Titans of design collide in Melbourne with Move-in director Zahava Elenberg and renowned fashion designer Lisa Gorman collaborating on a new collection of textiles.

The brave new range is inspired by the distinctive colours and designs of the 1980s and is fittingly called the Super-Graphic Collection. 

The products are a result of a collaboration between the experts in their respective fields. The textiles are produced by Elenberg’s acclaimed furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) studio, Move-in. Gorman brings her distinctive design style to the collection, which is manufactured by Warwick Fabrics.

The design duo aim to pay tribute to the “iconography and design of the era” – reminiscing the 1980s when Gorman and Elenberg were teenagers. The collection plays with scale and monochromatics through colour-blocking and uses nostalgic references from pop culture through three distinct stories: Space Invaders, Game On and Different Strokes.

Illusion and bold repetition 

Move-in was founded by Elenberg in 2002. It now stands as Australia’s leading FF&E studio – primarily specialising in creative yet commercially focused turn-key fit-out solutions for the multi-residential, build-to-rent, student accommodation and hotel sectors.

Elenberg, a globally established and recognised name within the design industry, also co-founded the architecture practice Elenberg Fraser in 1998. In 2015, she departed the practice to focus on driving Move-in’s success as Australia’s go-to consultancy for high-volume projects.

In speaking about The Super-Graphic Collection, Elenberg says: “The collection expands on our interest in the unexpected and ideas around illusion and bold repetition. The combination of hand-drawn and vector graphics are inspired by the fun and frivolity of the 80s, and lexicon of design.”

Venturing into the theatre 

Similarly, Gorman is also highly acclaimed in her domain of fashion and design. She rose to prominence for her vibrant and collaborative designs for one of Australia’s most recognisable fashion labels, Gorman, which she founded in 1999 before eventually departing in 2021. Since then, she has been engaged as a creative director tasked with rebranding the iconic stationery brand kikki.K.

Among all of her award-winning projects, Gorman has continued to craft her visual art project, Fluorescence, which debuted as her first public gallery show in her hometown of Warrnambool.

Gorman says the Super-Graphic Collection “materialises new ideas to dress our rooms – stepping away from the mundane and venturing into the theatre that is our living and workspaces.”

An aim to disrupt the market

In an exciting move for the new range, Warwick Fabrics has been enlisted to exclusively produce the textiles. Founded in 1996, Warwick has a reputation for supplying quality fabrics that are much loved by the Melbourne design community. The still family-owned business has since expanded into one of the world’s leading fabric and textile manufacturers with showrooms across Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

The Super-Graphic Collection in the 2024 Double Trouble colour palette features colour pairs heavily inspired by the 80s.

The range perfectly encapsulates the “fun” and “nostalgia” of the era – offered in colourways named Sunnyboy, Banana Split, After Dinner Mint, Double Denim and Hubba Bubba, along with the monochromatic options in black and white.

All textiles will be printed onto Warwick’s commercially graded fabrics, which are suitable for a range of uses including upholstery, window furnishings and accessories. The collection can also be used for custom applications, such as laminates, vinyls, carpet tiles and rugs.

In a move that steps away from the traditional textile market, this ‘very Melbourne’ collaboration between three titans of design is set to take the industry by storm.

Also, read about Lisa Gorman’s collaboration with Mirka Mora and Studio Bright on ‘to breathe with the rhythm of the heart’ at Warrnambool Art Gallery’.

Images supplied by Move-in.