One of our favourite design couples, Neri & Hu, has collaborated with De la Espada on a new collection of furniture, which they unveiled in New York during ICFF this week. The Shanghai-based duo has created 10 new pieces especially for the occasion, adding to an existing range, which will now all be produced by the Portuguese furniture makers.

The collection is everything we could have hoped for - a brilliant blend of Eastern sensibilities with De la Espada's expert,
contemporary craftsmanship. Some highlights from the varied range include a trio of tables that have been paired with geometric legs, an architectural two-tier desk or vanity table with a fold-up mirror attached, and a low-backed deep seat sofa, reminiscent of a Chinese opium bed.

Not ones to follow the design pack, Neri & Hu eschewed a launch in Milan's Salone del Mobile for New York, in tribute to their American roots. 'Launching in New York is somewhat like a homecoming for us, since we were both educated in the US, went to school close to New York and worked in firms in New York before returning to Asia to start our [architectural] practice,' explained Rossana Hu.

True to their multifaceted form, Neri & Hu also created a special installation within the new luxury apartment building 345 Meatpacking by DDG, which doubled up as their exhibition space for the week. The installation, which was hosted by The Future Perfect (our New York design destination of choice), cleverly divided the space into a more intimate environment.

Visitors made their way down a dark corridor lined with pigeon holes, which they peeked through to see sketches, renderings and models of other Neri & Hu projects, before entering the main space where the new pieces could be viewed. Coupled with the sounds of Shanghai's busy streets that were piped into the space and the raw brick walls of the existing building, the exhibition format brought to mind the inner and outer courtyard format of traditional Chinese houses.

The new Neri & Hu collection for De La Espada is available from The Future Perfect

RELATED TOPICS: CHINA, NERI & HU, FURNITURE DESIGN