For Carnegie’s latest collection, the textile manufacturer sought to create something wholly unique, and a partnership with Gensler’s design director Lee Pasteris was born. Having started at the firm’s Los Angeles office in the ’80s, the Midwest native was no stranger to innovative product design. She first created a solution-dyed broadloom carpet—one of the first of its kind—for the Delta terminal in the Los Angeles International Airport, then tried her hand at furniture for Martin Brattrud, and later door handles for Forms+Surfaces. But it was receiving the Gensler Research Grant and studying high-performance fibers at Cornell University in 2015—she investigated why the durability of fitness clothing hadn’t translated to commercial textiles—that became the catalyst behind Carnegie’s PFRM collection.
Pivot, Kinetic, and Stride are three durable patterns from Carnegie’s PFRM collection.
After a yearlong design process, Pasteris produced eight PVC-free patterns, drawing inspiration from her own fitness-focused lifestyle (she’s an avid runner, swimmer, and martial artist). “We felt like this was so appropriate for the market right now that we put our heads down to introduce it as soon as possible,” she explains. Athleisure and sportswear became the theme, with high performance, durability, and flexibility top of mind. Three of the eight pieces are knits, including Flex, which is crafted from sneaker fabric. Stride comprises two layers: a stretchy Lyrca beneath a wool mesh that is laminated on top for a dynamic 3D effect, she says. The others are all jacquard woven fabrics, such as the reversible Relay with clean lines that mimic nets and courts, as well as a trio of fabrics, including Triad, with shapes that reference the sole of a running shoe; Triad Stripe, boasting bolder lines like those on a track or field; and Triathlon, which features bar stripes found in athleisure clothing.
Inspired by tennis and paddle ball courts and ping pong tables, the reversible jacquard woven Relay recreates the clean lines of nets.
There were many ideas and styles that were edited out during the curating process, leaving Lee looking forward to the next collection with Carnegie, a possibility already being discussed. “Her enthusiasm, creativity, and collaborative spirit engulfed all who worked on the collection,” notes Mary Holt, vice president of creative at Carnegie.
