Innehållsförteckning för February 2024 från Wallpaper

We can’t wait to get our paws on this collection of five playful dog toys, which stand out for their rich, textured surfaces and geometric silhouettes. The collection is the result of a collaboration between Canadian sustainable dog brand Earth Rated and London-based design studio Layer, which redrew classic typologies, imbuing familiar forms with interactive elements. The hardy, dishwasher-safe toys, which are crafted from compostable and recycled plastics and natural rubber, feature raised rims and intersecting pieces, and are designed for dogs to easily clutch. We reckon they’ll be a howling success. * earthrated.com, layerdesign.com…

The new Genesis X Gran Berlinetta VGT is a pixel-only project aimed at gamers who get their automotive fix through the Gran Turismo series. Given the open-ended design brief, lack of regulations, real world physics and so on, it’s no surprise that Vision Gran Turismo (VGT) cars are a radical way to explore a brand’s design approach. The X Gran Berlinetta (which will feature in Gran Turismo 7 from January) is no different, lowered, stretched and smoothed out in an extreme expression of the company’s ‘athletic elegance’ design philosophy, with a pared back, race car-inspired interior. The familiar grille and parallel light blades are all present and correct, as are the bold curves, highlighted by the Magma orange finish. It’s a good look for the future. * genesis.com…

‘Sport’ is the world’s first upholstery textile collection made entirely from ocean-bound plastic waste. Created by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola and Danish brand Kvadrat, in collaboration with marine plastic upcycler Tide Ocean, the collection is inspired by sportswear and nods to a high-tech aesthetic. Subtle tactile patterns enrich the surface, while the colour palette is defined by shades of purple, green, red and blue, as well as a series of neutrals that range from grey to taupe. Each textile is defined by a two-tone contrasting composition, enhancing the design’s three-dimensional effect. ‘The colours are divided into ‘salt and pepper’ monochrome nuances, which illuminate the textile’s high-tech graphic character and solid shades that fade its texture away,’ says Urquiola. * patriciaurquiola.com, kvadrat.dk, tide.earth…

Rolex nodded to the sporty, the classic and the fun in last year’s roll call of new watches, which epitomise classic codes of lightness, strength and legibility in rethought designs. Watch aficionados were especially delighted with the Oyster Perpetual, which takes a pop at Rolex’s design history with its Celebration-motif dial. Sorbet-sweet bubbles, in candy pink, turquoise, yellow, coral red and green, drift over a turquoise face, making a playful foil for the clean, utilitarian architecture of the Oyster bracelet. First appearing in the 1930s, its distinctive flat, three-piece links are clad in tough Oystersteel, a tough and highly-resistant polished alloy developed by Rolex. *…

For one night only, during Miami Art & Design Week, Japanese female wrestling league Sukeban took over the city’s Lot 11 Skatepark to crown its first-ever world champion, with the victor awarded a championship belt designed by Marc Newson and Japanese illustrator Ayako Ishiguro. Sukeban, meaning ‘delinquent girl’ in Japanese, is an ode to the girl gangs of the 1960s and 1970s. According to fashion designer Olympia Le-Tan, the league’s creative director, the importance of projecting each wrestler’s personality and character through their costume is crucial. ‘We want them to feel and look like the superheroes they are. Tough but fun,’ she says. The evening was hosted by actor Kunichi Nomura, and Commander Nakajima defeated Ichigo Sayaka to win the belt made from white leather, gold studs and a plate…

Designers have lately been looking to the final frontier for inspiration. David Rockwell’s ‘Cassiopeia’ sconce for Lasvit transforms the ceiling into a starry night sky, while Ronan Bouroullec’s ‘Céramique’ lamps for Flos are like dutiful little robots, casting a searchlight on any unidentified flying objects – such as Umberto Bellardi Ricci’s flying saucer-like ‘Torus’ pouf for Tacchini. Meanwhile, Audrey Large’s sculptures, for Nilufar Gallery, have an otherworldly appearance that feels both primeval and futuristic. We’re not ready to come back down to earth just yet. *…

Designed by Andrea Parisio and Giuseppe Pezzano for bathrooms that are small in size but want to be big on personality, the ‘Les Petites’ collection of washbasins from Ceramica Cielo features suspended ceramic elements supported by metal structures in an interplay of horizontal planes and vertical uprights. Designed to be easily positioned in modest spaces, the basins are available in three variants: one square version and two oval ones, all accompanied by a minimalist metal framework that serves as a practical towel rail and shelf. Finishes for the basin, shelf and framework come in a wide colour palette offering, ranging from whites, browns and greys to blue, yellow, red and green, and available materials include lacquers and wooden veneers, metals, marble and leather. We can’t wait to big up the…

Chatsworth House, a stately home in the UK’s Peak District, has long been a champion of contemporary design and craft. Among the latest works created in response to the estate is a sculptural collection by British designer Faye Toogood. Placed in the house’s chapel, the Purbeck marble objects are reminiscent of Neolithic standing stones, featuring a mix of rough and polished edges. Presented as sacred objects, the designs reference a local history of stone circles in the area. ‘I wanted to retain the more spiritual feeling within the chapel,’ says Toogood. ‘For me, it is a place to spend time and reflect.’ * fayetoogood.com, chatsworth.org…

Colour and cross-cultural collaboration lie at the heart of the practice of London-based design studio Doshi Levien, founded by Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien in 2000. The pair’s affinity for an experimental palette has led them to mix their own shades, inspired by everything from Indian miniature paintings and Chinese ceramics to Le Corbusier’s artworks and images of Jantar Mantar in Jaipur. Their latest experiments with colour have led to ‘Kinari’, a limited-edition, five-piece collection for Galerie Kreo, featuring a mirror, console, bedside cabinet, coffee table and side table. Reflecting Doshi’s Indian heritage, the rosewood frame riffs off the tropical dark woods of the furniture in her grandfather’s house while the multi-hued borders take inspiration from colourful saris. ‘For me, colour is a material; it’s not something you just apply,’…

When the London-based designer Oliver Spencer hosts a dinner party, guests will often come away not just satiated, but with bags of clothing containing unwanted samples or garments that he no longer wears. ‘If you’re coming round to my house,’ he smiles, ‘you do best if you’re my size.’ A new project, launched last November after more than a year in the planning, operates in a similar spirit: to expand the lifecycle of a clothing garment and prevent it from being thrown away after use. ‘Our industry makes a massive footprint,’ he says. ‘We need to get a lot better at what we are doing. We’re responsible for the garments we make.’ Titled Repurpose, the project’s initial success is rooted in the way Spencer has fostered a community since he…

Forget fire pits and pizza ovens; what your garden really needs this year is ‘Out-Fit’, a perfectly proportioned outdoor gym, made entirely of rust-coloured metal and teak. Designed by Romano and Niccolò Adolini, of Studio Adolini, the open-air ‘fitness room’ is the father-and-son duo’s first creation for Ethimo, with the pair looking to classic gym equipment for inspiration. Intended to be used both for exercise and relaxation, the idea being that exercising outdoors, surrounded by nature, will boost its users’ wellbeing, the gym’s pared-back design and square frame recall Ethimo’s classic four-poster outdoor lounge beds. ‘Out-Fit’ comes with all the equipment needed for an ideal daily exercise routine, including a punch bag and mat, made using weatherproof faux leather, as well as wooden rings and an elastic band. * studioadolini.com,…

Corn husks, raw sisal, avocado pits – these are not the ingredients of a potent hangover cure but the natural materials favoured by Fernando Laposse. After studying at Central Saint Martins, the Mexican designer returned to his homeland, and the tiny indigenous community of Santo Domingo Tonahuixtla he had visited frequently as a child, to find it devastated by the forces of globalisation. To revive its traditional agriculture and crafts, Laposse has collaborated with locals since 2015 to produce a series of whimsical designs; our latest favourite is this drinks cabinet featuring a cuddly ‘fur’ made of agave fibres by a team of craftswomen. Also known as sisal or henequén, the fibres are an ecological substitute to plastic threads and have been used by the Mayas for millennia to create…

Carpenters Workshop Gallery’s Pollini restaurant brings together chef Emanuele Pollini and architect Vincenzo De Cotiis under the vaulted ceiling of Ladbroke Hall, London’s new cultural destination. Once the entrance to the Sunbeam-Talbot Motor Company, the magnificent Grade II-listed space has been preserved by De Cotiis, who has drawn on the monochrome colour palette of the original details, such as a marble balustrade, and added reflective surfaces. ‘The restaurant doesn’t just occupy the space, it converses with it,’ he says. Seated at tables topped with hand-patinated, reclaimed fibreglass (also designed by the architect), guests will be taken on a journey through Pollini’s childhood in Italy. The chef’s homage to his mother’s lasagna, for example, sees it reborn as ravioli and served with dried ragu ‘chips’ that evoke the sumptuous crust of…

On show recently at London’s Gallery Fumi, ‘Box’ is a new body of work, by British designer Max Lamb, featuring furniture that’s made from cardboard. Throughout his career, Lamb has often experimented with materials that are usually overlooked in furniture design or he has used traditional matter in innovative ways. His past furniture collections have included a series of pieces made using a tree felled from his grandfather’s garden, and seating made with boards made of recycled textiles by Kvadrat Really. Lamb also often works with materials that we would consider to be more traditional in furniture-making terms, but when he does, his approach is always unique, as he experiments in his workshop bending metal, creating puzzle-like compositions from wood and stone, and drilling marble. Lamb’s collaboration with Gallery Fumi…

In 2004, the Swiss art collector Ursula Hauser wanted to turn the stables of her Mallorca residence into guesthouses. Her New York architect, Annabelle Selldorf, was overbooked, but one of Selldorf’s project managers, Luis Laplace, asked to do it independently, prodded by his life partner, Christophe Comoy. The project sparked an enduring relationship and the creation of the Laplace architecture agency, headed by Laplace and Comoy. The former was an architect from Argentina, the latter a French lawyer preparing for Columbia Business School. Separately they were talented, but together they were unstoppable. ‘My model was Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé,’ says Comoy. Since their first projects were in Europe, they left New York in 2004 to establish their agency in Paris. Laplace, who didn’t speak French, recalls, ‘When we…

Models: Kerolyn Soares at IMG, Aaron Shandel at Wilhelmina Casting: Ikki Casting at The Art Board Hair: Adam Garland using Authentic Beauty Concept Make-up: Jo Banach using Chanel Les Beiges Winter Glow and No.1 de Chanel Red Camellia Exfoliating Mask Interiors: Olly Mason Set build: London Art Makers Photography assistants: Chloe Yates, Zillah Rauter Fashion assistants: Kris Bergfeldt, Samela Gjozi Hair assistant: Annabella Hudgell Interiors assistant: Archie Thomson Post production: Lasso Studio…

Acne Studios acnestudios.com Alaïa maison-alaia.com Alexander McQueen alexandermcqueen.com AND a-n-d.com Anoona Jewels anoonajewels.com Aram aram.co.uk B&B Italia bebitalia.com Balenciaga balenciaga.com Baxter baxter.it Bottega Veneta bottegaveneta.com Bryan O’Sullivan bryanosullivan.com Carven carven.com Carwan Gallery carwangallery.com CC-Tapis cc-tapis.com Commission commission.nyc Completedworks completedworks.com Courrèges courreges.com De Castelli decastelli.com Dior dior.com Dolce & Gabbana dolcegabbana.com Dries Van Noten driesvannoten.com Falke fendi.com Ferragamo ferragamo.com Flos flos.com Gebrüder Thonet Vienna gebruederthonetvienna.com Givenchy givenchy.com Gubi gubi.com Gucci gucci.com Hermès hermes.com Ines inesgloves.com Isabel Marant isabelmarant.com Isle of Harris Gin harrisdistillery.com Jil Sander by Lucie and Luke Meier jilsander.com Lalique lalique.com Lasvit lasvit.com Loewe loewe.com Longhi longhi.it Marni marni.com Martell martell.com Master of Malt masterofmalt.com Minotti minotti.com Miu miumiu.com Molteni & C molteni.it Nilufar Gallery nilufar.com Pantherella pantherella.com Paul Smith paulsmith.com Pomello pomello.world Prada prada.com Romo romo.com Saint Laurent…

THE BEST OF THE BEST Welcome to the 20th edition of the Wallpaper* Design Awards, our annual celebration of the very best in design over the last 12 months. What exactly does ‘best’ mean for us? At Wallpaper*, every issue focuses on the cream of the crop, so selecting the best of the best is the subject of much debate at Wallpaper* HQ. As a result, these awards invariably take on a more personal approach, as we aim to highlight the more unique and unexpected objects and experiences that make our material lives more meaningful. As always, these awards are carefully selected by the Wallpaper* team, alongside our extended family of contributors, writers and curators from around the world. This colossal exercise in searching out the stuff that inspires us…

Recalling the mirrored staircase of its Rue Cambon address in Paris, Chanel’s newest lipstick launch, the refillable 31 Le Rouge, sports a faceted square surface, created by a Japanese glassmaker for lightweight durability. The work of Sylvie Legastelois, the brand’s head of packaging and design creation since 1984, the lipstick bullets, in 12 vibrant shades, are cradled in twist-up recyclable aluminium holders that can be switched in and out of the sculptural casing as desired, while the longwearing formula is enriched with gardenia oil, which ensures lips feel hydrated and enveloped in the texture of satin. The end result is a true reflection of Legastelois’ ongoing commitment to unapologetic luxury. * chanel.com…

Triangular furniture is a fairly rare phenomenon so our interest was piqued by Marco Lavit’s ‘Alvea’ console for Living Divani, which embodies the Italian company’s strong graphic expression and steadfast desire to push the limits of domestic geometries. Its form is conceived to celebrate the essence of the wood and the process of making. Defined by three oak panels arranged in a wedge shape, the console highlights the wood’s grain on its front, while the carabottino technique used for the top offers some contrast and lets in light. Its essential nature is confirmed by the minimal support at the base, made of two simple metal pieces. Its creator says he designed it ‘with the same attention to detail that characterised the manufacturing: each element making up ‘Alvea’ becomes necessary for…

We were very taken with a series of new fabrics by Dedar that combine temptingly tactile qualities with a bold graphic expression. ‘Astrografia’ is a rustic, bulky jacquard fabric whose black and white pattern nods to the night sky, while ‘Calicanto’ takes abstraction to the next level with a textured jacquard fabric in a combination of neutral hues that the Italian brand has evocatively dubbed Impression Sous La Neige. Stronger in their geometric expression are ‘Tiger Beat’, which references a tiger’s coat, and ‘Les Liaisons Amoureuses’, a playful composition of contrasting satin ribbons that form a lover’s dance across the surface. * dedar.com…

To illustrate the versatility of Armani Casa’s furniture collection, the Italian brand has paired select pieces with important works of modern and contemporary art to show how well they work in a stylish domestic setting. Art directed by Nick Vinson, of Vinson & Co, the pairings are brought to life in Armani Casa’s Paris store on Boulevard Saint-Germain, where a minimalist backdrop allows the furniture and art to take centre stage. Paired up here with Armani Casa’s ‘Play’ coffee table in Canaletto walnut and tempered black glass and ‘Logo Mini’ table lamp is (on table) Lingam (2018), by Tobit Roche, a British-born painter who grew up in Hong Kong, Canada and India, and (on wall) Between Us (2023), by Amer Musa, a Sudanese-born, Paris-based artist. * nickvinson.com, armani.com/casa…

Designed as a contemporary interpretation of an ancient Roman domus, Molteni & C’s fair pavilion at last year’s Salone in Milan showed off the company’s latest furniture collection, which was set against a striking backdrop by Italian artist Roberto Ruspoli. Titled ‘Virgilio’s Dream’, the space was conceived as the imaginary room of the young Roman poet Virgil: hand-drawn in black chalk, the drawings featured classical elements, including stylised plants and humans. ’Contours, lines and anthropomorphic figures stand out in a monochromatic space, contaminated by ancient forms revisited with a modern twist,’ says Molteni’s creative director Vincent Van Duysen. ‘The classical gives way to the contemporary, in a stylistic ecstasy that breaks the patterns of space and time, to find itself in the here and now.’ * @robertoruspoli, molteni.it…

Brooklyn-based company Yip Studio is blurring the lines between art and patisserie with its scrumptious sculptures that are pleasing to both palate and eye. The studio was founded in 2019 by New Zealander Amy Yip, who uses her design background and Asian heritage to carve up cakes that look so good, you won’t want to eat them. Born into a family of bakers, Yip studied fine art in New Zealand before moving to San Francisco to study fashion and textile design. Living in New York during the pandemic, she began crafting her colourful rock-like creations from cake, buttercream and meringue, using Asian-inspired flavours such as matcha, yuzu, shiso leaf, oolong tea, lychee and black sesame, and adding striking floral arrangements. Now she bakes full-time, creating edible sculptures for private clients…

Colour, form and materiality collide in a collaboration between Spanish label Loewe and American sculptor Lynda Benglis, together bringing a seductive fizz to jewellery design. The new collection comprises seven concepts that reference Benglis’ work, as well as the large-scale sculptures that commandeered Loewe’s S/S24 women’s catwalk. A sensuous reinterpretation of Benglis’ ongoing series Elephant Necklace (itself inspired by the blown-out tractor tyres strewn on the sides of countless American highways), the great, hulking bronze formations appeared as if smoothed and manipulated by the artist’s hand, the dynamic marks of making still visible on the material. Benglis builds on this temporality in her jewellery for Loewe, translating free-flowing forms into overblown yet functional jewellery. ‘Nature is always the answer,’ says Benglis on the raw and instinctive nature of her pieces.…

Nestled beside Seoul’s Gongdeok station is the Eco Jardin by Park Jun salon, which offers one of South Korea’s most comprehensive scalp treatments. Incorporating products containing plant-based ingredients alongside human stem cell culture extract, known for effective hair loss prevention, the meticulous process takes approximately 90 minutes to complete. Practitioners at the salon spend a year studying scalp physiology, so all are well-versed in the treatment’s effects (from an intensely deep cleanse to purported relief from insomnia and stress). It starts with a microscopic scalp analysis (in which an image of the client’s follicles appears digitally enlarged on a screen), followed by an oil massage, use of a galvanic sealing brush and an invigorating scrub. Alongside a hot towel and various massage techniques, a nozzle steams the scalp before a…

The ancient art of gua sha meets solar-powered technology in this facial sculpting tool by emerging New York-based lifestyle brand Omni Hiraya. Dipped in 24kt gold (the ions of which are said to speed up the metabolic response of skin cells), the Ginto’s ergonomic, feather-like shape fits satisfyingly in the palm of your hand while you caress every facial contour to increase blood circulation and stimulate the production of collagen and elastin. The tool is charged by three solar panels, which harness the sun’s rays, or the waves from artificial light, to produce a gentle lifting and toning microcurrent, and there’s also a massage bead at the tip for more delicate areas. * omnihiraya.com…

We raise a toast to the meritorious members of our ultimate drinks cabinet, the nectars that give us a warm glow on sociable sojourns at our favourite watering hole. Sometimes we kick off with Pomello, a sweet, pink-tinged apéritif made from elderflower and a mellower relative of the grapefruit. Or we mix up a cocktail using Isle of Harris gin (whose key local ingredient, sugar kelp seaweed, gives a refreshing maritime tang) or Mount Gay’s single estate rum (which boasts flavours of pineapple, vanilla and citrus). And we like to round off an evening with a tot of velvety rich Glenmorangie Signet whisky or a dram of deliciously complex L’Or de Jean Martell cognac. Santé! *…

New York has no shortage of craft beer taprooms, but Talea stands out as the first female- and veteran-owned production brewery in the city. Its owners Tara Hankinson and LeAnn Darland have recently partnered with Alda Ly Architecture (ALA) to create a third taproom, on the historic Christopher Street in Manhattan, with the aim of celebrating the voices of women and LGBTQ+ communities while serving Talea’s popular sour brews in an inviting space. Being a café by day and a bar by night, Talea hopes to be an active community spot for both work and play. ‘We opened up the space to provide as large an area as possible for the dining room, and brought the bar front and centre to highlight the taps with its extensive selection of beers,’…

Seoul is set to become one of the most influential style and culture hubs on the planet. It’s a brave statement, perhaps. But that’s what defines the Korean creators who are shaping Seoul: bold, brave and proud. Visit Seoul and you will instantly encounter keys to the success of contemporary Korean culture. Dynamic energy, speed and a remix of so many things (old and new, Western and Eastern, high fashion and streetwear, industrial and craftsmanship) welcome you – although it might make you feel slightly giddy. ‘If love and hate have the same meaning, I love you, Seoul, I hate you, Seoul’, sings RM, of South Korean boy band BTS, in his song Seoul, produced by Honne. Growing up and living in Seoul, that’s how I felt about the city…

Inspired by the seemingly unstoppable rise of the vinyl revival, Swedish audio brand Transparent has applied its meticulous industrial design approach to create a record player that’s fit to grace the finest contemporary interior. Adhering to the company ethos of simplicity and repairability, with a modular design that allows for components to be replaced and upgraded as needed, the turntable is made from solid aluminium, with the mechanism contained in a compact unit beneath the glass base. This sits on four pillars, which also form the supports for the glass dust cover. It’s a harmonious combination of striking aesthetics and sonic brilliance. *…

Undoubtedly the season’s most enchanting adornments were these miniature musical instruments by Louis Vuitton’s Nicolas Ghesquière. The brass instrument brooches, including a French horn, flute, euphonium and trumpet, featured the distinct ‘flowers’ of the house’s monogram and were presented alongside rings and earrings recalling the keys of wind instruments. The accessories originally appeared in the house’s A/W23 show, where Ghesquière said he wanted them to appear as ‘faux-semblants’, or illusions, across the time-hopping collection. The fantastical mood extended to intriguing boots, featuring hand-painted trompe l’oeil Mary Janes, and the set, which came with ‘sound illusions’ evocative of a Parisian street. Huge spiked speakers were dotted around the Musée d’Orsay space, emitting sounds of clacking heels and beeping horns. * louisvuitton.com…

For Milan Design Week last April, Bottega Veneta tasked design maestro Gaetano Pesce with creating a site-specific artwork at the house’s Via Montenapoleone store. Pesce and his team draped a huge scaffold structure with painted canvas, sprayed it with resin and backlit it to create an immersive grotto installation, where visitors could view two bags realised by Bottega Veneta for the artist. As a celebration of this unique project, entitled ‘Vieni a Vedere’, each visitor to the grotto received a souvenir gift: a poster drawn by Pesce, commemorating the installation, and a box containing striking hand-painted chocolates by Turin-based artisanal chocolatier Peyrano. * peyrano.com, bottegaveneta.com, gaetanopesce.com…

The sweet smell of lilies lingered in the air of Prada’s A/W23 show in Milan, their heady aroma provided by vast floral chandeliers that hung over the otherwise industrial space. It provided an apt backdrop for Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons’ creations, decorated with delicate floral appliqués and inspired by nurses’ uniform. Most extraordinary of all were the shoes: simple knife-point pumps adorned with origami-like motifs of flowers and wings, appearing as delicate as paper, but crafted from leather. As editors trooped backstage post-show, crouching down to get a better look, they were enough to elucidate gasps of joy. *…

The longstanding partnership between Paul Smith and Maharam, which is documented in a playful new book, featuring photographs by Nick Ballón and illustrations by Andy Rementer, has resulted in the creation of more than 40 textiles, wallcoverings and accessories that adapt traditional sartorial references by experimenting with pattern, colour and scale. Smith and Maharam first crossed paths in 2002 when Smith saw the US brand’s reissue of a Gio Ponti textile during a retrospective of the Italian designer at London’s Design Museum. Smith’s request to use it as a jacket lining led to him incorporating Maharam’s archival textiles in shoe, hat and bag designs. Maharam then invited Smith to design a textile of his own, resulting in Bespoke Stripe, comprised of vibrant multicoloured stripes embedded in a quintessential menswear pinstripe.…

Designer Marjan van Aubel has worked tirelessly to push solar energy generation in new directions so it came as no surprise that her installation for Japanese car brand Lexus at Miami Art & Design Week, created in collaboration with Dutch experience design firm Random Studio, featured a display not only inspired by, but also powered by, the sun. Named for the time it takes the sun’s rays to reach Earth, 8 Minutes and 20 Seconds comprises a visually informative representation of Lexus’ ​​zero-emission LF-ZC concept car, a version of which is set to hit the market in 2026. During the day, the installation took on graphical qualities before becoming increasingly more performative as dusk fell. The experience was topped off by a sound installation, featuring an ambient melody accentuated with…

Launched at Salone del Mobile 2023, Poliform’s debut outdoor furniture collection delved into the natural world for inspiration, reinterpreting the link between humans and the landscape. Encompassing sofas, chairs, tables and accessories, designed by the likes of Jean-Marie Massaud, Emmanuel Gallina, Marcel Wanders and Soo Chan, the pieces take Poliform’s minimalist lifestyle vision into the great outdoors. The collection includes sofas and chairs designed by Emmanuel Gallina, who looked to the flowing lines of branches and the weightlessness of falling leaves to enhance the natural lightness of the wooden frames. Meanwhile, his tables took inspiration from mineral stratification and ancient stones for their monumental and majestic aesthetics, which the French designer has visually softened with rounded edges. * poliform.it…

The work of Alessandro Mendini needs little introduction. A major figure in Italy’s Radical Design movement, he was the creator of some of the contemporary design world’s most memorable icons, so it was a pleasant surprise when his daughters, Fulvia and Elisa, custodians of his archives and legacy, resurfaced a trio of previously unseen storage units for issue by Italian furniture company Porro. The ‘Linea’ collection comprises a writing desk with a drop-leaf door and inner partitions, a sideboard with hinged doors, and an open sideboard with a drawer, each released in a limited-edition run of 50. The three pieces combine exquisite marquetry and cellulose acetate inlays in bold primary colours with black and white elements. Says Maria Porro, the brand’s head of marketing and communication, ‘With the chromatic exuberance…

An elegant new site for a jewellery school is offering courses on everything from gemology and lacquer design to setting techniques and savoir-faire. L’École Van Cleef & Arpels, which was founded in 2012 with the aim of spreading jewellery culture to the widest possible audience, has recently opened the doors to its newest venture, housed in the Hôtel de Mercy-Argenteau, an 18th century neoclassical mansion in Paris’ 9th arrondissement. As well as a wide range of courses, the site also offers a vast exhibition space, bookstore and generously equipped library. * lecolevancleefarpels.com…

The African game Mancala, which derives its name from the Arabic word naqala, meaning ‘to move’, is one of the oldest board games in history. Inspired by its form, Savile Row designer Ozwald Boateng reinterpreted the traditional board and 48 pieces in solid wenge and handcrafted Murano glass for Poltrona Frau as part of a larger collection, unveiled last year, that included rugs, candles, wallpapers and embossed leathers. ‘I learned very early on as a designer that to take something that’s very traditional and modernise it is actually quite difficult,’ says Boateng. ‘There’s a subtlety to getting the balance of the two worlds right.’ We think he’s nailed it. * ozwaldboateng.co.uk, poltronafrau.com…