Innovative Use of Textile Craft in Acoustic Room Divider
A Dutch design studio, Luis Marie, has reimagined the traditional craft of pleating to create an acoustic room divider that stands independently, made entirely from textiles. This innovative product, named Plissade, has been shortlisted in the textile design category of the Brokerja.com Awards 2025. It is being hailed as the "first-ever all-textile room divider."
Founded by Fenna van der Klei and Patricio Nusselder, Luis Marie designed Plissade as a sculptural partition that reinterprets the age-old technique of textile pleating. This method involves folding fabric to create different shapes and volumes. The result is a unique piece that combines functionality with artistic expression.
Plissade consists of an inner layer made from felt recycled from post-consumer polyester clothing. The outer layer is a woven textile crafted from recycled polyester yarns. The studio employed a binder- and adhesive-free stiffening technique to fold both materials into a tight structural form, allowing the divider to stand without any additional support.
The design features two interlocking textile layers that form a series of hollow, diamond-shaped tubes. These tubes provide structural stability while also making the product easy to disassemble. This approach ensures that the room divider can be taken apart and recycled at the end of its life cycle, contributing to a more sustainable design process.
Luis Marie highlighted that their innovative assembly process draws from existing technologies in both the fashion and automotive upholstery industries. By applying these methods in a new context, they have created a product that is not only functional but also environmentally conscious.
The studio eliminated the need for adhesives, resins, or rigid reinforcements, ensuring that the design is truly circular. This commitment to sustainability extends to the dyeing process, where only the outer woven yarn was dyed using digital printing techniques. This method significantly reduces water and chemical usage, further enhancing the eco-friendly credentials of the product.
Plissade was designed to be foldable, modular, and lightweight. These characteristics make it a versatile acoustic solution suitable for both residential and professional settings. Its adaptability allows it to fit into various spaces, offering flexibility in how it is used.
Based in Rotterdam, Luis Marie focuses on creating products that bring more "colour, warmth and comfort" to living environments. The studio aims to challenge the constraints of production and develop statement pieces that blur the boundaries between art and design.
In addition to Plissade, other recent textile designs featured on Brokerja.com include Newstalgia flooring, which adds a nostalgic twist to 1970s and 80s fabrics, and a pleated lighting display by A-Poc Able Issey Miyake and Atelier Oï. These projects showcase the growing trend of integrating traditional crafts with modern design principles.
Through their work, Luis Marie continues to push the boundaries of what is possible with textiles, demonstrating that sustainable design can be both beautiful and functional. Their creations serve as a reminder of the potential for innovation within the realm of traditional crafts.
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