SAHCO: A New Era for the Storied Maison
Sahco’s Creative Director Bengt Thornefors is ushering in a new era for the heritage textile company, honouring the legacy of its rich archive but filtering the classical references through a modern risqué perspective.
”The ambition is to inhabit a world in which the new and the old are in dynamic dialogue, resulting in a radical, transgressive aesthetic,’
Bengt Thornefors, Creative Director of Sahco
The first reveal will take place in Paris in January, when Thornefors presents Sahco’s 2023 drapery and upholstery collection at Galerie Jousse Enterprise alongside collectible furniture and contemporary art, during the interior
design event, Paris Déco Off.
A designer and artistic consultant to leading fashion brands, Thornefors is a co-founder and creative force behind Magniberg, a Swedish-bedwear brand with a multilateral approach steeped in cultural allusions and imagination. Applying his knowledge of materials, textures and colour combined with an innate feel for emotional aesthetics, Thornefors is building on Sahco’s almost 200 years of craft and expertise to carve its own niche far removed
from the norms of an old school industry segment
‘’Our aim is to take Sahco to the next level in global influence and relevance. We know Bengt from his very successful art direction and creative leadership at the Stockholm power brand Magniberg. Bengt started his career as a designer at Acne Studios and also spent several years at Saint Laurent in Paris. He brings strong vision and ideas of the past and future into the interior space”.
Anders Byriel, CEO of Kvadrat, owner of Sahco
Founded in 1831 near Nuremberg in southern Germany, Sahco is renowned by the cognoscenti for the exquisite taste and superior quality of its interior textiles. Sahco weaves the threads of time – past present and future – exploring a
universe of contrasts: classical and the radical new, raw and exquisite, smooth and calloused, everyday and fantasy, comfort and controversy.
”A Maison of textiles, Sahco should inhabit its own space, rooted in tradition but restless and hungry for something more, a wild and unpredictable beauty”
Bengt Thornefors Creative Director of Sahco
As well as being revered for its quality, Sahco will be talked about for its aesthetics: super-feminine, soft and beautiful yet dark, enigmatic and dangerous. Some might feel we have taken it too far but I believe we can be both comfortable and radical. People will experience Sahco textiles in a broader context, not just as a swatch or a sample, but in settings that are inspiring and suggestive, with a shiver of sensuality. Whether the references are historical, cutting edge, cultural, psychological or emotional it is about creating a feeling that resonates, ideally with many different people.
ABOUT BENGT THORNEFORS
Swedish born, Bengt Thornefors was a senior designer at Acne Studios in Stockholm for nine years from 2003-2011. In 2012 he became Senior Designer & Artistic Consultant for YSL Saint Laurent, during the tenure of Hedi Slimane as Creative Director. Thornefors founded Magniberg with Nina Norgren, a florist and graphic designer in 2016. Magniberg takes it directions outside of the boundaries of sexes; a meeting between expressions of the modern world; playing on contrasts; breaking rules and classical norms.
ABOUT SAHCO For almost 200 years, Sahco has defined exquisite taste and superior quality in the world of interiors. Combining classic design and innovation, the elegant upholstery textiles and draperies of the Sahco collection have captured the hearts of a discerning international audience. Their rich textures and refined details can be found in many beautiful homes worldwide. It has been owned by Kvadrat since 2018. Under Creative Director Bengt Thornefors, it will be at the forefront of the industry, setting new standards and defining an interior landscape of rich textures and striking design for today and the future