Highlighting the pattern
UK, Cuxton. On a recent visit to hand-printed fabric specialist Marina Mill, SuperyachtDesign was shown the glowing qualities of its latest Extex brand, Solar.…
Solar is the latest addition to the Extex brand
UK, Cuxton. SuperyachtDesign headed to the south coast of England yesterday to visit the head office and factory of hand-printed fabric specialist Marina Mill. The manufacturer, which has worked with a wide range of superyacht designers such as Tim Heywood, Andrew Winch and Terence Disdale, and is the supplier of the Extex brand, showed us the glowing qualities of its latest launch, Solar.
With the desire to offer a fabric not previously offered to the superyacht market, Marina Mill set out to produce a fresh pattern design that would look good during the day and even better at night.
Tandine Rawkins and product development manager Paula Johnson demonstrate how quickly it takes to charge the photo-luminescent pattern
“The original pattern was designed a long time ago and it is something that we’ve modified,” explained design director at Marina Mill, Tandine Rawkins. “We wanted this fabric to be abstract and to create an organic feel. Our objective was to create a design that would suite the use of this print product, while at the same time avoiding anything too obvious like stars or stripes. That said, we did draw inspiration from the solar system and hence the name.”
The swirling helix pattern comes to life as light fades thanks to photo-luminescent particles within the printing ink. The pattern is charged under any lighting conditions and needs between five to 30 minutes of light exposure in order to absorb enough energy to then emit a soft glow for a few hours. The fabric will therefore perform just as well indoors as it will out on deck.
Solar is offered in three different colours
Specially produced to withstand a marine environment, Solar fits in with the current outdoor fabric line offered by the Extex brand and is available in grey, mocha and cream. The easy-care basecloth has an advanced permanent stain and water repellent finish to ensure longevity and practicality.
The UK manufacturer has also revealed plans to launch a new fabric called Fauna as part of its Extex range at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show, along with presenting samples of Solar.
Read more about the history, collections and bespoke services offered by Marina Mill in a future issue of SuperyachtDesign.
Related Links:
Marina Mill - company profile
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