In English

Technology
Experiments on 3D-surface

This month we experiment with a new 3D support in our material library – Bamboo Pulp. The base support is created using bamboo fibers, that are pressed between two molded metal forms, in an iron. The result is a lightweight and easily reproduced 3D panel, which comes in many different declinations. We experimented with digital printing, glitter projection, flocking, and hand-painting & stripping wrapped around in a bondage fashion. The results were startling, as the panel’s original forms changed with each application… The science of experimentation is truly magical!

In English

STORY OF THE MONTH
Home is Where the Art is!

Maison & Objet, the self-confessed international authority for home decor, interior design, architecture, and lifestyle culture and trends breezed through Paris again for it’s January edition. With over 3000 exhibitors, it was a fascinating whirlwind of creativity and inspiration!

We focus above on three main trends that struck us in the salon, Recycling, Cardboard & Paper, and Textured Walls, and highlight below some technological developments that caught our eye.

In the Recycling field, LLOT LLOV from Germany created a material they called Glacier, in collaboration with cosmetics group Cosnova – a Nail Polish Terrazzo made from discarded nail polish bottles in concrete support. ecoBIRDY, based in Antwerp, collected old children’s toys and recycled them into new design furniture, in an innovative material they call ecothylene® which they have managed to develop to the high safety standards for children – making it both eco-friendly and child-friendly!

In the Cardboard & Paper trend, the work of French artist Marie-Anne Thieffry was an astonishing use of layered cardboard, carved into beautiful spherical lights and figurative busts. Molo Designs from Canada showcased their unique structures in folded paper and cardboard, flexible wall partitions, seating and lights that can be adapted to any space, and reconfigured with ease. A perfect product for the modern city apartment.

Textured Walls were everywhere, giving a new dimension to any interior: we particularly liked Portugal’s Burel Factory, a historical wool manufacturer, who create intricate hand finished wall coverings in finest wool. They are used in hospitality for their acoustic and thermal properties, and they add a touch of luxury to the space. Who could resist couture walls?

We can’t wait for the September edition of Maison et Objet, it is sure to continue to inspire us in ways we can’t even imagine.


Tsunoda Seibee Shoten from Japan creates Bento boxes carved from single blocks of Japanese Cypress wood, that are completely joint free, highlighting the wood’s natural grain. They are unique in their use of glass Nano-Coating which provides stain resistance and durability, whilst meeting the exacting standards of health and safety food regulations, and maintaining the natural beauty of the wood grain.
LPJ Studios from Germany work with the leftover yarns and garments from prestigious fashion companies to develop new products. The LPJ Studios Punch Rug caught our eye, using a needle-punch felting technique they take wool based garments and integrate them seamlessly into rug forms that can be wall or flor based. A unique solution for your favorite old sweater!
In French

TECHNOLOGY
Impression de paillette grand format en sérigraphie ou projection

Dans le procédé habituel de sérigraphie pailletée, les paillettes sont d’abord mélangées à un vernis transparent qui les enrobe puis imprimées sur le support. De ce fait, la réflexion purement “métallique” de la paillette est remplacée par une réflexion “plastique” dont l’effet est notoirement moins intéressant : le scintillement est comme noyé dans le vernis et la taille des paillettes est limitée par la trame de sérigraphie. Grâce au procédé exclusif d’American Supply, nous restituons le pouvoir réfléchissant dans son intégralité, il est de plus sublimé par la taille et la disposition anarchique des paillettes sur leur support, renvoyant un éclat métallique chatoyant dans toutes les directions.

Avec ce nouveau développement, le Creative-Techno-Lab d’American Supply est la seule équipe en Europe capable de réaliser ces projections placées d’une large gamme de glitter sur des supports les plus variés mesurant jusqu’à 250cm par 140cm de laize. Pour l’exemple ci-dessus, nous avons projeté un mix de large paillette Hexa selon un motif de gros flocons de neige sur notre velours Deep Blue luxury.

Cette technique peut être appliquée à de nombreux projets en mode, décoration et merchandising visuel. Imaginez ce que vous pourriez réaliser avec ce nouveau procédé de projection grand format pour une vitrine événementielle.

 

In French

Story of the Month
Le Merveilleux Noël des Vitrines Parisiennes

Noël arrive avec les premiers flocons cotonneux, les fraicheurs matinales avec leurs décors de feuillages givrés dans la fine brume, et les incontournables vitrines de Noël. Nous avons fait le tour des plus belles avenues de la capitale pour vous présenter une sélection des plus fascinants décors.

Durant toute l’année, nous travaillons sur des développements matière pour vous présenter les innovations à la pointe de la technologie et en amont des tendances émergentes. Pour cette saison, nous avons mis au point un nouveau procédé d’Impression/Projection de paillettes sur Très Grand Format, ce sera notre dossier TECHNOLOGIES du mois. Ces applications sont nombreuses et épatantes, et ne se limitent pas à la période des fêtes.

Mon Bon Cancan Le Bon Marché, Rive Gauche

Mon Bon Cancan Le Bon Marché, Rive Gauche

Galeries Lafayette

Galeries Lafayette

  Les gelées matinales sont un des premiers signes précurseurs de l’hiver, annonçant déjà les nuits emmitouflées, sous la couette (plus câlines) et le chocolat chaud devant la cheminée. Au delà des inspirations traditionnelles des décorations hivernals, nombreux clients d’American Supply ont souhaité voir de nouvelles propositions de représentation du givre et des gelées. Notre Creative Techno Lab s’est très vite mobilisé dès le mois de janvier dernier pour produire des mood boards illustrant cette requête. Nous avons pu ainsi associer de nombreux matériaux du catalogue avec quelques trouvailles originales.  

Si vous souhaitez vous informer sur ces matériaux et recevoir quelques échantillons, merci de formuler votre demande par e-mail avec la référence du produit concerné. Vous pourrez aussi naviguer parmi une sélection de nos matières préférées.

In English

Story of the Month
Walking in a Window Wonderland

Winter is falling with the first snowflakes, bringing the early morning frost, and the inimitable Christmas windows. We took a walk around our hometown Paris to bring you a curated selection of our favorites so far.

We work on material developments throughout the year to bring you cutting-edge materials and update our existing classics, and Christmas is one of our busiest times. This season, among many new developments, we developed the Large-Scale Glitter Projection Printing process that is our TECHNOLOGY story this month, which can be used for many seasonal and non-seasonal applications, take a look here.

Mon Bon Cancan Le Bon Marché, Rive Gauche

Mon Bon Cancan Le Bon Marché, Rive Gauche

Galeries Lafayette

Galeries Lafayette

 

Morning frost is one of the earliest signs of the arrival of Winter, bringing with it the promise of cozy nights, and hot cocoa in front of an open fire. It was a popular sentiment that ran through requests for Christmas 2018, alongside the more traditional snow effect materials, as people searched for more technical representations of frost. American Supply's Creative-Techno-Lab worked on mood boards to highlight this trend from January 2018, pinpointing the materials we have that best represented it, and gathering new materials with this in mind.

If you would like to inquire into any of these materials and receive samples, please contact us giving the material reference, or feel free to browse MATERIALS for a curated selection of some of our favorites.
In English

TECHNOLOGY
Large-Scale Glitter Projection Printing

The usual process for screen printing with glitter requires the glitter to be mixed with a transparent varnish that saturates it before it is printed on the surface. With this method the metallic appearance of the glitter is lost and replaced with a more plastic reflection, making the effect less interesting: the glistening metal is not only drowned in the varnish, but the size of the glitter is also limited by the weave in the silkscreen. With our new exclusive development, we give back to the glitter its glistening potential and elevate it with the ability to vary particle size and allow a more anarchic placement on the surface, letting it shine in all directions.

American Supply’s Creative-Techno-Lab is the only team in Europe that can achieve Large-Scale Glitter Projection Printing of 140cm wide by 250cm long in a wide range of Glitter references and in any custom design. For the example shown above, we projected a custom Large Hexa Glitter in a Snowfall design, printed on our Deep Blue luxury velvet.

This technique can be applied to a wide range of fashion, design, and visual merchandising applications. Imagine what you could achieve with this new large-scale format.

American Supply continues to push the material boundaries both technically and creatively with our in-house expertise.

Credit Photo: American Supply