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Camira Chats: Q&A with designer Charlotte McGowan

November 2, 2021byRebecca Hamer

A rising star in the design world, Charlotte McGowan recently launched the award-winning SET TEE - an ultra flexible, super versatile and innately sustainable chair design, upholstered in Craggan Flax - our wool and flax blend fabric. We spoke with Charlotte to learn more about the SET TEE, her design ethos and concerns, and what she has planned for her undoubtedly bright future... 

The SET TEE has been incredibly well received by the industry - receiving the Best in Show & Design awards at the 2021 Young Furniture Makers Awards - could you tell us a little about the design?

Thank you for the kind words! My concept for SET TEE started when my university course paired up with SCP to write a brief called ‘boxed’. I took the title and started to endlessly sketch triangles within squares. It wasn’t until I made some small 3D triangles out of card that I saw the shape of a chair within. Since we need triangulation in most structures within furniture I decided that only an outline would be needed to hold a human body, which would reduce the volume of materials used. This then became a main feature, with the hollow back and base nesting within one another; to aid transport and storage. The nesting of this design caused me to consider using standard bolts to attach the back to the base, which would aid an on-site install team when looking at contract furnishings such as waiting rooms too. 

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Why did you choose to feature Craggan Flax on SET TEE?

I was initially drawn to Craggan Flax because of its coarse weave, which added depth to what could have looked like a block of colour on fairly primary form. I also loved that the layering of tones within the weave changed the look of the fabric, depending on the brightness of lighting in the room.

My choice in fabric was not only to do with how it looked though. Since I had considered SET TEE’s use in a contract setting - which is also a factor in why I chose to upholster the wooden structure; for additional comfort and ease of sitting and standing - I put a lot of focus on the longevity of the fabric over time and use. Craggan Flax is suitable for both heavily used task seating and soft seating, and its 10 year guarantee made it ideal for products with lots of traffic, which covers both the contract and domestic markets my design could be used in. In addition, when looking into the process of upholstering quite an unusual form, the thicker weave of the fabric improved the appearance of the stitching along the edges of the chair. 

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Does sustainability play a role in your designs?  

Absolutely! Many of my projects have a focus on sustainability in some form, especially in terms of reducing the impact of shipping, the simplification of over-engineered products or reducing the wastage of resources. 
 
I think the sustainability of products and furnishings is extremely important with the current climate crisis and can be tackled in various ways. Personally I have tried to design products which don’t initially seem to focus on sustainability, but have used the benefits of a sustainable product to the consumer’s advantage when being developed. With SET TEE, a large focus was to reduce the packing, storage & shipping of typically large pieces of furniture; both for the consumer and for freight / larger installations. This aspect of the design also aids the consumer, who can fit the equivalent of a two seater within their car boot. Additionally, I tried to choose materials and manufacturing processes with a minimal amount of wastage, such as laminated plywood, creating a very small amount of offcuts when produced in a production line. These factors, along with a durable fabric which is made to last, should reduce the environmental impact of upholstered seating. 

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What are your core concerns when creating furniture?  

That my designs will be used! I think a big problem in the product and furniture industry is that consumer culture is so prominent now. I’d like to think that what I design isn’t just bought when conforming to a trend, but for a purpose and for long term use; especially since consumer culture often results in throwaway culture. 

Finally, are you working on any exciting projects at the moment that you can share with us? 

I have a few exciting opportunities in the pipeline for my SET TEE design, which I cannot say too much about at the moment. I am also currently working at the furniture company Luke Hughes, for whom I am working on some exciting projects across the UK and China. 
 

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