Downtown Design
redazione 19/02/2026

Open-air velvet

Velvet conquers the outdoors with an innovative proposal by Parà. Out of Velvet combines resistance and softness to create sophisticated atmospheres even outdoors

There are no longer any boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces. And it is not just a question of shapes, comfort and lifestyle, but above all of materials that allow for a fluid continuity between these two dimensions. What we find indoors is replicated outdoors thanks to innovative, high-performance raw materials that recreate the same sensations and decorative aesthetics. This is the revolution that the textile world is driving forward, increasingly focused on offering coverings that are resistant to extreme outdoor conditions but at the same time beautiful to look at and pleasant to touch.

Parà has made this principle a design manifesto. The brand, which specialises in the production of piece-dyed furnishing fabrics, has applied its know-how to an outdoor collection, encapsulated in the Tempotest Home brand: designed to enhance gardens, terraces and poolside areas, this line features more than 400 original designs and is characterised by its durability, water repellency and resistance (to stains, salt and fading due to UV rays), while being as soft and pleasant to the touch as natural fabrics.

Taormina by Parà

The evolution of this project is now revealed in a new expression of Parà’s research: an unprecedented series of velvets designed specifically for outdoor use, characterised by the same softness and fluffiness that defines the indoor fabric. With the Out of Velvet project, the company takes another step forward in textile innovation, creating the perfect balance between performance and refined aesthetics. Velvet is one of the most renowned, precious and recognisable indoor winter fabrics. It has always been associated with luxury, due to its origins: it was once made only with silk yarns, making it very expensive. When it was imported to Europe from the East around the 13th century, it was immediately appreciated by the ecclesiastical and royal worlds, becoming a symbol of status, evident in both clothing and furnishings. Even when it became more accessible (and affordable) thanks to the industrial revolution and the mechanisation of the production process, velvet retained its distinctive sophisticated and bourgeois allure.

It is therefore found in interior design, where it enriches sofas and armchairs, curtains and cushions, conveying a refined look and a welcoming feel. Its ability to reflect light also makes it ideal for adding depth and warmth to living spaces. Now velvet is also conquering the outdoor world with Out of Velvet, which brings all these principles to the outdoors with the added bonus of unrivalled resistance to different weather conditions and consistent quality. Part of the line is Taormina, a collection that includes 24 OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified fabrics (available in 150 cm width).

Our latest stories

Margraf: 120 years of the future
Minutes icon
2 minutes

Margraf: 120 years of the future

Roberto Xompero, CEO of Margraf, reflects on the company's 120 years. It's a legacy that looks to the future through innovation, design, and sustainability, transforming stone into a design material capable of speaking an ever-contemporary language

Design
24 hours in the Greek islands
Minutes icon
9 minutes

24 hours in the Greek islands

As autumn begins, summer nostalgia starts to set in. The antidote could be an immersion in the contemporary art circuit on the Greek islands. A slow-paced journey through the exhibitions of Hydra, Andros, and Chios, for a profound experience far from the urban chaos

Design
Rivolta Carmignani at home
Minutes icon
1 minute

Rivolta Carmignani at home

In Milan’s Porta Venezia district, a new space designed by Galli Cavalcabò interprets the brand’s textile savoir-faire through a concept inspired by the intimacy of home

Retail
UNIQLO: a place to pause by Desalto
Minutes icon
1 minute

UNIQLO: a place to pause by Desalto

The Unlimited seating system and Mini Clay side table furnish a reading and relaxation area at UNIQLO’s Piazza Cordusio store in Milan, bringing Italian design into dialogue with Japanese fashion

Design
The three dimensions of surfaces
Minutes icon
1 minute

The three dimensions of surfaces

Renowned for its ability to create organic shapes for walls and ceilings, the Wood-Skin® platform evolves into Presentform, a new starting point for shaping space

Design
Home-Maxxing
Minutes icon
1 minute

Home-Maxxing

From 12 to 15 January 2027, Heimtextil returns to Frankfurt with a look at the future of spaces and textiles, where functionality, technology and wellbeing converge. At the heart of the new edition is a collaboration with Alcova

Agenda