A thoughtful selection of the latest lifestyle and design news, plus the creatives who are championing boundary-breaking fashion
Photography courtesy of HAY featuring the brand’s new Barro Collection
1. Barro Collection by HAY
Summer garden party season is here, and Danish design brand HAY knows a thing or two about how to keep our menus fresh with the unveiling of its new Barro Collection. Realised in collaboration with Portuguese product designer Rui Pereira, the playful rounded shapes and joyful pastel shades – which range from green and dark blue to light blue, off-white, pink and terracotta – epitomise the very best of Danish design and highlight the value of traditional Portuguese craftsmanship.
All we need for summer picnics and soirées, Barro finds its name in the Portuguese for “clay”, and sees Pereira paying homage to his roots by using the material as a medium to tell stories and capture personal expression. ‘Being Portuguese, clay is part of my memory and daily life,’ shares Pereira. ‘These warm and simple objects can be found in street markets, restaurants and homes across Portugal.’
The result is a colourful showcase that spans plates, bowls, butter dishes and candleholders. Meticulously crafted in Portugal from durable terracotta and finished in a range of natural glazes and high gloss colours, they invite people to mix and match and play to create their own bespoke tablescape.
Photography courtesy of Gustaf Westman
2. Spiky Cup by Gustaf Westman
For Gustaf Westman Objects, design is synonymous with colour. Since founding his Stockholm-based, globally minded studio in 2020, Westman’s series of quirky, not-so-quiet designs, have added a burst of colour to interior spaces. From ceramics to glassware and bespoke furniture, Westman draws on his architectural background and interest in Swedish pop culture, art and fashion to create visual interest and challenge the boundaries of pottery, glass and design.
‘I think the design processes I learned in architecture school reflect in the design language of my pieces,’ shares Westman. ‘I am interested in the shape, colour and concept of design. For instance, the Spiky Cup is somehow very childish and cute, but then adding spikes creates tension and contrast.’
Not afraid of turning the classic Scandinavian aesthetic on its head, his namesake label presents bright and daring colour palettes, chubby plates and chunky tableware that’s all made to order and produced in Sweden with local craftspeople to support a more sustainable production process. ‘The colours I choose to work with often give more energy to the shape of an object, but I am also drawn to these joyful shades,’ Westman continues. ‘I love it when someone says, “This is cute” or “I want to eat it”. It’s nice to make people happy.’
Photography by Clare Shilland featuring Collection 020 by Faye Toogood
3. Collection 020 by Faye Toogood
Collection 020 takes its cue from 20th-century artist Philip Guston, who went through a distinct pink period. It features her signature pieces – shirts, jackets, coats, trousers and gilets – but this time in electric pinks: cerise, gum and icing set against greys and blues. ‘I love how Guston restricted himself to a very specific palette and represented the world around him,’ she says. ‘In my own way, with this collection, I’m trying to restrict and reaffirm what I feel is important about Toogood. I think we are often considered quite a monochrome brand and I wanted to chuck that in the bin.’
Fabrics are sourced from mills in Italy, the UK and Japan that specialise in particular fibres, weaves and finishes. For Collection 020, Toogood introduced a new lightweight cotton-silk blend for more dressed-up looks, while a new creased cotton twill – a highly textural fabric – gives a lived-in feel to jackets and trousers. There are also limited- edition pieces where bold and playful stripes and tailor tacks and basting stitches are handpainted onto garments.
Looking ahead to the next season, Collection 021 will tell the story of an urbanist who heads out into the wild in pursuit of adventure. Their wardrobe takes inspiration from technical and performance wear – ancient and modern. ‘The collection took me out into the beautiful wild,’ says Toogood. ‘I did not want to look at the landscape through a window. I wanted to be like Turner, strapped to the mast of a ship crashing into the storm.’ Read the full story by Sonia Zhuravlyova here.
Photography courtesy of Harriet Allure
4. Harriet Allure
Making waves in the design world since its official debut during Stockholm Design Week earlier this year, Swedish candle brand Harriet Allure seeks to evoke all the senses. Founded by long-time friends Freddy Mackensy and Alex Adu, Harriet Allure is the result of shared values and a distinctive cultural fusion that offers new perspectives on home, place and identity.
Beautifully blending German influences with Swedish minimalism and Ghanaian heritage – the pair grew up in Düsseldorf to Ghanaian parents – all in one thoughtfully made product, Harriet Allure aims to transport users to far-off places through the wonders of scent.
Each candle is meticulously crafted, embodying artisanal dedication and attention to detail. Raw materials are selected from the world capital of perfumery, Grasse, France, and the pair is also committed to sustainable production and eco-friendly sourcing. Containing 100 per cent soy wax, chosen for its clean-burning properties, Harriet Allure’s candles feature 100 per cent eco cotton-wicks, and all goods are devoid of additives. Read the full story here.
Photography by Lea Anouchinsky and Alberto Carlo Macchi featuring Bernhardt & Vella’s designs
5. Ode to Milan by Bernhardt & Vella
Italian studio Bernhardt & Vella recently unveiled an ode to the city of Milan and its rich architectural landscapes: a series of timeless products with a new photographic project that aims to highlight the designers’ creative inspirations.
Against the setting of three different Milanese entrance halls and courtyards, Bernhardt & Vella showcases the studio’s offerings, including its elegant Mushroom coffee tables designed for Calligaris and the Fandango collection for Rugiano, creating an interplay of contrasting shapes, details and materials.
There’s also the Yoisho collection, created for Potocco and distinguished by its ultra-soft seat, as well as the eye- catching Papillon applique lamp originally designed for Arflex in 2016. Other pieces completing the project are the playful Puffoso stool for Bontempi, the multicoloured Vela glass for Arflex, the Chic trolley for Bontempi and Arflex’s Alba bookcase.
Founded in 2008 by Italian-German duo Paola Vella and Ellen Bernhardt, the studio has a signature style that seamlessly blends architectural marvels and contemporary sensibilities. Creating a poetic vision of design that exudes comfort and style, this pair isn’t afraid to transcend traditional boundaries.
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