With the loss of provenance in many of todays consumer products its increasingly refreshing to see a studio supporting local craftsmen and being content with small production runs. Dare Studio will launch their collection this week at 100% Design in London.
Continuing on with the theme of provenance in design we have Chimney by Benjamin Hubert for Viaduct. This stunningly simple collection of pendant lamps are “hand-thrown and kiln-fired, made of clay from the region in Wales where they are produced.” The honesty of the material and the use of such a time honored process differentiates this collection from its poor, injection moulded cousins.
It’s not often that the typical typology for an everyday item is significantly altered but in the case of the Mojito shoe by Julian Hakes that is precisely what’s happened. This sinuous ribbon supports the ball and the heel of the foot but negates the need for a foot plate “The foot has its own inbuilt strength and support so why duplicate this. You would not have a jumper with rigid arms between elbow and wrist.”
Time must be catching up with me because there seems to be a slew of great clocks popping up at the moment. The latest offering comes in the form of the Work Clock by Swedish company BVD for Japanese retailer Askul. As with all things Japanese, efficiency is the key to this piece ”instead of highlighting the usual 12, 3, 6 and 9, picks out the most important hours in a working day - 9 when people get to work, 12, when they take lunch and 5, when they leave.”
The guys at DearDesign produce commercial interiors that resonate the ethos of the brands they display. Their recent work for Spanish fashion label Lurdes Burgada plays on ideas of the handmade to create a beautifully facetted wall element that curves its way through a warehouse like space. Each of the beech panels is individually numbered to facilitate construction but also to allude to the individual nature of each piece.
Poise by Kristy Whyte reminds me of a family of green birds perched on a branch waiting to eat. These beautifully proportioned mugs are made from slip-cast ceramic and finished in a high gloss luster. I particularly like the way in which the handle delicately touches the table for support.
Mini Mini by Habits Studio for Elementi de Luceplan is stunningly simple yet creates a sense of mystery through its asymmetrical form. Although one would expect such a form to hang crooked this piece supposedly will always hang straight despite its sideways bias.
This clever dining table is by Swedish designers TAF for Muuto and features a series of inter-changeable top and leg options. The combination of natural timber with steel would sit well alongside Konstantin Grcic’s Monza chair which I posted some weeks ago.
Hironao Tsuboi will release his new Sun clock at this years Design Tide in Tokyo. Sun is purposefully minimal except for a small colourful dot which reminds the user of the local sunrise/sundown time at each location.
This beautiful stool is by PINCH Design Studio and features a solid walnut frame and solid elm top. Not only is the detailing exquisite but this stool also folds away and can be hung on a wall when not in use. The perfect marriage between form and function.
