In a modern twist on classic fabrics, New York textile house Maharam (www.maharam.com) is repurposing the industrial-strength plastics found in toothbrushes, conveyor belts, and parachutes to produce its new Composites Series line of luxe upholstery and wall coverings. Designer Andrée Putman (who updated the interior of Air France's Concorde jets) created the Maharam collection, which hits showrooms this month. In the swatch pictured, abrasion-resistant fibrillated polyethylene ribbon and laminated tape provide translucency, while lengths of saran monofilament are layered in for strength and iridescence. Since co-owner Michael Maharam and his brother Stephen took over the fourth-generation family business three years ago, they've focused on recruiting top craftspeople and incorporating innovative materials that are beautiful, durable, and completely washable. "What we were before was basically the Sears Roebuck of textiles," says Michael.
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