Apparatus Makes a Cinematic Entry Into London

For Gabriel Hendifar, parties are one of the most authentic ways to convey the emotion behind Apparatus’s carefully imagined lighting, furniture, and accessories. And the fashion-turned-product designer doesn’t simply invite you over for cocktails. In order to fully experience the new collections, Hendifar hosts an extravagant all-night soirée that not only casts a mesmeric reflection of his mind, but transports guests into the hedonistic heaven of Apparatus for one night only. It’s a coveted invite during NYCxDesign—an enticing dose of fantasy during a week defined by chaos—and one that was absent this year. 

No matter. Hendifar was busy putting the finishing touches on Apparatus’s latest feat, an expansive gallery in London’s tony Mayfair district that will serve as the studio’s European base. Much like its existing showrooms in New York and Los Angeles, the 3,200-square-foot gallery acts as a living expression of Apparatus’s work—an immersive setting imbued with drama and sensuality arising from the constellation of influences Hendifar often mines across film, music, visual art, and human emotion.

Materials convey much of that, starting in the soaring ground-floor gallery, whose cosmic vibe comes courtesy of rich Italian Calacatta Classico marble and hand-troweled plaster. Subtle touches executed at a grand scale continue at the burl-lined staircase, where a portrait of Hendifar’s grandmother hangs inside. “In many ways, the London gallery is conceived as a fantasy home for [her],” he says. “Through these Persian matriarchs, I developed my own understanding of gracious hospitality and what it means to welcome people into a space.” 

Take the studio’s lounge area as proof. Enveloped in bronze and dominated by a generous sofa evocative of London’s storied members’ clubs, there guests can browse Apparatus’s material library and linger for a while. “The objects in our homes have the power to help us understand ourselves more clearly,” Hendifar says.“Design is an expression of who we are and what we value. It’s about identity, connection, and humanity.”

(All photography by Matthew Placek.)