Maharam was founded in 1902 by Louis Maharam, a Russian immigrant who sold fabric remnants from a pushcart on New York’s Lower East Side. Over the generations, the company transformed from these humble beginnings into a renowned source of theatrical textiles for costume and set design, and then to a pioneer of performance-driven contract textiles. Today, more than 100 years later, Maharam is North America’s leading creator of textiles for commercial and residential interiors.
Recognized for its rigorous and holistic commitment to design, Maharam embraces a range of disciplines, from product, graphic, and digital design to art and architecture. At the center of these activities is the Maharam Design Studio, comprised of textile designers, engineers, and product specialists. Having such a cohesive and well-rounded in-house creative team allows Maharam to apply the same aesthetic and performance criteria to every product, regardless of application or price point, and to provide clients with solutions at all levels.
With a focus on aesthetic and industrial innovation, the Maharam Design Studio balances the principles of utility and technology with luxury and tradition. Initiatives like Textiles of the 20th Century™ pay homage to iconic designers of the Wiener Werkstätte, Bauhaus, and mid-century modernism, while collaborations with those in the avant-garde—Dutch industrial designers Hella Jongerius and Scholten & Baijings, British fashion designer Paul Smith, and German industrial designer Konstantin Grcic, among others—offer unexpected perspectives.
Maharam textiles are included in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago; the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; the Museum of Modern Art; and the Stedelijk Museum, among others.
