Benjamin Hubert of experience design agency Layer has launched Tape, a modular sofa designed for renowned Italian brand Moroso. Tape is the eighth collaboration between Benjamin Hubert and Moroso, and was twelve months in development. The new collection was unveiled at Milan’s Salone del Mobile furniture fair this year, which took place from 17 to 22 April 2018.
The Tape collection uses polyurethane tape to bond smaller pieces of textile together, which would otherwise be discarded in the upholstery process and treated as waste. The technique was inspired by the sporting industry, where the tape is used in the construction of snowboarding, ski, and wet-weather gear.
“We saw an opportunity to create an upholstered product that is completely waterproof so it can be used for outdoor use whilst protecting the seams from wear and tear – so the product would last longer too,” said Hubert.
Layer partnered with a technical garment manufacturer to develop the tape technology for use in furniture, and advanced heat-bonding machinery was used in the construction. A variety of fabrics from Danish textile brand Kvadrat were used to upholster the modular sofa, which was prototyped in the UK at the Layer studio.
“At Layer, we are always looking at fashion and technology trends in parallel industries. The Tape collection for Moroso is inspired by the technical and aesthetic properties of snowboard jackets, a technique we find fascinating,” said the brand. “This method of bonding allowed us to highlight how you can use smaller pieces of waste textile to create more sustainable upholstered furniture.”
Described by the brand as a “series of modernist building blocks” the Tape sofa is the first modular sofa designed by Layer and can be combined in multiple combinations to suit different interior spaces and styles.
