2025 End of Year Wrap Up

At Carnegie, we believe that meaningful change happens when passionate individuals are given the tools, access, and inspiration to lead. This year, we partnered with Metropolis to bring that belief to life through the Carnegie Changemaker Experience—a series of three immersive, all-expense-paid journeys designed to equip emerging and established design leaders with firsthand insight into sustainable manufacturing, circularity, and future-forward solutions.

Across Europe, New York, and San Diego, 30 remarkable designers and architects explored responsible textile production at Création Baumann, learned about ethical supply chains at Grace Farms, experimented with recycled material innovation at Kirei, and witnessed the weaving of Biobased Xorel up close.

What began as a 5-day program blossomed into a community of changemakers, united by a shared commitment to building a regenerative future. As Metropolis wrote in their feature on the Europe tour, the experience became “a rich exchange of ideas and strategies”—an inspiring reminder of the power of collective action within the built environment.

→ Catch the full experience in our Instagram highlights.

This year marked a major milestone: Carnegie’s 75th anniversary. Since 1950, our vision has remained steadfast—proving that high-performance materials can be elegant, safe, and designed with the planet in mind. But this legacy has never existed in isolation; it has been shaped, challenged, and elevated by the designers who specify our materials and push us forward.

For 75 years, we’ve worked alongside the design community to champion healthier alternatives, explore new possibilities in manufacturing, and build partnerships rooted in integrity, innovation, and care. That shared history came to life through the launch of The Studio Collection, a tribute to the artistry and ingenuity designers bring to every project. From metallic, biophilic-inspired Xorel to heritage-woven upholsteries and next-generation vinyl alternatives, the collection reflects what matters most to specifiers today: beauty, performance, and materials they can feel good about choosing.

The Studio Collection honors where we’ve been—but more importantly, it celebrates the designers shaping where we’re going.

In 2025, we celebrated 50 years of partnership with Création Baumann, the Swiss textile innovator whose craftsmanship, technical excellence, and environmental leadership have shaped countless Carnegie collections.

From their vertically integrated facility in Langenthal to their cutting-edge work in acoustic performance and heat and glare solutions, Création Baumann continues to set the standard for responsible textile production. This milestone also marked the U.S. launch of Acoustic Divider Vario, a breakthrough acoustic drapery system that effortlessly creates quiet zones in any room. With just three layers, it reduces noise and provides a simple, effective and stylish solution to managing sound in open spaces.

For five decades, our partnership has been grounded in shared values and a shared vision—and we’re just getting started.

A standout moment this year was Xorel Luxe being named the winner of the 2025 Planet Positive Awards in the Textiles category. This recognition celebrates the next evolution of Xorel as a truly comprehensive textile solution.

Crafted from rapidly renewable sugarcane and free of PVC, PFAS, and harmful finishes, Xorel Luxe introduces a new level of tactile luxury, bleach cleanability, and durability—now engineered for upholstery, wrapped panels, and indoor/outdoor use. With patterns inspired by the Mediterranean and a richly textured bouclé hand, Xorel Luxe bridges beauty and responsibility with ease.

This year, Carnegie Acoustic Solutions introduced two major leaps in sustainable acoustics. The newly reimagined Xorel Artform® with rPET-Core replaces fiberglass with an acoustic substrate made from a minimum of 60% recycled plastic—offering improved sustainability, cleaner chemistry, and trusted Class A acoustic performance.

We also unveiled the Cumulus 3D Cloud, a sculptural ceiling solution featuring a first-of-its-kind form, a recycled rPET-Core, and a polished Kirei PET top. Delivering high acoustic performance and customizable in hundreds of Xorel and PET colorways, Cumulus brings a new level of dimension, responsibility, and creative expression to ceiling design.

Together, these innovations reflect our continued leadership in creating acoustic solutions that are beautiful, high-performing, and rooted in sustainability.

2025 reminded us of the influence and responsibility shared across the design community—and the exciting possibilities that emerge when we work together with intention.

From cultivating changemakers to celebrating partners, from expanding sustainable performance to honoring our 75-year heritage, we are more committed than ever to creating materials that elevate space, enrich wellbeing, and support a healthier planet.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we look forward to shaping a future defined by creativity, responsibility, and lasting impact.

Explore all 2025 collections: 

• The Mezzo Collection
• Neu Blue Sky
• Ode to Textiles
  
• The Studio Collection

Michelle Ko is the Marketing Manager for Carnegie with more than a decade of experience shaping narratives within the design industry. Drawing on her background as a textile designer, she brings hands-on expertise in researching and developing innovative materials, including Xorel. Her passion lies in storytelling, education, and collaboration—uncovering the deeper truths behind trends and innovations, and exploring not only what captivates us, but why.