2025 On-site report
ORGATEC TOKYO: The Unfolding Possibilities of Office Furniture
Currently, companies making furniture materials such as textiles and synthetic leather are increasing in prominence. Products used in hotels and offices, such as carpets that see heavy use, sound-absorbing materials, and curtains, demonstrate that textiles for public spaces are also a big market.
・Kawashima Selkon Textiles
Kawashima Selkon is one of Japan's largest textile manufacturers and has major clients in the business sector as well. It is founded in Kyoto, which is a significant aspect of its heritage.
Kawashima Selkon, known for its strong image of tradition and high quality, focused on the theme of “Textile Study” this year. Making use of an experimental display, they exchanged opinions with visitors.
Upon entering, visitors were greeted by the delicate earth-toned rugs “Zen Garden” and “Shiki” which embodied Japan's aesthetic sensibilities. These rugs allowed visitors to appreciate the long tradition of dyeing that the company also has.
At the centre of the display, a stunning lamp shade with a three-dimensional structure, crafted by layering and stitching together 84 pieces of fabric, captivated the audience.
The lamp was made possible by Kawashima Selkon’s unique sewing technology, developed in-house. When the sewn fabric is spread out, geometric patterns emerge like origami. The fabric, which allows light to pass through, is transformed into a lampshade. At the venue, a lampshade with a diameter of 2.5 metres was on display, but the product can also be ordered at sizes up to three times that.
・SUMINOE
SUMINOE’s booth showcased the popular “NORDIC Board” series of RUNON-brand wallpapers, co-developed with ACTUS, a company known for its high sensitivity to interior design.
Nordic furniture is a specialty of ACTUS. In the Nordic countries, daylight hours are short, and skies are often overcast. Wall colours reflecting this ‘half-tone’ climate became the backdrop for Nordic furniture which makes frequent use of oak and walnut materials. These colours are tailored for Japan, where both interiors with a grey-beige base and Nordic furniture are popular.
・Ultrasuede
Ultrasuede, a soft-to-the-touch and durable artificial leather, is a well-known material already widely used in many pieces of furniture.
Precisely because it is such a familiar material, Ultrasuede tends to present itself in a fresh new light at ORGATEC TOKYO through collaborations with artists and up-and-coming brands. This year, they collaborated with the hat manufacturing house FUJII SEIBO. Together, they unveiled a prototype display made with hat-making techniques and using 7 mm tape-like strips of Ultrasuede as the main material, named “MOBJE”.