Gabriel_175th Anniversary_Web_Spreads - Flipbook - Page 88
THE VISIONARIES
Aesthetic
as function
The team is quick to dismiss the old separation between beautiful and technical. In the world Gabriel
serves - public spaces, hospitality, offices, transport the textile is a working surface. It must hold its colour
and handle, resist wear, behave across years, across
cleaning cycles, across real life. And it must do that
while carrying the emotional weight of a space.
Aesthetic is also a function. Not an extra, but a requirement. Because a room’s comfort is not only
measured in decibels and rub counts. It is also measured in whether people want to stay.
That functional view of aesthetics is one reason they
talk about time the way they do. They aim for textiles
that can catch the spirit of the time without becoming
trapped in the moment - materials that feel contemporary now and still feel right years later. Elasticity in
time. A calm modernity that can stretch. Savak is a
favourite example: used well, it holds its place. It does
not expire.
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