LOUISVILLE, KY.—The design vision of global lifestyle brand Joseph Abboud comes to commercial interiors for the first time with the introduction of a wallcovering collection for Versa. The 14-pattern collection is inspired by Joseph Abboud’s roots in menswear, incorporating tailored details, textures resembling nubby linens, brushed silks and burnished suedes, and designs influenced by glen plaids, paisleys, stripes and damasks.
Earthy organic looks also emphasize artisanal, irregular, handcrafted qualities and include interpretations of burled wood, foliage and weathered materials. Made of Type II, 20-ounce vinyl, the collection features deeply embossed 3-D textures and 20 percent recycled content reclaimed and recycled through Versa’s Second-Look program.
“It was a natural progressive to take our design sensibility to the wall,” said Randy Fields, senior vice president design, merchandising, production for New York City-based Joseph Abboud. “We drew from our expertise in residential fabrics and furnishings, but particularly from our fashion leadership in menswear. Designers considered the subtle patterns and textures of apparel and adjusted for differences in scale and repetition for the wall. Using signature elements from our menswear heritage, we have created a timeless, tailored collection for today’s environments.”
“We saw the opportunity to reach outside the interior design industry and collaborate with designers of a different mindset,” said Bruce Foster, director of creative design for Versa, a brand of Louisville-based LSI Wallcovering. “We thought the Joseph Abboud aesthetic held compelling possibilities for a distinctive wallcovering collection. And we were excited by the opportunity to bring this confident, successful American brand personality to the commercial interiors market.”
The collaborators wanted an eco forward collection and harnessed Versa’s Second-Look technology that reclaims and recycles vinyl wallcovering. Designs are standard with 20 percent recycled content, including 10 percent post-consumer. Specifiers also have the option to participate in Second-Look’s retrieval program by reclaiming vinyl wallcovering from their renovation projects and sending it freight-free to Versa. The first recycling technology for vinyl wallcovering, Second-Look received numerous awards when introduced in 2007, including sustainability awards from IIDEX/NeoCon Canada, the Healthcare Facilities Symposium and the Innovations Awards at NeoCon, as well as Editor’s Choice Awards from Architectural Record and Interiors & Sources.
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