Read on for a round-up of our favorites from ICFF.
CLASTE
Claste is a Montreal-based design studio that specializes in “collectible design and contemporary furnishings for residential and commercial markets.” Founded by Philip Hazan, Quinlan Osborne, and Martin Poitras, the studio presented a beautiful collection of glass, pink onyx, and bianco quartzite. The thick slabs of stone were visually lightened in soft colors of cotton candy pink and rainy day grey. The green-edge glass kept the furnitures from disappearing into the neutral background while simultaneously highlighting the “intemporality” of the studio’s self-proclaimed religion. The set-up transcends time and space and each piece would be at home in a 1970’s Floridian condo or a 2020 luxury hotel.
MOROSO
I’ve seen pictures of Daniel Libeskind’s “Gemma” Armchair before, but never got to experience it in person. The granite-like ombre takes one on a galactic adventure and while the chair looks rather uncomfortable, I can confirm that it most certainly isn’t. In fact, the seating is surprisingly soft in contradiction to the belief that the hard edges will be as cozy as napping on a sheet rock.
GABRIELA NOELLE
The phantasmagorical display by Gabriela Noelle took one out of this world and down a rabbit hole adventure. The union of acrylic and repurposed materials played with light and shadows to make a dreamy landscape to merge the past and future. Noelle strives to represent “intangible qualities not usually seen, but revealed to the to the faithful dreamer” and the presentation was at once hard and soft, florid yet muted. The pieces themselves may not be entirely functional for the standard home, but they take one back to a childhood of daydreaming during summer, a melting of a creamsicle the only way of telling the time.
Can the future be nostalgic? Noelle proves it can.
DAVID TRUBRIDGE
The David Trubridge studio may work internationally on commissioned work, but they have a solid collection of products that never fails to disappoint. The team designs “to provide cultural nourishment, to tell stories, to reach people emotionally and spiritually; the objects are a vehicle for the nourishment we so badly lack in all the pragmatic and consumer stuff we are surrounded with [and] to recreate that vital connection to nature that we have lost so much, living in insulated cities.”
The lighting on display at ICFF was a make-shift coral reef. The playful colors in combination with the organic (if not truly natural) forms against the deep sea blue brought to mind an alternate universe of life and light under water.
What’s even more to love is the studio’s dedication to environmentally friendly design. They source their materials from sustainably managed plantations in New Zealand or the United States and use all-natural oils in place of toxic solvents, ensuring that these works of art stay as close to their natural state as possible.
SECTION 001
About 2/3rd of the way meandering through the seemingly endless labyrinth of furniture, lighting, and textiles temporarily inhabiting the Javits Center, we came across Booth 2862: Section 001, a collaborative branding and product design studio comprised of industrial design and architecture students from the University of Cincinnati.
As any group of young people are wont to do, Section 001 stayed on trend with, well, the trends. Muted greens and millennial pinks covered multipurpose wire frames, minimal seating, and extremely functional (and pretty) shelving units.
The space was reminiscent of a 2017 Barbie Dream House Dorm, but without the kitsch. Every piece had its place and every makeshift space had its purpose. Keep your eyes peeled for emerging talent from the students hailing from the College of Design, Architecture, Art & Planning at the University of Cincinnati—it’s a group of talented individuals who know how to create a collective space.
