Philippe—a Canada native who’s lived and studied in Montreal, Paris and Holland—believes that good ideas emerge from the act of creating and doing. Before his own success, he worked with acclaimed British designer Tom Dixon, an experience that would prove transformative. Today, he creates conceptual designs that balance finesse, functionality and a fondness for risk. His work has drawn clients like Hem, Ace Hotel, Izé, Roll & Hill, Umbra Shift and Established & Sons.
After earning a degree in architecture, Chicago native Felicia transplanted to Milan where she worked with design luminaries Antonio Citterio and Piero Lissoni. She currently works as Director of Graduate Studies in Industrial Design at University of Illinois at Chicago, and produces work under her brand, fferrone.
His design strategy also draws from his lifelong passions for mathematics, philosophy and world religion. As the son of Nigerian emigrants to the United States, and a resident of the US, Archibong has lived and worked in Los Angeles, Singapore and Switzerland. His work respects and acknowledges the rich cultural traditions from which he comes from and the places he has experienced over his lifetime.
Joe’s diverse portfolio ranges from furniture to technology, jewelry to toys, architecture and more. His ability to work across disciplines, and belief that design should play a larger role in innovation and problem solving, has positioned him one of the most wanted designers in the world. In 2014, Joe was hailed as “a living blueprint for the 21st century designer” by Forbes magazine.
As the designers behind Fort Standard—a multidisciplinary design studio known for its warm, contemporary aesthetic— this proves consistent. Since 2011, the pair, friends from their days as students at Pratt, have masterminded welcoming store build-outs for brands like Warby Parker, Fjällräven, and Harry’s Corner Shop; all the while, their trivets, candle holders and versatile range of furniture have found success internationally.
Though Sebastian—once a student of the Royal College of Art—got his start producing objects for himself, one of his first projects out of school earned him early success (and landed a place at New York’s Museum of Modern Art). Buoyed by that achievement, he founded his studio shortly thereafter; since then, his work has soared. The designer’s portfolio is filled with everything from playful housewares to functional cookware, encompassing frying pans, corkscrews, kettles, tabletop items, lighting and more. International clients, spanning a range of fields, include Tefal, MUJI, Habitat, De Beers, Moulinex, Vitra and Swarovski.
I think my work is rather eclectic and varied. I like that each project is totally different from all the others and that each design is a new challenge and a new way of working. Not getting stuck on one style. I like Scandinavian design, Japanese design and Swiss architecture and am influenced by many different camps. But I don't want to categorize myself in any one of them. It's like with music: I like in each style of music, different artists.
Aside from applying that experience and knowledge to creating minimal and refined objects and spaces, Josh is also a teacher disseminating his humanistic approach to design as the professor and Chair of the Industrial Design Department at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Along with his wife and two other designers, Javier and Bambú are able to keep themselves at the tip of the spear in the design world. Bambú Studio creates objects that are simultaneously practical and elegant yet also playful and imbued with a certain Spanish quality.
There is no such thing as mere coincidence at the trio’s Stockholm-based studio. Every detail is the result of a thoughtful creative process in which function plays a central role. Take the large glass windows at the studio’s entrance, for instance. Not only do they lend character to the space, they’re also a major source of sunlight in a city that spends half the year in gloom.
Alissia's career has taken her around the world; a Netherlands native, she cut her teeth on design at the Design Academy Eindhoven (DAE) before transplanting to the U.S. for her Master’s in Industrial Design. After a brief stint in San Francisco, she finally settled in New York, where she opened her own studio.
Founded only two years ago, Everything Elevated seeks inspiration in the earliest human tools. They describe the lemon juicer they created for OTHR, for instance, as one part hand, one part lemon, and one part 3D printed object. It’s a tool that reflects a theme of contrast that’s deeply embedded in their work—theirs is a space where nature meets construct; a thoughtful process trumps speedy production; and time-honored methods of manufacturing meets cutting-edge technology.
Over this tenure, Clabots has picked up manufacturing, production and merchandising skills from which less innovative (or more practical) designers might have chosen to shy away, all of which have informed his broad portfolio and diverse range of work.
onah certainly didn’t choose an average route; in fact, nothing about the musician-turned-designer is run of the mill. Born in Tokyo and raised in New England, Jonah grew up spending summers in Japan where he learned about his father’s career as a Tokyo architect. In high school, when he wasn’t playing in various bands with friends, he was taking AP art courses and working on a design portfolio. He knew attending RISD was a lofty ambition. Once he was accepted, the decision to attend was an easy one.
Todd, who’s worked out of the Brooklyn Navy Yard for seven years, speaks about this partnership—and all other projects he’s had a hand in since—with the articulate ease of a designer whose every endeavor is the result of much deep thought and attentive, well-informed problem-solving. With 20 years of experience (including nine years working overseas), the New York native is now at the helm of his own strategic design practice, with clientele including 3M, Cappellini, Issey Miyake and Herman Miller.