaning they can be repurposed for future use and are therefore ‘circular’ in nature.
Further developing Kirkby’s renowned colour palette, trend-driven shades of Nettle and Amber are introduced as key colours, whilst new ‘moody’ shades such as Twilight, Tobacco and Deep Teal have been added. Synonymous with contemporary style, rustic tones and earthy pinks are featured across the collections, and a considered choice of neutrals including Silver Grey and Jute complement the range helping to achieve the mega trend of ‘calm sanctuary.’
PET Recycled Plain
Featuring a subtle woven moiré effect and a soft handle, Wave is a textural plain accentuated by a contemporary, tonal palette that can used in the home or commercial environment. In a range of 34 colours, you are spoilt for choice. Wave offers a versatile option when you are looking to complement your other soft furnishings.
Approximately 100 x 0.5L waste plastic bottles are used to produce 1m of Wave and it is woven with Global Recycled Standard certified yarns.
- 34 Colours
- Eco friendly FR treatment (Cig & match) available
- The FR treatment is OEKO-TEX certified
- Suitable for upholstery*, drapes and accessories
- Martindale: 70,000 SC
- Washable at 30 degrees
- Width: 138cm
Flow comprises a sustainable trio of recycled weaves; a tactile semi-plain and two contemporary designs that add a decorative element to the collection. Suitable across all applications, Flow is a sophisticated and versatile jacquard weave made from 100% PET recycled polyester yarns produced from waste plastic bottles.
Flow’s organic and multi-coloured pixelated designs ensures a contemporary, textured look, presented in a concise palette of on-trend colour combinations.
Approximately 35 x 1.5L bottles are used to produce 1m of fabric and designs are ECO-PATH certified that tests and analyses the entire supply chain from yarn to finished product for environmental and human health.
- 3 designs
- Eco friendly FR treatment available. This FR treatment is a carbon coating, a naturally sourced product with no harmful chemicals used in production. Once treated, the fabrics can still be recycled however the FR backing should be removed and recycled separately to the fabric.
- Suitable for upholstery*, drapes and accessories
Recycled Wool
With an intriguing, mottled appearance, Leaf II uses 100% recycled wool yarns, blended from reconstituted fashion industry wool yarns. The recycled wool yarns are first sorted and then blended to form a unique colour palette, synonymous with Kirkby Design’s contemporary style. With an intriguing look that offers a soft finish and tactile touch, this fabric is a robust and versatile textile suitable for upholstery, curtains, and accessories.
- 100% Recycled Wool
- 38 new colours, 8 existing best-selling colour ways
- Suitable for upholstery, drapes, and accessories
- Leaf II is a developed version of the popular Leaf fabric
- Martindale: 40,000 SC
- Washable at 30 degrees
- Width: 140cm
A lovely textured and versatile chenille, Fleck Eco has been adapted to become a more environmentally conscious, textured chenille fabric that retains the much-loved speckled aesthetic of the original Fleck fabric. Part of the ‘plains’ portfolio, Fleck Eco combines recycled wool and acrylic yarns with Tencel lyocell and 100% PET recycled polyester yarns. The on-trend colour palette will suit any contemporary interior with comforting hues of Khaki, Sandstone, Rhino, Dragonfly, Balsam and Flame.
The recycled wool and acrylic yarns are reconstituted from the fashion industry, whilst Tencel lyocell is a sustainable yarn that originates from fast growing eucalyptus trees. The 100% PET recycled polyester yarns are produced from waste plastic bottles.
- 47% Sustainable Tencel lyocell, 28% Recycled Wool, 20% Recycled Acrylic, 5% Recycled Polyester
- Fleck Eco is a developed, more eco-friendly version of the popular Fleck fabric
- 43 Colours – this palette has evolved from the previous Fleck collection colour palette to include new contemporary shades of Khaki, Sandstone, Rhino, Dragonfly, Balsam and Flame
- Eco friendly FR treatment (Crib 5) available. This FR treatment is OEKO-TEX certified.
- Suitable for upholstery, drapes, and accessories
- Washable at 30 degrees
- Martindale: 60,000 SD
- Width: 140cm
Environmental Overview
Environmental Overview
As part of Kirkby Design’s commitment to reducing the impact on the environment of this collection, they are donating 5% of income generated from every metre sold to their chosen charities for the lifetime of the collection.
- Flow and Wave - Marine Conservation Society, helps protect our seas, shores, and wildlife. For more information, please visit mcsuk.org.
- Eco Fleck and Leaf II - Trees for Life, supports reforestation projects in the Scottish Highlands. For more information, please visit treesforlife.org.uk.
The Recycling Process:
Waste plastic bottles are first cleaned and made into flakes which are blended, melted and turned into chips. The chips are melted, extruded and made into a fibre which is then spun into a yarn, the yarn is then dyed and woven into fabric.
Unwanted woollen fabrics including clothing, knits and offcuts from the fashion industry are collected to be repurposed into new wool yarns. They are first sorted and separated by colour, shredded and blended together then spun into new fibres ready to be woven.
What is Tencel lyocell?
Similar to viscose, Tencel lyocell is derived from wood cellulose - natural polymers present in vegetative living cells. The Tencel lyocell fibre used in Fleck ECO is obtained from eucalyptus trees grown by companies certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The wood is sourced from forests in Austria, Czech Republic, USA, South Africa and Sweden. The wood pulp is produced in biorefineries where the energy contained in the wood is also used to power a large proportion of the facilities, making the biorefineries almost completely self-sufficient. Any water used in production is purified in efficient waste water treatment plants.
Why is Tencel lyocell less impactful than viscose?
Viscose is an artificially made fibre sourced from natural materials. It consists of cellulose from wood or bamboo which is chemically generated from wood pulp. Viscose however is not organic, directing researchers to make the more naturally manufactured, 100% cellulose Tencel lyocell fibre. Tencel lyocell is more sustainable as the solvent used to dissolve the cellulose is over 97% recoverable and the production requires very little water.
Other environmental aspects:
- Water used during production is treated before being discharged or recycled for use during the manufacturing process.
- No chemicals or softeners are used during the finishing process ensuring the production remains as environmentally friendly as possible.
- The manufacturing of these fabrics benefits from solar power generation, suppling energy to the production plant.
View the new range from Kirkby Design here.
If you are seeking sumptuous tactility through dimension and texture, then bouclé is the fabric for you. Referring both to the yarn and the fabric made from the yarn, bouclé can be used for drapery, upholstery, or accessory fabrics and although traditionally woven from wool or mohair, it is now p...
