When things work you don’t touch them. As creative beings in a creative industry this is more often than not easier said than done and sometimes, temptation overcomes restraint. In its desire to offer something fresh for summer to its design-loving clients, Tait has been somewhat ingenious in getting the best of both worlds.
In its 26 years Tait has worked with some of the country’s most talented industrial designers including Adam Goodrum (Trace, Volley), Trent Jansen (Tidal) and Justin Hutchinson (Jak + Jill). The resulting collections champion modern design and the very Australian nature of outdoor living.
When Tait first released the Trace collection designed by Adam Goodrum in 2017 it was an instant success in both the residential and commercial markets. Crucially, the entire collection in its material makeup is carefully engineered to withstand the harsh environmental conditions Australia is often subject to. Aluminium, stainless steel mesh, sustainable timbers and marbled porcelain materials comprise the frames whilst premium and high performing upholstery offer texture, tactility and reinforce durability.
Channelling late-century nostalgia and “dreamy scenes of laissez-faire lounging” key pieces from the Tait catalogue will be available upholstered in rich Mokum fabrics.
And now this collection, among others, is reinvented. An Australian Outdoor Story is the result of a collaboration between Tait and Australian and New Zealand based contemporary textile company, Mokum. Channelling late-century nostalgia and “dreamy scenes of laissez-faire lounging” key pieces from the Tait catalogue will be available upholstered in rich Mokum fabrics. Evoking the 70s and a biophilic return to nature via textural weaves, plush velvets and Tropicalismo-inspired prints, this updated series creates instant atmosphere.
World-renowned Australian costume designer Catherine Martin also plays a key role in An Australian Outdoor Story, having worked with Mokum on a high performance outdoor fabric range that is at once playful and sophisticated. The Tropicalia range features visuals of leafy fronds and banana bunches and debuts on the market through the Mokum and Tait’s collaboration. The muted palette of this patterned collection works exceptionally well with the dusty tones of Mokum’s South Beach collection of outdoor-graded velvet fabrics to round out An Australian Outdoor Story. “In recent years, performance advancements in outdoor materials have improved so much so, that we can readily achieve the luxury of an indoor lounge with one that is all-weather,” says Tait’s creative director, Susan Tait.
The muted palette of this patterned collection works exceptionally well with the dusty tones of Mokum’s South Beach collection of outdoor-graded velvet fabrics.
Never doing things in halves, Tait and Mokum release An Australian Outdoor Story via a private residence set against the backdrop of Sydney’s idyllic hidden coves. Lush greenery, monumental Brutalist architecture, dramatic cliffs, mermaid green bays and styling by Steve Cordony provide the perfect context for these highly designed pieces.
Tait
madebytait.com.au
Mokum
jamesdunloptextiles.com
Photography by Robert Walsh
World-renowned Australian costume designer Catherine Martin also plays a key role in An Australian Outdoor Story.
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