Tuesday, 01 August 2017 00:00

Like sitting under the moon

    Founded in February 2015, MySlouch is a quirky yet contemporary design company that celebrates the infinite possibilities of its extremely versatile Glow Fabric. Founded by Yvonne Slough, the idea of Glow Globe came from event organising and wedding decorating commissions abroad, for which outdoor functions stretching into the night were most popular.

    Sometimes, the beaches were pitch black at night and a little bit of natural luminance was needed,” explains Yvonne.

    The natural properties of the fabric meant that it was an ideal solution and, what started out as a glow-in-the-dark beanbag idea back in 2016 where it debuted at Clerkenwell Design Week in London, has now evolved into innovative and stylish lighting that can be enjoyed both inside and outdoors once the sun goes down.

    The idea came from the luminescent fabric itself and its abilities to emit light. “I recognised that in my own home and when decorating for events, there’s a big demand for both outdoor and indoor lighting that is safe, long-lasting and electricity free. As the fabric just needs sunlight or bulb light to power up, the concept for our new range of lamps gives the customer the luxury of being able to move them wherever they want. The possibilities are endless.”

    The range of lighting products focuses on the simplicity of the luminescent properties, which is natural to the fabric and the product took six months of development.

    “We want our customer to feel like they’re sitting under the moon. To create this effect, I took inspiration from the round puzzle lights designed in the 1970s by Danish Designer, Holger Strom. Its interlocking parts create a new modern moon.”

    The material used is a synthetic fabric with a waterproof, breathable glow-in-the-dark coating. It has a waterproof coating of teflon and is also resistant to salt damage. For the lampshade, the fabric is backed onto a PVC backing and then die cut.

    The fabric has been developed to be highly adsorbent to ultraviolet light from daylight and artificial electric light and then effectively re-emits that energy as a strong visible glow over an extended period of time in the dark. The more exposure it has, the longer and brighter the fabric will glow.

    For the moment, MySlouch’s Glow Globe range is available in four sizes: 20, 30, 40 and 50cm diameters, but MySlouch is continuously evolving and so will its glow products, with its contemporary natural colour, this glow fabric can suit every indoor and outdoor space or event.

    “When designing this lamp I knew it could be beneficial for anyone seeking a natural and carefree light source. Whether it was for a child scared of the dark or a hallway needing some stair light, for your patio when friends come over for drinks or to create a magical outdoor space for a party when the sun goes down.

    “The design requires the fabric to be rigid but still bendable, this came with a new set of challenges. Working with a soft fabric, many trials and tests with bonding and different lamp bases had to be tried. After months of development, the Glow Globe’s interlocking design was the solution in forming the round shape in the simplest and cleanest way.

    “The glow properties will last the lifespan of the fabric which is about 10 years with moderate to heavy use. The product will glow brightly for three hours and then slowly diminish but glow altogether up to six hours.”

    MySlouch sees its future continuously glowing, in forever new and innovative ways.

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