For Maria Uggla, head of colour and material design at Swedish automotive manufacturer Polestar, it’s important to tap into the current moment. Even in car manufacturing, she says, “it’s possible to create something that’s unique but still relevant for the time we’re living in right now.”
That’s why she looks outside the automotive industry, towards art and fashion – what she calls “the language of a society” – for inspiration. While a car is “quite a complex product with lots of things to consider”, she insists it’s still possible “to create expressions within the boundaries”.
Uggla is speaking to Broadsheet from Melbourne, where she’s appearing on a panel at Melbourne Art Fair to discuss ways in which sustainability is driving innovations in design. In her work at Polestar, Uggla creates finishes and interiors for the company’s electric vehicles that are eco-friendly without compromising on luxury.
“We try to create something unseen,” she says. “A new take on luxury and a new take on performance.”
Polestar was originally founded in 1996 as a performance company that raced purpose-built Volvo vehicles. In 2017, it became a standalone brand and released its first luxury coupé. “We were a blank piece of paper when we started. We didn’t have any heritage and we didn’t have any boundaries that we needed to follow.”
Uggla describes herself as a sponge, soaking up inspiration from all corners of life. “[Designers] see patterns, colour combinations and shapes in places that no one else notices.” Sometimes it can be graffiti or street art that strikes a chord, other times a small touch – like the corner of a paper napkin – makes waves. She cites fellow Swedish “it” brand Acne Studios as a source of constant inspiration and ingenuity. “It’s interesting and important to see unexpected solutions and innovative use of material across industries.”
Uggla and her team are responsible for both the exterior and interior elements of Polestar's growing range: “We work on the full character of the car.” But she’s particularly passionate about the innovation in textiles that define the Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 models.
“We’d seen Flyknit used in sneakers and we felt it was a really modern, cool and luxurious option to explore.”
Uggla describes the first few iterations of the textile as “completely terrible”. But a collaboration with the Swedish School of Textiles at the University of Boras, where her team worked closely with sustainably minded technicians, opened the door to developing the now-signature upholstery. Made from 100 per cent recycled yarn (primarily post-consumer recycled plastics), the tailored knit is durable, comfortable and elegant.
Alongside material, colour is an important element in the overall design process. “A colour that fits in a room or on a cloth is not the same as a colour that fits inside a car,” Uggla says. Discovery drives are often the best way to appreciate how certain tones will feel out in the world. “We don’t pick anything off-the-shelf. We mix our colours, paint them on giant boards and then we drive around for hours trying to understand how they work.”
This intentionality defines Uggla’s approach to her job. “We spend a lot of time making the right choices. We’re very deliberate.”
While she draws on innovations in fashion, “trend” is not in her vocabulary. “I don’t think anyone should be interested in seasonal trends that come and go, not even in fashion. For something to be truly sustainable, it should be long-lasting.”
Uggla hopes that her refined, eco-conscious design solutions for Polestar will be agenda-setting, driving cleaner technology in car manufacturing beyond what’s under the hood. Sustainability isn’t just an “aesthetic”, she explains. “It should be the new normal.”
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Polestar.
