Since launching in 2014, Colony has uplifted the independent design community by offering creative direction and consulting to ensure its clients are presented in the best possible light. Now, founder Jean Lin is taking her mission to nurture the next generation of design talents one step further with the debut of the Designers’ Residency, a first-of-its-kind incubator program that aims to introduce American talents to the global design market and ensure their success within an industry often fraught with high barriers to entry.
During an intensive eight-month tenure, residents undergo a multifaceted learning program focused on product development and design entrepreneurship crafted by Lin and Colony art director Madeleine Parsons informed by their experiences as professors at Parsons and RISD. “Starting one’s own studio is an enormous undertaking both creatively and financially, and a privilege that’s not always afforded to many immensely talented designers,” Lin says. “My hope is this program allows more voices to shine, and more young designers feel supported enough to take the leap into creating work that’s wholly their own.”
It’s off to a great start. The residency’s debut sees the launch of two promising studios—and an exhibition of their first collections at Colony’s space in Lower Manhattan opening today. Marmar Studio, founded by furniture designer Ingemar Hagen-Keith, channels spirited gestures and silhouettes into sculptural wooden pieces inspired by animal forms. Alexis Tingey and Ginger Gordon join forces on Alexis & Ginger, a studio whose alluring furniture melds craft and storytelling through the nuanced lenses of architecture, tapestry, and their intrinsic histories. Applications for next year’s residency are open until May 1.
