Expormim unveils Käbu

A new outdoor collection with a Japanese name, designed by Javier Pastor.

Valencia-based indoor and outdoor furniture company Expormim has just unveiled its new outdoor furniture collection, Käbu, which means ‘curve’ in Japanese, created by the designer Javier Pastor.

Pastor highlights the conceptual process behind the design of this new collection: ‘Its lightweight structure is covered with a technical fabric which becomes an all-eveloping skin. The curvature created by the material stretched over the frame underlines my desire to create a subtle, upholstered, lightweight frame. The upholstery avoids being excessively prominent.’ The unimposing nature of the collection is achieved thanks to two fabrics – Batyline Senso and 3D Mesh, the latter a highly durable technical fabric exclusively formulated for Expormim. The main benefit of 3D Mesh is the fact that it’s highly breathable. The designer responded to two challenges when developing the collection: to convey a feeling of sensuality and happy memories – specifically the enjoyment of life and the open air, epitomised by the sun, wind and water – and ensure that the pieces suit different, contemporary, architectural environments.

Pastor is an industrial and graphic designer who did an MA in design and design management at Milan’s Domus Academy in 1996. He has undertaken projects in a variety of fields: furniture, lighting, product design, graphics and communication. As a professor and researcher at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, he’s involved in consultancy and training in design management projects and has created a portfolio of projects, having collaborated with various companies and organisations.

Expormim has been manufacturing cane and wicker furniture with a Mediterranean, handcrafted feel for the past 50 years. Recent, notable pieces include its Tina armchair designed by Italian architect Benedetta Taglibaue, and the hanging seat Nautica, designed by Mut Design.