Object Timeline

2011

  • Work on this object began.

2015

2017

2018

  • We acquired this object.

2024

  • You found it!

Textile, Point

This is a Textile. It was designed by Sir Paul Smith and co-designed by Maharam Design Studio and produced by Maharam. It is dated 2011 and we acquired it in 2018. Its medium is 97% rayon, 3% solution-dyed nylon and its technique is plain weave. It is a part of the Textiles department.

In business for over 40 years, Paul Smith has established himself as the pre-eminent British fashion designer. Inspired by a wide range of popular culture – seed packets, denim, school sweaters – Smith explains that he likes to bring together "ingredients from upper-class tailoring and handmade suits with something silly". His iconic striped and plaid textiles for Maharam, which are available in both wallcovering and woven upholstery fabric, are examples of his whimsy with the traditional pin-stripe. By varying just line width and color, his stripes expand and contract, contrast and meld into each other, with the possibility of limitless designs.
Point is the sixth textile collaboration with Maharam and is a fusion of construction and pattern. Dense rayon yarns in the warp and weft are secured by fine nylon binder, forming a gridded texture reminiscent of needplepoint embroidery. Chosen for its clarity of color this balanced construction highlights semi-lustrous rayon yarns in a wide array of rich hues. In 2013, Maharam and Paul Smith enhanced the existing color line with six vibrant additions. In Grass, Smith incorporates more muted and dotted stripes within a block of bright spring-green, pushing the limits of saturation.

This object was donated by Maharam. It is credited Gift of Maharam.

Its dimensions are

H x W: 365.8 × 134.6 cm (12 ft. × 53 in.) Repeat H x W: 0.6 × 55.9 cm (1/4 in. × 22 in.)

Cite this object as

Textile, Point; Designed by Sir Paul Smith (English, b. 1946); Co-Designer: Maharam (United States); 97% rayon, 3% solution-dyed nylon; H x W: 365.8 × 134.6 cm (12 ft. × 53 in.) Repeat H x W: 0.6 × 55.9 cm (1/4 in. × 22 in.); Gift of Maharam; 2018-25-1

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<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/69135149/ |title=Textile, Point |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=24 April 2024 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>