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The British are coming and bringing smart furnishings
By Patsy Yang |
March 22, 2009, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AFTER what seems like decades of Italian domination of home design, a new generation of western European trends are emerging in Shanghai. The prevailing winds bringing cutting-edge modern pieces of furniture are blowing from the United Kingdom.
Typically, the new trends can be found at outlets like Design Republic on the Bund and what better idea on a sunny Sunday afternoon than to take a stroll and dare to be surprised by some freshly arrived unique pieces of British design.
You might think that a convex mirror is a familiar shape. And indeed it is, but designer Sebastian Wrong has taken his inspiration from a common piece of automotive equipment. Then look at his "Heidi" stool which is all about simplicity of form and function, combining a standard tractor seat, for its shape and comfort, with a nostalgic, rustic, three-leg timber milking stool. "The experience of sitting on these stools should be reassuring, tactile and aesthetic, like the sun setting in the Alps!" noted Wrong.
How about taking a fresh look at a set of drawers, something everyone typically opens and closes many times, be it at home or at the office? With "Stack," Shay Alkalay has questioned these elements and challenged perceptions of what a drawer unit can be. The result is a random and irregular item that challenges convention.
The pieces belong to a group of designers whose creations form the core of the catalogue proposed by Established & Sons, a London-based design company established only four years ago.
After a promising start in Beijing, the brand is making its Shanghai debut, at Design Republic's flagship store at the Bund No. 5.
The unique collection demonstrates the inventiveness for which Britain's creative industry has gained international fame in the past decade. Designed by household names such as Zaha Hadid, Jasper Morrison and Alexander Taylor, the range is diverse and eclectic in the essence defining the contemporary British scene.
The visionaries behind the brand, Alasdhair Willis (chief executive officer), Sebastian Wrong (design development director) and Maurizio Mussati (chief operating officer) were invited by Design Republic for the opening. Apart from arriving in style with a series of exciting and iconic items hand picked from the brand's rich collection, they also brought their convictions and experience in promoting their homegrown understanding.
"The company was created with the ambition to define a true platform for British design talents and give them a voice internationally," said Willis, who is married to fashion designer Stella McCartney and was publishing director of the Wallpaper Group which gave him a clear understanding of design from both the commercial and creative sides.
"These British designers come from diverse and unique backgrounds and our collection reflects the same design dynamic," he said. "We don't have, nor promote, a house style.''
The company believes in encouraging and stimulating its designers' own creativity rather than imposing a house style.
It found overwhelming initial success when it dared to mix celebrated and established designers with emerging talents, benefiting from the resulting synergy as they fed off each other's creativity.
As Willis puts it: "We are not a traditional manufacturer, we are a design company, and see ourselves as very flexible so when we started the company we didn't understand why we shouldn't be able to do very low-priced projects.
"We launched a light priced at US$120. Why couldn't that piece sit alongside a table designed by Hadid (priced at US$80,000)? For us, it's all about design and its quality. It was proved correct that people buy not necessarily purely based on the price of the object, but because they find a connection with it,'' he added.
"The consumer has changed from wanting the typical 1990's clean and minimalist object, to now curating their own spaces to reflect personality and individuality. Our collection reflects that well through individual designers," he said.
"With Lane Crawford in Beijing and Design Republic in Shanghai we have chosen strong partners well established in their respective markets," Mussati said.
"We are showing commitment and we plan to be much more active here in time. In the near future, we plan on bringing to China some of our limited edition pieces."
Wrong emphasized that "we look to add to our collection statement pieces, with strong character."
Typically, the new trends can be found at outlets like Design Republic on the Bund and what better idea on a sunny Sunday afternoon than to take a stroll and dare to be surprised by some freshly arrived unique pieces of British design.
You might think that a convex mirror is a familiar shape. And indeed it is, but designer Sebastian Wrong has taken his inspiration from a common piece of automotive equipment. Then look at his "Heidi" stool which is all about simplicity of form and function, combining a standard tractor seat, for its shape and comfort, with a nostalgic, rustic, three-leg timber milking stool. "The experience of sitting on these stools should be reassuring, tactile and aesthetic, like the sun setting in the Alps!" noted Wrong.
How about taking a fresh look at a set of drawers, something everyone typically opens and closes many times, be it at home or at the office? With "Stack," Shay Alkalay has questioned these elements and challenged perceptions of what a drawer unit can be. The result is a random and irregular item that challenges convention.
The pieces belong to a group of designers whose creations form the core of the catalogue proposed by Established & Sons, a London-based design company established only four years ago.
After a promising start in Beijing, the brand is making its Shanghai debut, at Design Republic's flagship store at the Bund No. 5.
The unique collection demonstrates the inventiveness for which Britain's creative industry has gained international fame in the past decade. Designed by household names such as Zaha Hadid, Jasper Morrison and Alexander Taylor, the range is diverse and eclectic in the essence defining the contemporary British scene.
The visionaries behind the brand, Alasdhair Willis (chief executive officer), Sebastian Wrong (design development director) and Maurizio Mussati (chief operating officer) were invited by Design Republic for the opening. Apart from arriving in style with a series of exciting and iconic items hand picked from the brand's rich collection, they also brought their convictions and experience in promoting their homegrown understanding.
"The company was created with the ambition to define a true platform for British design talents and give them a voice internationally," said Willis, who is married to fashion designer Stella McCartney and was publishing director of the Wallpaper Group which gave him a clear understanding of design from both the commercial and creative sides.
"These British designers come from diverse and unique backgrounds and our collection reflects the same design dynamic," he said. "We don't have, nor promote, a house style.''
The company believes in encouraging and stimulating its designers' own creativity rather than imposing a house style.
It found overwhelming initial success when it dared to mix celebrated and established designers with emerging talents, benefiting from the resulting synergy as they fed off each other's creativity.
As Willis puts it: "We are not a traditional manufacturer, we are a design company, and see ourselves as very flexible so when we started the company we didn't understand why we shouldn't be able to do very low-priced projects.
"We launched a light priced at US$120. Why couldn't that piece sit alongside a table designed by Hadid (priced at US$80,000)? For us, it's all about design and its quality. It was proved correct that people buy not necessarily purely based on the price of the object, but because they find a connection with it,'' he added.
"The consumer has changed from wanting the typical 1990's clean and minimalist object, to now curating their own spaces to reflect personality and individuality. Our collection reflects that well through individual designers," he said.
"With Lane Crawford in Beijing and Design Republic in Shanghai we have chosen strong partners well established in their respective markets," Mussati said.
"We are showing commitment and we plan to be much more active here in time. In the near future, we plan on bringing to China some of our limited edition pieces."
Wrong emphasized that "we look to add to our collection statement pieces, with strong character."
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