Table of contents for Apr-2018 in Wallpaper

ALICE RAWSTHORN Design critic A speaker at global events such as TED and Davos, and now Wallpaper’s inaugural Brainstorm Design conference in Singapore, Rawsthorn explores the transformative power of design for business and beyond on page 137. ‘At a time when we face tumultuous changes on many fronts, we urgently need design to help us confront them,’ she says. A former director of the Design Museum in London, Rawsthorn is set to publish her latest book, Design as an Attitude, in May. TOMAS SARACENO Artist Like a modern day Leonardo da Vinci, Saraceno is a man of seemingly unlimited talents. Having trained as an architect and risen to prominence as a visual artist, he’s since made his mark on disciplines as diverse as arachnology, cosmology and particle physics, collaborating with…

Designers are showing a soft spot for cashmere this spring, with this breathable, durable and deliciously tactile fibre featuring heavily on the season’s catwalks. Loro Piana, the largest cashmere manufacturer in the western world, favoured versatile jumpers in deep blues, while the Londonbased knitwear brand Cashmere In Love took a more retro-sensual approach – its high-waisted knickers were inspired by 1970s surfers. ‘I love the idea of wearing the sweater of a man – a father or a brother,’ says French editor-turneddesigner Alexandra Golovanoff of her androgynous sweaters. ‘I’ve redesigned the fit for women, but the funny thing is that men have asked me to resize the styles, too!’ Also weaving up woolly wonders is Movers & Cashmere, the luxury athleisure label launched by Hong Kong-based Bastian Wong in 2016.…

Let’s face it, come lunchtime, we’d rather someone else was sweating over the sweet potatoes, and we would definitely prefer to bypass washing-up duties. But in these times of agile working, heightened health awareness and fiscal austerity, desk lunching has become the norm. But dining al desko doesn’t have to involve a confusion of cartons or a patchwork of packaging – there are plenty of ways to bring panache to your packed lunch.…

Launching this month in Dalston in East London, new jewellery brand Jakhu Studio’s range of handsomely-proportioned silver earrings, rings and objects is driven by Spanish designer Maria Bernal’s love of ancient Peruvian metalwork techniques and Japanese aesthetics. She first travelled to Peru in 2012, where she discovered the artisans of the Huancayo region, inspiring the idea of a collaborative partnership. It’s testament to her design skills that Bernal has created such a confident, contemporary line from such a confusion of cultural influences, including Dalston itself. Though much of her life and work centres around South America, she was adamant she wanted an East London base for Jakhu. ‘I love the personality of Dalston,’ says Bernal. ‘Its multicultural vibes are inspiring me to achieve what I set out to do.’ jakhustudio.com…

Milliner Sofya Samareva credits ‘an obsession with shapes’ as the impetus behind her designs. Hats resembling cactuses, houses and basketballs are all part of her surrealist repertoire. ’They’re about storytelling, pretending to be somebody else,’ says Samareva. Her hats, handcrafted from felt, without seams or cuts, have been turning heads critically, too. In 2016, Samareva was one of seven Czech designers who took part in the Last Fata Morgana exhibition, which won the main prize at the International Fashion Showcase during London Fashion Week. She also took home the silver medal in the Fashion Accessories category at the 2017 Hyeres International Festival of Fashion and Photography. Hat, €290, by Sofya Samareva, sofyasamareva.com. Blazer, €610, by Dondup, dondup.com. Left earring, price on request, by Acne Studios, acnestudios.com. Right earring, £165, by Annie…

Belgian ceramicist Jos Devriendt recently staged his debut New York solo exhibition at Demisch Danant gallery, a survey of his 20-something years of exploration into what he calls ‘functional sculptures’. The show took in 90 uniquely handcrafted porcelain lamps, vessels and other objects. The most striking pieces, part of an ongoing series, Night and Day, were a collection of mushroom-shaped lamps. Their shapes, he says, are a concept that came about over time. ‘People who are interested in sculptures don’t make a point of looking at them at night, but I think it is important because you only have ten hours’ light and the rest is darkness. It’s not just about giving light, but about the idea that a sculpture can also have a life at night.’ During the day,…

‘Where are the cameras?’ I ask Christian Boltanski as we enter his studio in Malakoff, just outside Paris. He points out several, all feeding live footage to a grotto in Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art. In 2009, David Walsh, the professional gambler, art collector and founder of the museum (see W*141), agreed to pay Boltanski a monthly stipend until the end of the artist’s life for the right to film his studio 24 hours a day for an ongoing live video piece entitled The Life of C.B. Walsh wagered that Boltanski would die within eight years; after that time, Walsh would end up spending more for the work than it was really worth. But those eight years have now passed, and the French sculptor and photographer still shows…

Jungle beat CAPELLA UBUD, BALI Among Bali-philes, Ubud has long been a byword for lush emerald jungle and reclusive artists. Though the main drag is choked with traffic these days, the district’s interiors still evoke a halcyon past, a nostalgic urge indulged by the Capella. Comprising 22 one-bedroom tents and a two-bedroom lodge in Keliki Village, the resort is the work of the prolific Bangkok- and Bali-based architect Bill Bensley, who has taken care not to disturb any extant trees, letting the surrounding rainforest, paddy fields and the tumbling Wos River dominate the tableau. The creature comforts, though, are thoroughly millennial, sturdily furnished timber floorboards, copper bathtubs, outdoor showers and carved folding doors. Each tent comes with a saltwater Jacuzzi, while public facilities comprise a 30m pool, a tented gymnasium,…

Last year, Wallpaper* invited creatives to submit work for the Antalis Interior Design Awards. A leading European distributor of paper, packaging and visual communication products, Antalis helps designers to push creative boundaries. With the interior design industry a growing part of its business, the group devised the competition to showcase new talent. The competitors’ projects, which had to feature at least one product from Antalis’ Coala catalogue, were pored over by a jury that included scenographer Francois Confino and Wallpaper* Bespoke art director Aneel Kalsi. Here are the winners, who reimagined everything from alpine chalets to shipping containers. See wallpaper.com/w-bespoke/antalis-interior-design-award for all the winning designs 01 Christophe Koziel FRANCE Christophe Koziel’s Parisian studio specialises in trompe-l’oeil wallpaper and home accessory collections. His hyperrealistic ‘Tin Tile’ range features photographs of antique…

Berlin practice Trutz Von Stuckrad Penner has created a modern iteration of the city’s traditional tenement with its new building on Niederbarnimstrasse. Apartment housing is rapidly returning to central Berlin, and many of the block’s collection of 18 flexible, open-plan apartments are complemented by terraces or balconies – the intention was to create a social mix with a variety of scales, including duplexes and one-bedroom apartments. With a cobbled inner courtyard finished with white walls and plain dark wooden windows, along with glazed ceramic bricks, it harks back to earlier designs. This is particularly evident in the interiors, which are hard-wearing but luxuriously spacious, with oak parquet paired with polished concrete. The common staircase is especially successful, its grid of porcelain stoneware tiles and elegant curving steel balustrade creating a sense…

‘Every piece has its own story: what did I mean to do? What do I want it to tell you? What did I put into it? What does it mean to you?’ says Munich-based Saskia Diez of her design methodology. ‘The thing I love about designing jewellery is the different levels you have to consider from the outside in. Everything that happened on the way to make it, everything that lead to you achieving it. All of it is summed up in the final piece.’ While such precision-thinking belies her traditional training at a local goldsmith’s workshop, it also proves that Diez’s decision to forego the jeweller’s bench for the rigours of commercial design and stints at Konstantin Grcic and Christian Haas was a wise one. ‘I was lucky because…

For stockists, see page 288…

Located in the forests of Overijse, a quiet residential community south of Brussels, House Alsteens was designed in 1967 by one of the most respected Belgian modernists, Renaat Braem, for the political cartoonist, graphic artist and painter Gerard Alsteens. While Braem’s early works, no doubt influenced by the two years he spent at Le Corbusier’s studio in Paris, are all straight lines and rectangular shapes, the architect later developed a softer, more organic approach in his post-1950s work. The sculptural Alsteens house is a composition of cascading bricks, smooth, curved walls and a concrete roof with an overhang. Inside, whitepainted brick walls create a cocooning space, while different levels define various zones. The entrance hall sits at its heart, featuring original built-in furnishings. But the centrepiece is the upstairs living…

For stockists, see page 288 Hair: Josh Knight at Caren Agency using Oribe Make-up: Maria Comparetto using Chanel Blue Serum Eye Manicure: Saffron Goddard at Coffin Inc using Chanel La Creme Main Interiors: Olly Mason Photography assistant: Joseph Conway Watches & jewellery assistant: Aylin Bayhan Fashion assistant: Eva Santner Model: Tony Harak at Sage Management…

A ABC Italia abcitalia.net Acera acerashop.com ACV Studio acvstudio.bigcartel.com Aeance aeance.com Aedle aedle.net AG agjeans.com Alan Meredith Studio alanmeredith.ie Aldo Bakker aldobakker.com Alexandra Golovanoff alexandragolovanoff.com Alison Jackson alisonjackson.com.au Amara amara.com Analogue Life analoguelife.com Andre Teoman andreteoman.com APC apc.fr Aram aram.co.uk Arflex arflex.it Armadillo & Co armadillo-co.com Around The Tree aroundthetree.eu Asahiyaki asahiyaki.com Atelier Areti atelierareti.com Altreforme altreforme.com Atrafloor atrafloor.com Atrezzo Mannequins atrezzobarcelona.com B Bally bally.com Beeline beeline.co Bilge Nur Saltik bilgenursaltik.com Black & Blum black-blum.com Bolon bolon.com Boss hugoboss.com Bottega Veneta bottegaveneta.com Boucheron boucheron.com Bulgari bulgari.com Burberry burberry.com C Calvin Klein Jeans calvinklein.com Caparol Icons caparol-icons.de Caran d’Ache carandache.com Carl Hansen & Son carlhansen.com Carpenters Workshop Gallery carpentersworkshopgallery.com Caruso carusomenswear.com Casa International casa.com.tr Cashmere in Love cashmereinlove.com Cassina cassina.com CC-Tapis cc-tapis.com Chanel chanel.com Chaplins chaplins.co.uk Charles Gilmore Fine Art charlesgilmore.com…

What is a designer? Almost five decades ago, the cabinetmaker, designer, poet, educator and political dissident Norman Potter set out to write What is a designer, a definitive guide for students and teachers of all design disciplines. Noted for the lack of question mark in its title, his book advanced a radical vision of what design should be – an activity rather than an end result, a verb rather than a noun. Lofty ideas were followed with down-to-earth advice, all presented in an accessible format. What is a designer became a staple of creative training, especially during my time at London’s Central School of Art and Design, studying graphic design and typography. It made an instant impact on me, and has been a constant source of inspiration ever since. In…

The new six-piece ‘Laminar Bike’ collection, by Herno, demonstrates the Italian luxury outerwear brand’s rigorous attention to ergonomic design. The collection includes a raincoat, parka and vest, which are all made using Gore fabrics, and are water- and wind-resistant, and breathable. Garments come with thermotaping, foldable gloves, adjustable hoods, smart pockets, and road-friendly reflective details. » FIVE SUPER CYCLE ACCESSORIES 01 ‘LOCHNESS’ LOCK Chunky chains are a thing of the past thanks to this pliable bike lock in metal and silicone, which wraps effortlessly around any bike rack or post. €59, by Francesco Toselli, for Palomar 02 ‘NEOS’ BIKE BUTLER With an elliptical form and high-gloss finish, this freestanding ‘cyclist’s assistant’ combines a bike rack with compartments for a helmet, cycling apparel and accessories. £1,410, by Vadolibero 03 HELMET This…

Hector Esrawe is a Mexican designer with an international reputation who looks to his own backyard for inspiration. ‘A constant reference is the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City,’ he says. ‘I’m seduced by the stone carvings that appear on everything from ceremonial utensils to monumental sculptures.’ This pre-Columbian treasure trove, filled with Aztec goddesses and Mayan murals, is one of the capital’s unmissable sights and has informed all the limited-edition, handmade pieces Esrawe has made under his Ewe label. Ewe was founded last year by Spaniard Manuel Bañó, Estonian-born Age Salajõe and Esrawe (pictured above, left to right), and draws on the skills and techniques of Mexican craftsmen. ‘We travel all over the country researching everything from clay and wood carving to copper,’ says Esrawe. ‘We then collaborate…

From Suzhou silk and Savile Row tailoring to Triberg cuckoo clocks, it’s impossible to resist the pull of geographically-specific traditional craftsmanship. Unless, of course, it’s not traditional at all. ‘Speciality towns’ are becoming big business. More Las Vegas than Le Locle, these often purpose-built towns ‘specialise’ in everything from chocolate to sex toys. With an estimated thousand such mono-enterprise zones in the making, China is leading the charge. If that’s what the people want, let them have it, we say. And while they’re immersing themselves in all these Instagrammable faux experiences, we’ll take a road trip to Triberg to buy one of those traditionally handcrafted clocks.…

A summary of nightlife design from the 1960s to today, Vitra Design Museum’s ‘night fever. Designing Club Culture’ is a compendium of the genre’s aesthetic history, encompassing architecture, design, music, interiors, architecture, photography, graphics and more. Curated by Vitra’s Jochen eisenbrand in collaboration with Catharine rossi of Kingston University and Katarina serulus of ADAM, brussels’ design museum, the exhibition is the most comprehensive overview of disco design to date. As well as original artifacts, it includes works by contemporary artists and photographers. it takes visitors on a journey through the disco decades, celebrating the cornerstones of club-culture history: from the first experimental nightclubs of the 1960s to the disco phenomenon of the 1970s, and the legendary spaces of new york and london in the 1980s and berlin in the 1990s.…

Sitting across the table at his showroom in London’s Portobello Dock, Tom Dixon looks nervous. It’s not the prospect of the interview; Dixon is a seasoned interviewee, with over three decades’ worth of design prominence. Any perceived nerves come from the anticipation of what’s to come. His studio is about to embark on a very special – and logistically complicated – project: the full relocation of its office, showroom and restaurant to a new home in King’s Cross. An especially designed space featuring added functions, key collaborations and the chance to connect even more and better with the wider public make for exciting plans; although, by the designer’s own admission, it’s all a little daunting to organise alongside the day job. The location is The Coal Office, a long, industrial…

Is there a place for modernism in our postmodern, post-everything age? Piero Lissoni thinks so. The Italian architect of purified forms, from sharp little coffee makers to lofty, linear edifices, has made a career of creating rigorously clean compositions with a foundation in the stark and immaculate works of the 20th century. ‘In 2018, it’s still possible to create architecture that is contemporary and simple, at least aesthetically simple, and to reclaim a little bit of that elegant modernist spirit,’ he announces, seated at a drawing table in his bright white Milan studio, surrounded by his three napping golden retrievers, as his dark-clad team works away at largescreen computers behind him. Lissoni, dressed Milanese-style, in a neat navy blazer with matching silk pocket square, speaks softly, but his black apostrophe…

It would be easy to write off Material vodka as another boutique label that simply looks good on the bar shelf. But while its branding is restrained and attractive, the outfit has also become known for its patronage of the arts, bestowing an award for performance and time-based art onto a new recipient each year. Co-founder Pati Hertling is a Berlin-born, New York-based lawyer who specialises in the return of art stolen during the Holocaust to its rightful owners. She’s also a part-time curator (her next project is a group show for Gavin Brown’s Enterprise), and a full-time figure on the New York art scene. Hertling says she created Material as a smart means to an end. ‘It’s hard to sustain art making without having to ask people for money…

Audi Elaine Concept By the end of 2018, Audi will have had an image overhaul unlike any before. For decades the face of rock-solid German dependability and classically modern design, the brand is embracing an electric future with gusto. First up this autumn will be the E-tron SUV, a conventionally-styled pure electric challenger to Tesla et al. It’ll be followed by a more stylish Sportback sibling, previewed here in the shape of the Elaine Concept. That personable name is no mere placeholder; it shows the company trying to humanise its rather aloof image. The core technology is Audi AI, with autonomous functions ranging from self-driving highway mode to self-parking, charging and even washing. This is all still future thinking, but the recently launched Audi Smart Energy Network pilot project –…

#91 Tomas Saraceno likes to say that he ‘lives in and beyond the Planet Earth’. The Argentine artist’s lofty ambitions are evident in his Aerocene sculptures, which become buoyant thanks to the heat of the sun. Applying this technology, he launched the world’s first solar-powered flight in 2015, bringing mankind ever closer to the dream of Icarus. More recently, Saraceno’s work has taken on an interstellar dimension, using images of faraway galaxies to challenge our conceptions of space and time. He reminds us that what we see in the night skies is a very ancient image. ‘We, earthlings, are always convicted to watch the past.’ Happily, the past abounds with wonderful things – including this chocolate nut cake recipe, passed on to Saraceno by his grandmother. Tomás Sacareno is at…

Simple silhouettes dominate the design world, but breaking up minimalist monotony is a variety of surface finishes, from perforation to corrugation. The latest is gridding. Eindhovenbased studio Os and Oos has embraced a latticed texture in its ‘Matrix’ collection and in its interior work for opticians Ace & Tate, while designers Claudia Moreira Salles, Stephane Parmentier, Adrian Cheng, David Derksen and Pablo Designs have all squared up their recent work. FOR STOCKISTS THROUGHOUT, SEE PAGE 288…

Often dubbed ‘the man who illuminated Finland’, designer Paavo Tynell was celebrated for his poetic approach to lighting. When he launched his own company, Taito Oy, in 1918, he became one of the country’s first lighting producers, making nature-inspired brass designs that were both minimal and decorative. This year, Danish brand Gubi is shining a light on Tynell’s legacy with a reissue of five of his most iconic designs. The pieces were designed between the late 1930s and early 1950s, and offer the perfect introduction to the Finnish master’s method. The collection includes a table lamp with a shade that references the delicate forms of a seashell, and a perforated brass ceiling lamp with a unique lift mechanism that allows it to be raised and lowered at will (original sketch…

BB: How do you take your coffee? DO: I like it strong: a macchiato or a short espresso. I am a second-wave coffee drinker – I like it Italian-style. How old were you when you got your first creative urges? I remember being in kindergarten, being told what to draw and thinking, ‘I am not doing it that way’. I have always wanted things to be detailed and stylish. I was born in Lagos to a Nigerian father and Jamaican mother, and we travelled a lot in the summer. If I ever said to my parents ‘I’m bored’, they would say ‘go make something.’ So I would make cardboard sculptures and draw costumes. What were the key pieces of clothing that inspired you growing up? As a child, the woman…

Giorgio Armani gets a fresh start in London, with a completely reworked 1,000 sq m retail space that brings together the Italian house’s fashion and home collections under one roof for the first time. Located on Sloane Street, the two adjoining but interconnected boutiques feature silk wallcoverings in a discreet palette mimicking the marble and onyx floors. An eye-catching double-height entrance offers a glimpse into the full scale of the new space, which boasts bespoke light fittings and a light-framed staircase. The main floor of the fashion boutique is dedicated to fragrance, beauty, watches and eyewear, while womenswear is presented upstairs, and menswear (including a Made to Measure service) on the lower ground floor. Next door, and seamlessly connected by a curved walkway that also doubles as a display area…

The British designer Margaret Howell is the maker of beautiful but discreet clothes, with a strong sense of purpose and sensible proportions. This April, Howell will bring that understated aesthetic to London’s Tate Modern, as she becomes the latest guest curator of the Tate Edit shop, a bright and tidy retail space tucked to the right of the museum’s riverside entrance, and designed by Jasper Morrison in collaboration with architects Herzog & de Meuron. The store, which opened in November 2016, is stocked with limited editions, objects for the home, and artists’ products, as selected by an in-house team and temporary editors, including Morrison and, most recently, Momoko Mizutani, of Dalston homewares boutique Momosan. It is a merchandising dream, offering picture-perfect retailing with a view of the Thames, and soon…

In 2010, Rohan Silva was a smart young thing pulled from the UK’s Treasury department into the policy unit at No.10 to advise the then prime minister David Cameron. He had already launched the Tech City initiative that established East London’s ‘Silicon Roundabout’ as Europe’s key startup engine. Sam Aldenton, meanwhile, had impeccable new model entrepreneur credentials, opening what he says was London’s first dedicated co-working space in Dalston in 2005 – ‘we took an empty floor in a factory and put lots of desks in it’ – followed by alternative music venue Café Oto and Dalston Roof Park. He also set up street food arena Feast, which is where he first met Silva. The pair bonded immediately. ‘I had hung out at all these places and really liked them,’…

When Wallpaper* asked Adam Nathaniel Furman to collaborate with Pullman Hotels and Resorts for its Art At Play project – part of the brand’s commitment to promoting the accessibility of art – the Londonbased artist embraced the opportunity to create something dazzling and unique. His adventure into graphics, urbanism and hospitality began with an exploration of Pullman’s London St Pancras and Paris Tour Eiffel hotels in order to acquaint himself with the lifestyle of Pullman’s ‘global nomad’ customer and its ‘Our world is your playground’ mission statement. Tasked with developing a collection of products for hotel guests – including card holders, key cards, mugs, paper cups, door hangers, stationery and tote bags – Furman responded by taking inspiration from his observations. ‘The Pullman brand is all about working hard and playing…

THE NETHERLANDS PORTUGAL IRELAND AUSTRALIA TURKEY JAPAN For stockists, see page 288 Set build and decoration: Jason Parker Interior Solutions…

Born out of the Berlin club scene, young label GmbH is now setting the beat in the fashion world GmbH is the standard legal acronym for a limited company in Germany, but there is nothing either limited or corporate about the maverick Berlin-based fashion label that adopted that tag. ‘We didn’t like the combination of our names,’ says Benjamin Alexander Huseby, who co-founded the brand with Serhat Isik, ‘so we decided to be nameless.’ The utilitarian moniker also nods to the city’s anti-fashion attitude. ‘Berlin has this element of being anti-corporate, and against the mainstream,’ says Huseby. ‘That is also how we think about things.’ The GmbH studio is located in a large industrial building in Kreuzberg, which also houses the techno club Ritter Butzke – a rare reminder of…

With his Objects for Voters project, Frieder Bohaumilitzky has created a still life of the democratic process. Inspired by last September’s ultimately indecisive federal election, Bohaumilitzky decided to redesign the required voting items for the elections of the German parliament. ‘Political communication has changed, but the procedure of voting itself is still remarkably undesigned,’ he says. The ballot box, polling booth and supervisor’s table are all reinvented with style and seriousness, as sober, neutral objects with a friendly curve and a colour scheme that’s studiously neutral. ‘I used only black, white and the natural colour of wood,’ the designer notes. The bent wood is also meant to evoke the interiors and facilities in German public buildings. Bohaumilitzky combined his design studies with a course in Political Science, and the Objects…

Haus B, Beinstein A low-cost house for a young family, Haus B was built by Stephan Birk, Liza Heilmeyer and Martin Frenzel and their team on a former industrial plot in Beinstein, northeast of Stuttgart. The brief was to maximise the budget and make the most space out of a site restricted by a development plan. Coming in at €300,000, the result is pared back and quasi-industrial. All living spaces face south, with storage, stairs and bathrooms pointing north. The corrugatedmetal façade harks back to the factories that once stood here, while interior finishes include concrete, untreated wood and an intricate rope balustrade. An electric charge point is included in the garage, supplied by rooftop panels that generate enough power for the clients to commute to work. bhundf.com Midcentury bungalow,…