Paul Cocksedge to design lighting installation for COS

A rock from Paul Cocksedge’s Orbits installation for COS Coal Drops Yard store

(Image credit: Courtesy COS by Mark Cocksedge)

Londoners are gearing up for the opening of the Heatherwick Studio-designed Coal Drops Yard development that will offer over 50 new stores, restaurants and cafés in Kings Cross. As the official late October opening fast approaches, brands are looking to see how they can celebrate and make noise, and fashion house COS is doing so with an inaugural installation by London-based designer Paul Cocksedge.

For the new 577 sq m space, COS will curate a slew of rotating installations by emerging and established names as an ode to its art-and-design-led collections. To kick things off, Cocksedge will form a light installation titled Orbits using six rocks that he has collected. These organic pieces will hang from stainless steel hoops of LED light to show an engagement between natural and the man made, another nod to COS’ A/W 2018 collections.

‘The collaboration with Paul Cocksedge for this new space was a natural fit due to the synergy between the concept and our collection,’ says Karin Gustafsson, COS creative director. ‘At COS we feel Coal Drops Yard is the perfect location to offer an experience where art is at the forefront and the inspirations behind the collection are exhibited next to the garments.’

*Sketch of Orbits by Paul Cocksedge for COS*

This isn’t the first time Cocksedge has experimented with materials close to him. He turned heads during Salone del Mobile last year with his ‘Excavation: Evicted’ body of work that saw him dig up the floor of his studio to create modular elements of furniture. Orbits is an experiment with contrasts in material. ‘We wanted to explore light as a flexible material, allowing gravity to take over and create its final shape,’ he explains. ‘Orbits is about the juxtaposition between technology and nature – the precision of LED light and the rawness of rock. Although this piece is still, there’s a feeling of innate movement created by the push and pull of these two opposing forces.’

Orbits will go on view in November when COS will open the doors to its new Kings Cross location, shortly after the main Coal Drops Yard opening, so expect big impact.

INFORMATION
For more information, visit the COS website

Sujata Burman is a writer and editor based in London, specialising in design and culture. She was Digital Design Editor at Wallpaper* before moving to her current role of Head of Content at London Design Festival and London Design Biennale where she is expanding the content offering of the showcases. Over the past decade, Sujata has written for global design and culture publications, and has been a speaker, moderator and judge for institutions and brands including RIBA, D&AD, Design Museum and Design Miami/. In 2019, she co-authored her first book, An Opinionated Guide to London Architecture, published by Hoxton Mini Press, which was driven by her aim to make the fields of design and architecture accessible to wider audiences.