Agua launches Zephyr - a two-tone woven fabric with durable tactility for indoor and outdoor use.

Agua’s latest collection, Zephyr is a two-tone woven fabric with a refined, textured look. It’s soft to the touch and comes in a wide array of bold and neutral shades. But what sets it apart is its "ability to perform both inside and out".

Its colourfast dyes help it withstand UV rays, ensuring its rich tones can stand up to prolonged outdoor use. Meanwhile its Crib 5 fire retardancy and waterproof coating gives it the same durability you’d expect from an indoor fabric. It also looks the part. Zephyr has been skilfully woven to mimic the look of natural wool, with a tactile feel that’ll complement a wide range of applications, from hotels and restaurants to bars and workspaces.

In years gone-by, there was perhaps a clear distinction between indoor and outdoor fabrics - as outdoor fabrics were required to perform under all weather conditions, they’d look and feel a certain way. Meanwhile, indoor fabrics were generally softer and less durable.

Now though, new technology and weaving methods have allowed Agua to develop an indoor-outdoor upholstery fabric that "performs equally well in the comfort of a hotel lobby as it will in an outdoor dining setting".

This also directly relates to the post-pandemic need for flexible interior design - Agua wanted to develop an elegant, high performing fabric that would be suited to both indoor and outdoor use. And Zephyr is the result.

There were a number of considerations Agua had to keep in mind when creating Zephyr. Colour fading being one. Outdoor fabrics are typically exposed to UV rays far more than interior fabrics, so ensuring it wouldn’t fade quickly was of utmost importance. The brand achieved this by incorporating colourfast dyes to Zephyr, which ensure its rich tones are maintained even with prolonged outdoor use.

Then there are the performance elements. Every Agua fabric is treated to a series of rigorous tests that guarantees its effectiveness in a number of areas, one of which is flammability. "It’s not easy to find outdoor fabrics that are Crib 5 compliant, as they typically aren’t required to conform to commercial fire regulations. But as Zephyr is designed for both outdoor and indoor use, it’s been treated to ensure fire retardancy to the highest level."

As well as fire retardancy, it’s crucial for outdoor fabrics to be waterproof. While it’s not recommended that furniture be kept outdoors permanently throughout the year, it is highly likely that it will encounter passing showers. For this reason, Zephyr is waterproof. It does so while remaining breathable, which is another crucial performance element for an indoor-outdoor fabric. Zephyr has been treated to remain breathable whether used inside or out, and as such will ensure day-long comfort.

Lastly, an indoor-outdoor fabric - as with any fabric - needs to look good. As such, Zephyr has been skilfully woven to mimic the look of natural wool, with a tactile feel that’ll complement a wide range of applications. "Outdoor fabrics were never suited for indoor use, but Zephyr shows that’s a notion of the past."

Discover more by visiting Agua's dedicated POD at Material Source Studio Manchester & Glasgow.