From a sculptural armchair by Studio Razavi to Verdi's sumptuous seashell handbag to a Peg Woodworking bench that blends Scandinavian minimalism with Peruvian weaving traditions, here's a look back at the week of design drops.
Like three bodies locked rhythmically in a graceful waltz, an expressive sexuality defines Vincent Pocsik’s evocative Dancers. Blurring the line between objet d’art and furniture, the meticulously sculpted black walnut piece is part of a family of lifelike formations that belong to the L.A.-based sculptor and trained architect’s On The Meridian series. Pocsik drew inspiration from the negative space generated when people dance: “I wanted to create a static piece that expresses movement,” he says of the three-pronged table.
Nicholas Hamilton Holmes often finds inspiration in unorthodox places. For the Canadian furniture maker’s new OXALINO collection, he cites a medley: “old tattoos, meditation, and French Provincial style.” Bearing his emerging studio’s signature tubular forms, the sturdy OS Chair, an edition of 10, at first seems unassuming, but look closer—the reference points reveal themselves.
Perhaps the most striking feature is the OXALINO pattern. Holmes hand-painted the spiraling decoration with an oxidizing solution onto tannin-rich white oak like zebra stripes, affording the OS Chair a bold, contemporary edge. “It adds energy and extreme graphic qualities, while also being subtle from afar,” Holmes says of the maximalist finish, which embraces nature and artifice in equal measure. “The technique was less chosen, more found.”
Can an It Bag be eco-friendly? Alex Dabagh’s aNYbag certainly makes a compelling case. The leather designer achieves a remarkable feat by converting discarded plastic, from ziplocks to film, into usable textiles. Typically fashioned in bold, poppy hues, the new all-black colorway, exclusive to Design Dose, pays homage to New York’s enduring infatuation with moody tones.
One glance at the curvilinear forms that define Le Jardin, a handcrafted wool and silk rug by J.T. Pfeiffer, and the metallic ornamentation of Art Deco architecture may come to mind. Look closer: the rounded shapes also evoke a blossoming flower, or perhaps a birds-eye views of a carefully manicured hedge maze. With a French name that translates to “the garden,” the rug pens a love letter to founder Julia Tonconogy Pfeiffer’s heritage—a frequent inspiration for her burgeoning Buenos Aires studio’s growing collection of custom floor coverings.
At this point, Alireza Razavi has mastered the art of crafting statement furniture. Completing high-end interiors in Paris, London, and New York has given his award-winning French firm, studio razavi architecture, remarkable dexterity with ultra-refined materials. It also affords him the freedom to get creative and experimental. The newly unveiled Alborz Armchair—available exclusively on Design Dose—is the first prototype of a forthcoming five-piece collection slated to be unveiled in 2021. Totemic in stature and dark as the night, the black lacquer-painted piece confidently asserts itself as sculpture, while a flat seat perched atop two conical legs lends function and balance.
The Colombian textile studio VERDI often pairs local craft traditions with elevated materials to create stylish homewares and fashion accessories resplendent in local lore. Lately, the founder and creative director, Tomas Vera, has been captivated by the Cauca region’s rich history of raising silkworms, also known as sericulture. “We’re constantly experimenting with new techniques and material combinations from the vast Colombian repertoire,” Vera says.
Putting these material fascinations on full display is their latest offering—a capsule of aureate handbags featuring an eye-catching fusion of silver-plated metal threads with organic silk sourced from Cauca. Perhaps the lineup’s most exceptional item is the Seashell Weave Handbag. A romantic ode to Colombia’s picturesque beaches, the marine shell motif intricately fuses the two fibers—a process that can take up to ten days—to create a glimmering interplay between materials.
Since founder Kate Casey established Peg Woodworking in 2014, the women-run venture has carved a niche within Brooklyn’s tight-knit design sphere by hand-producing an array of tables, benches, and chairs that pay homage to the clean lines of Shaker furniture, the sleek minimalism of Scandinavian design, and the intricate weaving traditions of Peruvian and Native American artisans. The Satet Bench is no different: it subtly celebrates each movement, distilling them into an undeniably modern pièce de résistance that, as Casey explains, “can be both visually engaging and functional.”
The handwoven cotton seat, easily the bench’s hallmark element, features one continuous cord expertly woven into geometric patterns that gently waterfall over its faceted frame—a process that can take up to 16 hours. And no two are alike: “Each bench is woven with painterly style patterning, making each piece singularly unique,” Casey says.
