An LDF opener

Bill Prince, editor-in-chief

There is something pleasingly familial about the way in which David Collins Studio has chosen to celebrate its 40th anniversary during London Design Festival. Arranged around the walls of the main exhibition space at The Lavery (4 Cromwell Place) are enlarged details of examples of the celebrated architecture and interior design practice's work, which includes some of the most famous social landmarks in London, from the contemporary grandeur of The Wolseley to the jewel box-like confines of the Connaught Bar. Since 2017 the David Collins Foundation (established after the designer's untimely death in 2013) has partnered with the Arts Foundation on the annual Futures Award, recognising a wide range of creative disciplines, each recipient an artist Collins once met, admired or was simply moved by. Bringing together exhibits across nine distinct mediums, the accompany show, 'Convergence', is a small token of these interactions, curated by Ellen E. Jones as a 'conversation' between practitoners with whom Collins shared the capacity, as the notes suggest, the 'capacity to archive emotion, memory and time'. Not to be missed.

A floating dinner

Ellie Stathaki, architecture and environment director

With the London tube strike in full swing this week, it was all about alternative methods of transport on Tuesday – and, so, fitting that the 2025 London Festival of Architecture's celebratory closing dinner took place on a boat. Set on the Paddington basin, the event, generously hosted by LFA director Rosa Rogina, saw the festival's numerous supporters sharing a meal and chat, taking stock and reflecting on this year's edition – while looking forward to the next, as speculation was thriving as to the 2026 theme, due to be announced in a few weeks.

A week of design appointments

Rosa Bertoli, global design director

I had a soft start to London Design Festival this week with, among other things, a preview of the David Collins Foundation's Convergence exhibition. On Friday morning, Tom Dixon gave us a tour of his Coal Office showroom to discuss some of his current projects and interests – in particular, I was impressed with his oversized take on portable lighting design, and the dichroic filter option you can add to his Melt lights (which he is demonstrating here). Also of note was the Out Of Orifice exhibition, a small display by East London-based design collective Heirloom exploring objects designed to be inserted in the body, a project which I am sure will spark many important conversations around function and pleasure

A 49th birthday

Charlotte Gunn, director of digital content

On Thursday, the Beggars Group – home to Adele, Fontaines DC, Pixies, Pulp and countless others – celebrated its 49th year with a blow-out bash at Old Billingsgate. The party unfolded across multiple levels with immersive performance art from Gideon Reeling, surprise sets (Belle & Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch assembled a supergroup, while Badly Drawn Boy reminded me how much I adored The Hour of Bewilderbeast) and DJ sessions that ran long into the night. It was a tremendous do of 90s-scale proportions and a clear counter to the argument that there’s no money left in the music industry.

A modernist pilgrimage

Gabriel Annouka, senior designer

During a pilgrimage to the Calanques of Marseille I stopped at Le Corbusier’s uncompromising Unité d’Habitation, La Cité Radieuse. Wallpaper* just devoted twenty-six pages of the October Issue to the modernist housing development, showing the diverse lives and interiors of its residents, and suddenly there I was, in the same lift with one of them: Koubrat and Jocelyne, an elderly couple photographed for the feature, smiled, said Bonjour! and pressed the button when I asked for the third floor. The elevator doors opened to the aftermath of ‘Art-o-rama’, as it was carefully being packed away. It was here, in one of the design shops that line the corridor, that I met Laura, another face from our pages. I’d placed her and her partner’s portrait carefully into the layout, and now there she was, stepping out of print and into real life.

We spoke about Marseille and its everyday rhythms that make the city magnetic, and she warmly invited me back for the gallery’s next opening during the European Heritage Days on 20-21 September. It felt miraculous, like the magazine had folded back on itself and delivered me straight into its pages. Then I climbed to the terrace on the ninth floor, where MAMO, Ora ïto’s gallery, resides. Here two works by Sterling Ruby stood guard, inside the large scale painting WALL (2017); outside Double Candle (2018) a monumental bronze commanding the rooftop, with Marseille stretching endlessly below. The high-rise viewpoint here wasn’t about exhibitionism alone, but scale, proportion and the clarity of standing inside an architectural designer’s measured vision.

At London Design Festival 2025, The David Collins Foundation presents 'Convergence', an exhibition featuring a curation of talent it has honoured through its support of the Arts Foundation's annual Futures Awards. Presented at The Lavery as part of the Brompton Design District, the exhibition also marks the 40th anniversary of David Collins Studio.

Set up in 2016 to commemorate the late David Collins' passion for culture, creativity and the arts, the foundation that bears his name supports artists working across different fields resonating with Collins' passions, to help them develop their practice. 'We wanted to take David's passion and curiosity for culture forward,' says the studio's founder and CEO, Iain Watson. 'Our partnership with the Arts Foundation has evolved in very inspiring ways over the years, exploring areas of creativity where much support is needed, from poetry to biodesign.'

‘Convergence’: The David Collins Foundation at London Design Festival 2025

Each year since 2017, The David Collins Foundation and the Arts Foundation have partnered on an annual award. Curated by broadcaster and author Ellen E Jones, the new exhibition seeks to find connections between the works of past winners, who represent a variety of fields, from design and craft to film, sculpture, bio design, set design and poetry. On display is the work of artists Ayo Akingbade and Savinder Bual, designers Jochen Holz, Louise Lenborg Skajem and Aura Murillo, Max Frommeld and TK Hay, poets Ella Frears and Will Harris, and filmmakers Cherish Oteka and Onyeka Igwe.

The exhibition started with a question: 'Can an object lend permanence to an otherwise fleeting human experience?' All the works on display form connections with each other and with the mission of the foundation, in an attempt to 'archive emotion, memory and time'.

'I see my role as curator as something akin to a host or facilitator, entrusted with helping to bring together a group of extraordinary guests for a moment of shared connection,' says Jones, who over the past few months delved deep into the works of the talents on display.

'I was in awe of The David Collins Foundation and its work,' she continues. 'I wanted to explore how the idea of legacy develops for contemporary practices.'

The exhibition, designed by London-based studio Bibliothèque is staged as an 'imagined gathering'. Says Jones: 'The guests are the works themselves, each one representing an artist the late David Collins once met, admired, and was moved by. My hope is to arrange them so that a conversation begins to take place, until the room feels alive with connection.'

Among the pieces on display is the work of German designer Max Frommeld, the partnership's first award winner, in 2017; Frommeld used the prize money to travel to the US, where he created an object a day for a month. 'In a different place, your work changes: you soak up different inspirations around you, like a sponge,' he says. His featured set-up includes a toilet seat made with an elaborate wood inlay technique, which he describes as 'marquetry, but very lo-fi', and 'not so much “a piece”, but actually more a process'.

The most recent talent to be honoured is theatre designer TK Hay, whose set model for Scenes from a Repatriation questions the concept of exhibition. What is interesting is that although the maquette is presented as an artwork within the exhibition, it is actually a tool, an object, he explains, 'through which I am communicating what the space is going to look like’.

Shown at the Royal Court Theatre, London, the play by Joel Tan is about the controversial journey from China to the UK of a 1,000-year-old statue, which remains on view but wrapped, mummy-like, for the duration of the play.

No Archive Can Restore You, a 2020 film by Onyeka Igwe, is also concerned with hidden historical objects. Shot at Lagos’ now defunct Colonial Film Unit, the nearly six-minute film is 'a sonic exploration of the archival space', accompanied by a reimagined audio track for the now-unavailable colonial-era films.

The Guinness brewery on Lagos’ Ikeja Industrial Estate (the first brewery Guinness opened outside Ireland, in the early 1960s) forms part of the photographic work of visual artist Ayo Akingbade. Working with personal and family archives throughout her practice, she has created a triptych that layers images from Ikeja with personal photos and pop-culture icons, as Jones notes, 'playing with the idea of archiving as a connector of themes'.

Merging memory with bio design, Memorial Reef addresses 'the whole bureaucratic process of a funeral and realising that death can be taboo'. The project by Aura Murillo and Louise Lenborg Skajem is based on a novel take on a traditional funeral urn: using a 'bio-receptive formula' to protect and restore the oceans, the sculptural pieces have been used for a pilot underwater cemetery in Bali, where they have become home to a variety of fish, coral and other species. 'It’s very beautiful, because in the end, it represents how an end of life is creating new life.'

Also looking at Bali for inspiration is Savinder Bual (who, according to her bio, 'doesn’t mind if you think of her as an artist, or a designer, or even an inventor'). Her simple mechanisms, made with found and reclaimed materials, are based on the rattles used by Balinese farmers to scare away birds.

'I'm not precious… My main thing is that the work doesn't just sit in my studio; that it’s shared,' she says. 'It’s so important to try and find pockets of joy, or bring ourselves to the present.' Visitors at the exhibition are able to try the objects.

On display nearby are new glass pieces by London-based Jochen Holz, the UK’s only master practitioner of lampworking (a form of glasswork that originates from the manufacture of scientific equipment). Experimenting with form and colour, Holz creates pieces that can't easily be categorised, beyond their obvious function as vessels: 'You don't categorise it too closely… Sometimes you have this function just as an anchor,' he says. His objects are conceived as spontaneous expressions of the material.

The second video on display, a BAFTA-winning film by filmmaker Chez Oteka, explores inter-generational connection and empathy. The film is an intimate portrait of Gamal 'G' Turawa, an ex-Metropolitan police officer, struggling with themes of identity, homophobia and racism. '[In life] we go through things and feel like we're the only one, when actually there's generations of people who've gone through that same thing before,' Oteka comments.

It is unusual to see poetry presented within a London Design Festival exhibition, and the two pieces by Ella Frears and Will Harris are a welcome surprise. 'Blue Acres' started when the two poets did a shared freewrite on the theme of ‘blue’ – a shade that was also associated with David Collins, and remains important to the studio. This poem in two parts offers a view of memory around a specific colour. 'You're taking in as much as possible of a moment or place, in order to then try and reflect some element of that in poetic form,' the pair say.

Addressing the diversity within the exhibition, Iain Watson reflects on how the fields covered by the award with the Arts Foundation have broadened over time. 'We started with furniture, and the award evolved over the years – every year, we review the categories, to understand which areas of creativity need more support. The roster of talent on view here is a great representation of the passion for culture and art that drives us, and it's been great to have Ellen research parallels within them.'

In the late 18th century, the poet William Wordsworth embarked on a meandering trek along the serpentine shores of Lake Como, rhapsodising about the landscape as ‘a treasure whom the earth keeps to herself’. Wordsworth was one among a cadre of Romantics – Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and John Keats – who travelled from England to the northern Italian region and felt compelled to immortalise its landscapes in verse.

It is against this picturesque and storied backdrop that another English artistic force, London’s David Collins Studio, best known for its meticulously designed restaurants and sumptuously appointed luxury hotels, has similarly found a creative outlet thanks to Promemoria, the Italian artisan furniture brand based in the Lake Como-side town of Valmadrera. Together, they are launching their latest collaboration: a stunning new collection of furniture, crafted in Como yet inspired by the English capital.

Nearly in its 40th year, Promemoria is known as the paragon of Italian artisan furniture. Every object the brand produces – from the ‘Bacco’ cabinet, with its wooden inlay that recalls a patchwork quilt, to the monumental ‘Andalù’ table, distinguished by its streak of bronze inlay and curving legs, as well as the made-to-measure custom projects for clients – is produced locally, entirely by hand by one of the 100-strong team of craftspeople.

The new collection, titled ‘London Collection- Act II’, comprises nine distinct pieces – a sofa, a loveseat, a chaise longue, an armchair, a cabinet, side tables, a desk, plus a dining table and coordinating chairs – each a balance between classical craftsmanship and modern sensibility. The ‘Chiswick’ modular sofa, for instance, is bookended by two curved oak armrests with integrated, suede-lined shelving that evoke a Scandinavian purity of form. The ‘Fulham’ chaise longue bears a slightly more traditional profile. A square backrest – crafted from the same textured oak as the sofa – runs along part of two sides, forming a sharp, architectural corner on the rectangular frame. A cylindrical bolster nestles into the seat cushion, upholstered in a wool bouclé, ensuring it remains in place without disrupting the carefully calibrated proportions.

Though the collection draws inspiration from London – each piece named after one of the many bridges spanning the River Thames – the muted shades of lilac and earthy browns, bronze detailing and glass elements seem to recall the shimmering hues that dance across the lake each spring. Or perhaps, even, the climbing wisteria that drapes itself in a shaggy cascade over the façade of Promemoria founder Romero Sozzi’s grand lakeside villa – which, unsurprisingly, is filled with hand-crafted treasures.

Villa Mapelli, as it is known, is best viewed from the water. Approaching the shore, its lemon-yellow façade rises from the sprawling terraced garden, shaded by towering cypress trees, umbrella pines, and a single, statuesque Japanese maple. Sozzi purchased the property in 2001 and spent the next five years resuscitating the dilapidated 17th-century manse, located in Varenna, a picturesque town clinging to the hillside on the lake’s eastern shore.

Much like the collections Sozzi releases annually with Promemoria, the house is exquisitely tailored – though achieving such refinement was no small feat. 'It was a complete disaster,' Sozzi recalls of the house’s state when he found it. 'The roof was collapsing, the floors were falling through. The previous owners lived in a tiny corner so as not to have to pay for restoration work.' With a combination of time, effort, and access to the region’s most skilled craftspeople, Sozzi was able to bring the villa back to life.

One enters Villa Mapelli directly from the street – a long and winding thoroughfare that circles the lakeshore in its entirety. The house wastes no time introducing guests to its charms, after passing through a narrow entrance hall, you reach the living room, with its three floor-to-ceiling windows that frame Como like a postcard. Overhead, an elaborate fresco depicting village scenes and nearby landscapes competes for attention from the eye.

In the bedrooms, the meticulously carved millwork, stained a dark chocolate brown, cocoons the spacious beds, imbuing the cavernous chambers with a sense of warmth and intimacy. The oversized oak doors are lined with dove-grey velvet, effectively quieting their imposing character. Within its rooms, art and furniture from Italian visionaries – sofas by Gio Ponti, armchairs by Ico Parisi – mingle with pieces from Promemoria’s past collections.

Sozzi can trace his family’s presence on Lake Como’s shores nearly as far back as Wordsworth’s visit. In the 1800s, his grandfather ran a workshop restoring wooden carriages for the local aristocracy. When automobiles rendered horse-drawn transport obsolete, Sozzi’s father turned to fixing antique furniture, abundant in the grand villas and regal palaces that surround the lake.

It was in his father’s workshop, among the artisans and ancient tools, that he was first confronted with the possibilities of craft. 'It was like leafing through an encyclopaedia,' says the designer and entrepreneur, recalling the wealth of historical objects that would pass through the atelier’s doors. With each piece of furniture came a different expert: the man from Padua, a master of wooden inlay; a woman so skilled in repairing fabric, that tears in decades-old upholstery would vanish completely; and the craftsman from Brianza – very short, Sozzi remembers – who often travelled the handful of miles north when a bit of gold leaf was in need of touching up.

Sozzi, who studied painting at the Brera Academy, began working with his father at a young age, yet his tastes always skewed modern. He was enamoured with the organic lines of Alvar Aalto and Ico Parisi’s bold yet intuitive forms. When he founded Promemoria in 1988, it naturally became a confluence of the fascinations he had nurtured up until that point. An eye for colour and composition honed at art school, an appreciation for the functionality championed by the modernists, and a reverence for craft, learned first-hand at his father’s workbench.

It was this dedication to craftsmanship that has sustained the company’s longstanding relationship with David Collins Studio. 'The commitment Promemoria has to quality is really inspiring,' says Lewis Taylor, the studio’s design director. 'The time and care that goes into each piece is incredible.'

Sozzi’s discovery of David Collins’ work happened almost by accident, yet that moment of serendipity is still providing creative fodder for the brand over a decade later. As the story goes, Sozzi was dining at London’s The Wolseley – designed by the late David Collins in 2003 –and was immediately taken by the elegance of the restaurant’s interiors. 'I fell in love with the atmosphere,' remembers Sozzi. 'I said to the manager: find out who the architect is.'

That encounter was the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship for the two companies, even long after Collins' passing in 2013. Their first collection, released in 2015, featured gracefully sculpted seating, refined cabinetry, and tables fit for the most distinguished of interiors. It was inspired by a subtle curve in one of The Wolseley dining chair’s backrests, an element that can also be found in the ‘London Collection - Act II’. 'We wanted to nod to the previous pieces,' Taylor says of the collaboration, 'but evolve them, and push forward some new ideas.'

Indeed, the same sensibility underpins the dialogue between these two worlds – one steeped in the quiet elegance of Como’s artisan heritage, the other shaped by the refined modernity of British design. Like Villa Mapelli, it is a testament to craftsmanship as a living tradition, one that evolves with each generation while remaining anchored in a deep reverence for place.

‘London Collection - Act II’ by David Collins Studio for Promemoria is available from April 2025, and will be on show during Milan Design Week at Promemoria's showroom, Via Bagutta 13, Via Monte Napoleone, 8.

Promemoria.com, Davidcollins.studio

Make it to the must-sees with our guide to Milan Design Week 2025

Also find our Milan preview in the May issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands from 3 April 2025, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Cunard’s Queen Anne is the latest jewel from the British luxury cruise legacy brand – its first cruise ship in almost 15 years and the 249th historically. At the heart of the grand vessel lies the Britannia Restaurant, a 2,005 sq m space designed by David Collins Studio.

Cunard’s Queen Anne David Collins Studio-designed Britannia Restaurant

Open to all guests and the primary dining venue on board, the Britannia Restaurant is an impressive two-tiered space. London-based David Collins Studio faced the challenging task of visualising a setting that could accommodate 1,086 covers. Lewis Taylor, design director at the studio, notes: ‘The combination of exceptional cuisine, attentive service, and stunning ambience makes Britannia a highlight of Queen Anne’s onboard experience, and open to everyone.’

An overarching Greek mythology theme wraps the interiors, which see four dramatic murals by illustrator John Biggs depicting the historic frieze of the Anemoi wind gods, who represent the four seasons. David Collins Studio discovered this symbology during a visit to Cunard’s archive, specifically in the maritime heritage of Cunard’s Queen Mary cruise line.

’We attributed suitable colours to each Greek wind myth to inform the restaurant’s colour palette. Boreas, the north wind, is represented by winter blue; Notus, the south wind, is represented by oranges; Eurus, the east wind, is represented by yellow sunshine and Zephyrus, the west wind, is represented by spring rains/green. The overall design strives to celebrate the movement of the wind and the patterns created on the sea.

The main space is dominated by two central columns that rise to a double height, adorned with bronze fins and starburst patterns, nodding to a ship’s wheel. Meanwhile, the dining room’s upper-level edges and columns are coated in faceted mirrors with integrated lighting. The carpet follows through on the design concept by presenting a subtle yet kaleidoscopic interpretation of air currents.

For the Britannia Restaurant’s art collection, David Collins Studio worked closely with Double Decker, a London-based curating studio that specialises in tailoring art collections for the hospitality industry. A standout among the hand-picked pieces is the 6m, floor-to-ceiling lighting sculpture by the staircase.

Wilhelm Finger and Melita Skamnaki, founders of Double Decker, also highlight a mixed-media artwork by German artist Mevlana Lipp as another favourite. It captures natural details to symbolise human emotions and experiences beyond the limitations of the conscious mind, they explain. ‘We were inspired by Lipp’s abstract work to spotlight the incredible richness of life under the sea, perfectly elevating Britannia’s elegant and timeless interior scheme,’ they add.

Cunard’s Queen Anne will begin its maiden voyage on 3 May 2024

cunard.com, davidcollins.studio

New restaurant Tre Dita swoops into the city of Chicago, making a home on the second floor of the decadent St Regis hotel. Built on tradition and glamour, the interior boasts an open-hearth, wood-fired grill, creating a welcoming atmosphere.

Tre Dita in St Regis Hotel

As you are guided to your table, you journey through an arched walkway, which passes a temperature- and humidity-controlled ‘pasta lab’, where chefs can be seen hand-making pasta for the evening ahead.

The interior design of the space was created by David Collins Studio (also behind the recent Fontainebleau Las Vegas). The studio used an organic colour scheme that includes earthy tones of terracotta, sienna, and maroon, alongside white and grey marble. The entrance features arched detailing and columns that nod to Italian architecture. The use of dark-stained, chequered flooring, timber panelling, and wrought-iron lighting adds a casual flair while also evoking the sophisticated yet relaxed dining style of southern Europe.

The surrounding upholstery features deep blue leather and forest green, complementing the linen curtains at the floor-to-ceiling windows that offer a stunning view of the city. Overall, the studio has successfully blended modern dining with traditional elements, creating what feels like a hidden culinary gem that could be tucked away on an Italian street.

Tre Dita is a collaboration between chef and partner Evan Funke, his first Chicago restaurant, and Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants. ‘When you visit a restaurant in Florence, Lucca or Livorno, you meet a constant in themes and traditions – handmade pasta, wood-fired cooking, and bistecca. Tre Dita is a place where those traditions can live in full illustration,’ says Funke.

To stay true to this ethos, Tre Dita gathers an array of culinary inspiration from many areas within Tuscany, including Pontremoli, Pienza and Chiusi. The menu offers an assortment of antipasti, Tuscan pastas and insalati. Highlights include Funke’s signature Schiacciata Bianca, a house-made rosemary and sea salt focaccia Toscana; Fiori di Zucca, which is squash blossom with ricotta and Parmigiano; and Gamberi in Salsa Verde, fresh prawns doused in Italian Salsa verde. Pasta includes Tagliatelle al Ragù and Tortelli di Zucca.

Tre Dita is Italian for ‘three fingers’, a traditional measure to achieve the precise thickness of Bistecca alla Fiorentina, the restaurant’s namesake and speciality.

treditarestaurant.com

January and February are not kind to blues. Cliff Arnall, a renowned psychologist, knows better than most the impact that blue can have on our collective consciousness and, many would say, mood. It was Arnall, after all, who created the ‘Blue Monday’ tag for his client, Sky Travel, in 2004. The general thinking, based on something of a scientific formula, was that debt, gloomy weather and, perhaps, low motivation, meant January was indeed the cruellest month of the year. Therefore, the best way to raise collective spirits was to prompt us to dream about sunnier climes and book a holiday. Though, you might be more inclined to ponder the benefits of elevating the everyday with this ocean-blue velvet George Nelson 1960s Daf chair, by ICF Cadsana, Milan and charcoal-like blue Rudi Rabitti Orvetto leather wastepaper bin.

Naturally, anyone, anywhere who sells anything loved the idea and so it’s never gone away, and though the PR concept has been much derided by mental health professionals and cynics everywhere, X, formerly known as Twitter goes into meltdown every January as #BlueMonday takes over. February hasn't fared so well on the public relations front, but there is an infinite stream of pages dedicated to it as the 'worst month of the year'.

Arnall, you might think, has a lot to answer for, though these days he is contrite, and has spent years seeking to reclaim the Blue Monday tagline and reframe his pithy notion of the January Blues as a time of hope, positive anticipation and bold thinking. This year, the British mental health charity Samaritans launched its own campaign urging people not to focus on that Monday as the most difficult day of the year, but to accept that ‘we all have our good days and our bad days’, and that ‘those aren’t for the calendar to decide’.

Why blue designs can be ‘warm, nuanced, and relaxing’ 

Simon Rawlings, chief creative officer at David Collins Studio, the designers behind one of the most celebrated blue interiors ever created – the Blue Bar, at London's Berkeley Hotel – is unlikely to be circling his diary on the 15th of the first month of any year. In fact, right now, he is in a particularly buoyant mood, having just been voted onto the Walpole Power 50 List, as one of the most influential names in British luxury. ‘We don't find blue to be an inherently depressive colour,’ he tells me. ‘Our founder, David Collins, always had an affinity with the colour, as he grew up by the sea in Dublin.’

The studio’s all-blue Berkeley Hotel design undoubtedly kicked off a trend for destination bars in London in the early 2000s, highlighting blue’s unexpected warmth while it went about it. ‘David especially liked the lavender-hued element of the spectrum,’ Rawlings confirms. ‘Warmer tones like lavender and royal blue in the scheme counteract any “blues” effect for a more vibrant and balanced design. Used considerately, blue is warm, nuanced, and relaxing.’

David Collins Studio’s new design for the Mirabella restaurant at the famed Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel confirms blue’s more sociable side. So what more uplifting way than to banish the first month of the year in celebration of brilliant and calming blues.

The Bryanston apartments make the most of a bustling, upmarket, central London neighbourhood, Hyde Park’s greenery at their doorstep and architecture by the world-renowned studio of Rafael Viñoly; and now, the luxury London residential development by Almacantar also has a brand new interiors offering in the shape of a show apartment, masterfully created by David Collins Studio (DCS) with guest curation from Nick Vinson of Vinson&Co, a Wallpaper* contributing editor. Bringing together a selection of contemporary British artists and makers, as well as taking advantage of the property’s generous proportions, light and views, the new apartment interior design is uplifting, original and elegant. 

’Apartment 11.02 has a genuine sense of place, it's on the edge of Hyde Park, straddling Mayfair and Marylebone, so we literally bought the park inside with some of the commissions, such as the table from a felled London plane tree, and decorative elements taken directly from the park; we also incorporated emblematic furniture pieces from iconic DCS projects from the neighbourhood, like a chandelier from The Wolseley and a trolley from The Connaught, and worked with local businesses including Connolly, Perfumer H and David Mellor,’ says Vinson. 

The Bryanston apartment interiors

The result is both eye-catching and playfully light-hearted, featuring high-end furniture designs, bespoke art (including a powerful three-dimensional relief by London-based sculptor Lucy Smith, which adorns the entrance and corridors, inspired by Wedgwood’s Jasperware) and lots of colour – every room has its own theme, from the blue bedroom to the refreshingly bright yellow dining area. Tactile fabrics are juxtaposed with reflective surfaces that allow the sunlight to bounce and illuminate the space richly throughout the course of the day. Adding to this interior’s feast for the senses, each room has its own scent, created by Perfumer H. 

Vinson, who has worked with DCS in the past and is intimately familiar with the studio’s body of work, proposes that true character in an interior space can be a mix of iconic, classic pieces and bespoke elements: ‘I curated the “DCS 30” anniversary exhibition for David Collins Studio in 2015, so I can boast an encyclopaedic knowledge of the studio’s projects and products. Their furniture pieces were selected from over three decades and custom-made in new finishes, building the foundation of the project, and then mixed with vintage finds and many bespoke commissions from a roster of London-based designer-makers, talents who responded brilliantly to our brief. I always like to mix things up to avoid a “total look” from any single source.’

What makes this apartment design at The Bryanston stand out among its peers? ‘I hope that is due to the maniacal attention to detail and the considered curation of everything, which is entirely custom-made down to bedding, scent and stationery,’ says Vinson.

The paravent in églomisé glass reflecting the sky over Hyde Park

A view into the principal bedroom with Henry Moore lithograph

The walls, bed, sofa and curtains in the principal bedroom are all in Loro Piana cashmere

The principal bedroom

INFORMATION

thebryanston.co.uk

davidcollins.studio

nickvinson.com

Harrods, the 1,000,000 sq ft London department store that once used a cobra to guard a pair of diamond-encrusted shoes, supplied Ronald Reagan with an elephant, and features a Vegas-style Egyptian themed escalator – has always had a penchant for grandeur. It should come as no surprise then that the store’s newly opened Chocolate Hall is an exuberant confectionary wonderland, with live demonstrations by world-renowned chocolatiers and dozens of chocolates on offer from some of the world’s most exclusive sweets brands.

These include To’ak, which is made with one of the rarest varieties of Ecuadorian Nacional cacao beans and fermented through a unique handcrafted process, as well as heritage favourites like William Curley and Pierre Marcolini.

Chocolate-making has long been a part of Harrods' history. It opened its first chocolate counter in 1870, before beginning its own in-house chocolate production in the early 19th-century and producing over 100 tonnes of chocolate by the 1970s. 

While the chocolate factory might be steeped in history, the new Hall is designed with the modern shop-goer in mind. The interiors have been designed by the illustrious David Collins Studios, who undertook an exhausting restoration process of the original chocolate hall which included reworking the space's extensive tilework by hand and recreating the impressive granite and marble floor.

These Edwardian features are enlivened by contemporary touches, including climate-controlled counters that ensure each piece of confectionary is kept at optimal temperature. 

A concern for ethicality and sustainability is also on display at the Chocolate Hall, with only responsibly sourced cocoa on offer. In a new bid to make sure all of their products are ethically sourced, Harrods has acquired chocolates only from accredited suppliers who either buy cocoa from farms that participate in certification schemes or who buy directly from the farms themselves to ensure that farmers are paid a premium.

The end result is a Willy Wonka factory for the sophisticated set, a much-welcomed bit of indulgence after a long period of prudence.

INFORMATION

harrods.com; davidcollins.studio

Ask any interior designer and they’ll tell you that the way an interior space is planned and furnished to create precisely the right mood will make or break a project. The slightest error in a sconce placement, or an injudicious choice of paint, never mind the imperfect angle of a rug or sofa, and the space will become off-kilter. You might not be able to pin-point exactly why you’re not completely comfortable in a restaurant or a bar or a drawing room, but your receptivity to the experience will be the equivalent of the pea in the princess’s bed.

The late David Collins understood this fundamental deeply, and it’s the reason why, time and again, his blue-chip clients kept coming back to him.

Seven years after his untimely death in 2013, his 45-member, London-based studio marks its 35th anniversary this month, and there is plenty to commemorate, not least his lasting impressions on the hospitality industry around the world, particularly in London.

‘David was endlessly curious about culture, design, music and film,’ says Iain Watson, Collins’ co-founding business partner and the CEO of David Collins Studio. ‘His inspiration came from far and wide.’

Trained at the Dublin School of Architecture, Collins once observed that ‘something that is done really simply but beautifully can become very interesting’. For over three decades, he personally translated this dictum into a dizzying range of private and commercial projects, beginning with Pierre Koffman’s gorgeously lit La Tante Claire back in 1985, right through to the gilded opulence of the Blue Bar at the Berkeley, and Brasserie Zedel, the latter – a study in fin de siècle excess zhooshed up for the Millennial one-percent – just one of several high-profile projects Collins worked on with his long-time clients, Corbin & King.

A David Collins interior is a stage set. Grounded in the aesthetics of the decorative arts movement, each space – whether restaurant, bar, hotel room, fashion boutique or even a Cunard ship – features a dramatically theatrical unfurling of richly detailed furnishings. The vibe is distinctly masculine with a predilection for dark stained leather, acres of black and white marble, and hard metal edges. 

There was also a penchant for oversized mirrors and reflective surfaces, which Collins paired with a sixth sense for placing furniture in a way that offered convivial privacy as well as direct sightlines to other tables. It’s little wonder that The Wolseley, for instance, along with Bob Bob Ricard and the Connaught Bar remain favourites for a spot of discrete celebrity-watching; or that their designs have been much copied, but rarely equalled.

For industry observers and afficionados, what’s been particularly gratifying is that Collins’ Studio has continued to nurture and, in many ways, amplify this bent for the theatrics across an unusually diverse range of projects – a Mandarin Oriental in Doha and The Delaire Graff Estate in South Africa to a Thomas Keller outpost in New York and Harrods’ fabled Food Hall. All of which, says design director Lewis Taylor, have provided the studio with ‘a unique view of luxury’.

The imprimatur to create lasting design remains a constant, though. As the studio’s creative director Simon Rawlings points out, though increasingly discriminating end-users want a unique experience, ‘we are not creating disposable design. [In fact], most of our material innovations refer to historic techniques, artisanal approaches and craft.’

It’s a sentiment echoed by associate director, Siobhan Kelly. ‘There is an ever-expanding consumer appetite for environmentally conscious hospitality venues,’ she says. ‘A holistic approach to sustainability is no longer an option. It’s an imperative. It will be extremely challenging for businesses who don’t make this shift in approach to comfortably exist.’

Of course, the shadow of COVID looms, particularly over the luxury end of the industry, but the studio’s top brass, at least, are upbeat, if for no other reason than their collective belief that quality and experience float. And being able to pivot is key. As Watson puts it, ‘I think it could be interesting to show how agile the studio’s DNA could be with an unpredictable project. Could we design a car interior or a capsule range of clothing? If we believe in the brief, we should do it.’

For now, it’s heads down. The days are packed. Finishing touches are being made to Nobu Portman Square in London, while marquee projects include the David Beckham-branded suites in Macau, a terrace restaurant in Nice, alongside a new Cunard ship and Harrods Chocolate Food Hall. Also in the pipeline are private residences in the UK and abroad, turnkey commercial residences, and clubhouse spaces. ‘Our approach is never to replicate what has been done before,’ says Taylor, ‘but to give each project a sense of place and identity.’

Taylor is preaching to the converted. Suffice it to say that we’re very much looking forward to another 35 years.

‘Menswear has experienced a quiet revolution over the past few years,' states Michael Ward, managing director of Harrods, reflecting on the London store's ongoing revamp of this long-overlooked department. ‘Menswear within Harrods has gone from strength to strength, and we want to match this growth with the investment in a truly unique destination.'

The launch of the Men’s Superbrands department, is the first step in a seven-phase redevelopment of Menswear and Sports at the iconic London store, which responds to recent innovations and increased customer demand within the sector. The longer term mens department project, which spans 155,000sq ft, is set to complete by 2020, and is the largest investment in Harrods’ menswear history. 

Superbrands opened at the end of 2018 with an opulent but timeless interior dreamt up by London-based practice David Collins Studio, which has, in the past five years, also revamped the store's shoe department and food hall.

Moving from the store's ground floor, where it has been present for more than 80 years, up to the second floor, the menswear department now has a more navigable floor plan made up of serene walkways and intimate squares, almost like a miniature town. 

‘I'd like to think that it doesn't feel "masculine" in a typical way,' reflects David Collins Studio creative director Simon Rawlings, who led the project. ‘We really focused on creating a space with beautifully engineered details that will stand the test of time and will be there for years to come.'

The studio looked to the building itself as well as the store's extensive archive for inspiration, resulting in an interior that nods to classic men’s tailoring as well as art deco architecture. 2,060 sq m of black and white marble is arranged in art deco-inspired patterns across the floors and walls, while polished walnut forms display cases, frames and cornicing. The Harrods logo can also be seen, subtly integrated into the detailing, appearing in stitched leather, marquetry and bronze inlay in stone. 

‘We always start the creative process by delving into the archives,' explains Rawlings. ‘It's so important that the design has a connection with the heritage of the building.' 

Painted in rich, distinctive colours that help to aid way finding within the department, the squares that connect the various brand concessions are furnished with chairs, standing lamps and bespoke artworks that give the space a domestic feel.

‘I wanted to create a more evocative mood in these spaces,' says Rawlings. ‘I wanted the lighting level to be lower and for the lighting fixtures to be product based rather than architectural – so it's very layered with a much calmer atmosphere. It's almost like we were designing a home or a hotel rather than a retail experience.'

These intimate corners also house glass and walnut vitrines with mixed product displays where shoppers can stop and discover brands they would otherwise pass by. 

‘Male shoppers tend to be creatures of habit,' muses Rawlings, who together with his team researched the shopping patterns of men. ‘These findings were incorporated into the design and planning, interior architecture and visual merchandising – we wanted to create a layout that would excite and entice them into trying something different.' 

INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Harrods website; David Collins Studio website

ADDRESS

Harrods
87-135 Brompton Road
Knightsbridge, London
SW1X 7XL

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

All eyes are on Kings Cross right now, or the Kings Cross Quarter as the former brownfield-site-cum-clubland north of the station is becoming known. Reincarnated as a buzzing creative hub with shopping, drinking and dining also thrown in the mix, masterminded by the likes of Heatherwick Studio and Tom Dixon, it’s no wonder existing destinations nearby are upping their game. One of the first to emerge from a refresh is the imposing watering hole of The Gilbert Scott restaurant at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel on Euston Road.

Rebranded as George’s Bar, chef-patron Marcus Wareing is wisely future-proofing, since competition in the hotel bar stakes is set to intensify with the nearby Great Northern Hotel about to launch a new bar and the first UK outpost of the hip US hotel chain The Standard opening just opposite on Euston Road next year.

The monumental proportions and Victorian Gothic decoration make The St Pancras Hotel feel more like the Palace of Westminster than a hotel. So much so that you half expect a Bobby and a bag-scanner frisking on arrival. Barry and Pugin’s design was in fact the inspiration for George Gilbert Scott, the architect who designed the building in the 1860s. No doubt turning in his grave when his masterpiece became best known as the video backdrop for The Spice Girls hit ‘Wannabe’.

You can bypass this 1990s flashback by using the Euston Road entrance to the bar, as opposed to accessing via the hotel. David Collins Studio, which designed the original, returned to transform the space again, working in league with English Heritage to restore the elaborate decoration. In particular the richly ornate ceiling and wall frieze which dictates the dominant palette of burgundy and teal, elevated throughout by gold leaf and brass accents.

The interior references the tradition of European Grand Cafés, with warm metals, leather upholstery, banquette seating, and gold leaf mirror glass table tops lit by small table lamps. Like most Victorian Gothic buildings, this slender, soaring space has ecclesiastical overtones, which David Collins Studio has emphasised with a pair of imposing chandeliers featuring a constellation of giant bells – the perfect complement for the orgival arched stone windows. This bell shape is echoed in the shades of bespoke floor lamps and the fringed, burgundy lamps above the bar. Two large olive trees introduce a more intimate scale to the room.

George's bar serves wines from the restaurant next door, a Brut champagne cuvée created by Wareing with Gosset champagne, craft beers, homemade tonic infusions, and cocktails with a signature drink showcased each month. March 2019 sees the launch of the Bee Keeper, a blend of lavender infused gin, honey from Wareing’s Melfort Farm in Kent, sloe gin, hibiscus and elderflower.

ADDRESS

St Pancras Renaissance Hotel
Euston Road

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

Harrods’ ‘Taste Revolution’ is in full swing this November, as the London department store opens its newly refurbished Fresh Market Hall. The revitalised space marks the second phase of Harrods’ two-year Food Halls overhaul, offering a contemporary design take on a sprawling food market, featuring a new range of internationally- and locally-sourced premium culinary offerings.

London-based practice David Collins Studio is responsible for the re-design, following their completion of the dry goods section, the Roastery and Bake Hall at the close of 2017. As the late-19th century department store is Grade II* listed, the firm interwove a large number of the original interior details into the new design. Veined marble can still be found across surfaces and wall partitions, and internal support columns and doorways feature the authentic tiling from the building’s 1900s heyday.

The design studio plays with lighting, materiality and the building’s art deco heritage. White and black finishes have been applied across spaces, providing a monochrome backdrop to the colourful foodstuffs. This is best experienced at Karma, the Hall’s Indian counter, which offers a rich palette of Indian classics.

Another highlight of the hall is the verdant, wall-length vegetable and fruit selection, set against a backdrop of Cristina Celestino’s green, gold and white Plumage tiles by Botteganove bearing a feathered motif. A first for Harrods, the inclusion of an accompanying Vegetable Butchery – something that might please the growing vegan demographic – allows customers to experience the produce in new ways. Its selection, as with the rest of the hall’s sub-divisions, will change with the seasons.

In age when food provenance is all, this refurbishment is all about showcasing the world-class produce; from a rack of 20 giant legs of Cincos Jotas jambons suspended from hooks to huge wheels of cheese framed in display cases.

Convenience also plays a big part, with Harrods introducing a new range of grab-and-go offerings for the time-pressed customer. Dishes such as cottage pie, truffle mac-and-cheese and fresh pasta selections, now join its staple salads and sandwiches. ‘Opening the Fresh Market Hall will allow us to bring my 150 in-house chefs to the forefront,’ states executive chef Andy Cook, ‘servicing our food customers directly and introducing the chef’s brand new creations to the Harrods Deli counter.’

The Fresh Market Hall closes a busy year of refurbishments for Harrods, which has seen its wine rooms overhauled by Martin Brudzinki Design Studio; its Toy Department colour-coded and de-gendered by Farshid Moussavi; and, most recently, its fine watch room, which was given a marble makeover by Rundell Associates.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Harrods website, and the David Collins Studio website

ADDRESS

Harrods
87-135 Brompton Road
Knightsbridge, London
SW1X 7XL

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

In 2011 The Hand and Flowers in Marlow was the first pub to win two Michelin stars, a coup that ignited the career of the young British chef-patron Tom Kerridge. Meanwhile, in London – the same year – David Collins Studio unveiled its interior for Massimo Restaurant & Bar at the new flashy five-star Corinthia Hotel. Fast forward seven years and Kerridge, who has since built a Marlow gastro empire on his gutsy traditional British food with a twist, has joined forces with David Collins Studio for his London debut, creating Kerridge’s Bar & Grill and replacing Massimo in the soaring oval ground floor space at the Corinthia Hotel.

Classically proportioned, the brasserie-style restaurant, once a vision of light, beige and creamy tones, has been transformed by David Collins Studio into a darker, more seductive space, described by creative director Simon Rawlings as a ‘spectacle of theatre, preparation, drama and intimacy’. The walls and vaulted ceiling are enriched by an enveloping deep racing green, while armchairs and deep-buttoned banquettes of glossy burgundy leather lend a posh gastropub (very now) meets gentleman’s club feel. For a company that practically invented ‘timeless glamour’, David Collins Studio doesn't disappoint here with a monumental bar featuring a pewter counter, fluted glass, antique mirror panels and brass detailing headlining the room.

In the dining room, David Collins Studio turns our obsession with food provenance into an art form that calls to mind Francis Bacon carcases on canvas, with glass-fronted fridges set into the walls, exhibiting hunks of hanging meat supplied by Kerridge's The Butcher's Tap in Marlow. These are matched by genuine artworks which play a central role, curated by Kerridge's wife, English sculptor Beth Cullen Kerridge whose early success helped the pair invest in their first restaurant. The artworks may not be be to everyone’s taste, but the gallery wall in the bar adds character and the golden ‘empty suit’ sculpture by Cullen Kerridge (her dig at the accountants and bank managers the pair have met over the years) that stands centre stage holds court.

It being Kerridge though, the food is the star. Memorable, to the point of putting other dishes in the shade, was the glazed omelette ‘Lobster Thermidor’ starter. Sweet, rich and succulent with large chunks of pink meat coated in creamy egg, it came served in a mini frying pan and was the table's unanimous favourite (and is already dubbed ‘the most talked about omelette in town’), although the south coast lemon sole with shrimps, seaweed, shellfish velouté and pommes maxim was a fine main. To finish, the high-rise blackcurrant soufflé caused dessert envy all round. Acoustics aren't great and the playlist needs revising to improve upon a monotonous dull bassline, but this is early days and such things will be tweaked. Don't be put off by his bestselling diet books either, because Kerridge’s menu here is rich and full of flavour.

INFORMATION
Website

ADDRESS

Corinthia Hotel
Whitehall Place
London
SW1A 2BD

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

Roux at The Landau has emerged from a refit led by David Collins Studio, the London-based interior architecture practice which designed the original space ten years ago. A new dining concept informed the handsome redesign of Michael Roux Jr’s restaurant, which is located at The Langham hotel in Marylebone.

The centrepiece of the refreshed interiors is a striking timber and blue leather-clad bar, which commands the main dining room. A pair of custom brass chandeliers hang over oak tables, while aged metal accents recall the original design of the space. The entrance of the restaurant has been also revamped, featuring a leather reception desk, wine vault, and cheese display.

A pared-back menu devised by chef Nicolas Pasquier puts a refined spin on classic French cooking, which dishes including braised turbot with Chateau-Chalon sauce and native lobster ravioli, or artichokes à la Barigoule with bulgur and turmeric emulsion. The wine offering has been vastly extended to include 525 varieties – each one available by the glass.

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

The Langham
1C Portland Place
London W1B 1JA

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

For 25 years, The Arts Foundation has given opportunities to artists, designers, poets and choreographers at the start of their careers. Wayne McGregor, writer Ali Smith, poet Alice Oswald and artist Alex Hartley have all benefited from the annual award, which is known as London’s ‘honest’ art prize, because of its unassuming nature. ‘It asks and expects nothing of its winners’, says Rufus Norris, director of the National Theatre and winner of an Arts Foundation bursary in 2002. ‘It just says “go out and enjoy”.’

This year, two awards (each worth £10,000) were made possible by The David Collins Foundation, which was set up in 2016 to honour the legacy of late architect and designer David Collins. The David Collins Foundation who began supporting the awards last year, sponsoring Max Frommeld as the winner of the Furniture Design category. As a special tribute to the awards 25th year, Frommeld has been invited back (along with 15 previous winners) to nominate their favourite applicant – an apt way of celebrating the awards’ quarter-century.

Each nominee will receive £1,000, while five of the most promising are selected as the overall winners, as chosen by a panel of expert judges, including Hans Ulrich Obrist, Alice Rawsthorn and Julian Isaacs. It was announced that the two fellowships supported by The David Collins Foundation went to glass blower Jochen Holz (nominated by Max Frommeld), and choreographer Alex Baczynski-Jenkins (nominated by illustrator Slawa Harasymovicz).

We caught up with Holz and Baczynski-Jenkins to find out what the Arts Foundation grants will mean to them...

Jochen Holz, glass artist

In another life, London-based Glass artist Holz was a scientific lamp worker making glass apparatus. ‘It was all about precision and functionality,’ he says. ‘I only really developed a style during my time at the RCA, after years of following more traditional approach.’

‘The fellowship will give me the freedom to experiment,’ he adds. ‘I would like to undertake a range of colour experiments using enamels and lustres to expand on the limited commercially available existing colour palette tubes. I’d also like to experiment with coloured glass neons, exploring the full range of possibilities, including filling bigger pieces.’

Bridging art, design and installation, his elegant work has ‘the potential to push to a different creative level with the Foundation’s help’, says Frommeld. Indeed, Holz believes awards like this are of the upmost importance. ‘It’s very hard for most artists to be fully engaged in their work and to square this with making a living, so giving creatives supported breathing space can be a really vital contribution.’
  
Alex Baczynski-Jenkins, choreographer

‘The great thing about this type of award is that it’s not a commission. Its important to have time for researching and not thinking immediately about the outcome,’ says Baczynski-Jenkins, whose choreography draws attention to the structures of desire, empathy and queer pleasure. ‘There is a paradoxical relation between inefficiency and efficiency in making art work – having time for non-productive research gives the work more volume and texture in the long term.’

His work, which has been displayed at (and is a perfect fit for) London’s Chisenhale Gallery, was praised by nominator Slawa Harasymovicz as ‘strong, contemporary yet timeless’. Particularly impressive is his eight-minute performance piece Federico, which focuses solely on the hands of two performers. Baczynski-Jenkins describes as ‘a sort of micro-archive of intimate touch’.

Winning the award compelled Baczynski-Jenkins to offer advice to other aspiring artistic talents: ‘Be honest in your practice and take risks. Remember that art is about offering an experience, and trying to make the world a better place, even through the smallest gestures.’ 

It’s a thought that seems to sum up the attitude of The Art Foundation and its simple, understated – yet utterly life-changing – award ceremony. It concludes by looking forwards, to the possible futures of its nominees and winners. Rufus Norris mutters, ‘Now the fun starts. Let’s do this.’

INFORMATION

For more information, visit The Arts Foundation website and the David Collins Studio website

The ever-growing Focus/16 opens at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour for its yearly contribution to London Design Festival, and this time Wallpaper* are getting involved in the action with an installation of our favourites from the collections at London's essential one-stop-shop.

This year’s iteration promises more range than ever, with 15 new showrooms, and 127 events set across the six days. Since its upgrade from specialising in the decorative side of design, to becoming a retail panorama and crucial point of reference for the capital’s design firms and international visitors, the west London space now harbours a refined offering of the unique portfolio of luxury European brands and local marquees. Fresh in from Milan’s Salone del Mobile are highlights including Galotti & Radice's sophisticated vanity table, playful side tables from Porada, and an indulgent velvet sofa from Edra. These are joined by the talks from the likes of Patricia Moroso, and a specialised exhibition that explores that narrowing bridge between art and design with featured works from international designers from David Collins Studio and Formafantasma to Kelly Wearstler.

With Wallpaper* following the Design Centre’s evolution, our editors trawled 120 showrooms and 600 brands to present our top Design Centre picks. In a layered set up, starting with intriguing textured materials from Rubelli and Kirkby Design, these are enriched by a decorative 1950s Cole & Son wallpaper. The range of the wondrous finishes extends to the furniture pieces, with Cecccoti’s curvaceous wood and verde mediterraneo marble 'Fagiolo' tables, and Armani Casa’s 'Halcon' vase of pure Murano.

And the diverse blend doesn’t stop there, Focus/16 is having a moment for craft too with a bespoke 3ft aerial installation as their centrepiece to the event, and workshops from talents including RCA graduate Stuart Carey ceramics.

Since its upgrade from specialising in the decorative side of design, the west London space now harbours a refined offering of luxury design players from across the globe. 

These are joined by the talks from the likes of Patricia Moroso, and a specialised exhibition that explores that narrowing bridge between art and design.

Honing in on our favourites from the show, the Wallpaper* installation is an eclectic mix of the most compelling pieces in a layered set up.

This year’s iteration promises more range than ever, with 15 new showrooms, and 127 events set across the six days.

And the diverse mix doesn’t stop there, Focus/16 is having a moment for craft too with a bespoke 3ft aerial installation as their centrepiece to the event, and skilled workshops from talents including RCA graduate Stuart Carey ceramics.

INFORMATION

Focus/16 is on view from 18 until 23 September. For more information, visit the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour website

ADDRESS

Lots Road
London SW10 0XE

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

For 44 years, the Kips Bay Decorator Show House in New York has been recruiting some of the world's eminent designers to transform Manhattan townhouses into eclectic show-homes, the proceeds of which benefit the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club charity.

Yesterday, a converted parking garage just off Fifth Avenue opened its doors, revealing a five-story, $49.5 million limestone mega-house, featuring an art-deco kitchen, a handful of bespoke parlour rooms, two outdoor terraces and a roof deck with views that skim over Barneys and the Pierre Hotel, settling upon the treetops of Central Park.

This year, London-based interior architecture firm David Collins Studio created 'The Collins Room' entrance hall, taking their cue from the Berkeley's Blue Bar, which they designed in 2000. Now an infamous celebrity trap, the Blue Bar is known for its signature azure furniture and 'Lutyens blue' walls.

This unique shade (christened after Sir Edward Lutyens, creator of the original panelling that clads the hotel's walls to this day) was the starting point for the Kips Bay interior, explains creative director Simon Rawlings. 'It was something I wanted to do to mark the importance of the Blue Bar project, to signal its timelessness and to create something iconic.'

Akin to their collaborative house-style, David Collins Studio teamed up with with a host of renowned design talents to realise their Show House contribution. A hidden 'English garden' installation of wild bramble and wisteria comes courtesy of Emily Thompson, and nine curious acrylic artworks have been created by long-time Studio collaborator Alexander Innes. Uniting the various shades of blue is a seriously classy hand-screened 'Chiyogami' wallpaper in lapis, claret and gold, part of the upcoming 'David Collins Studio for Baker' range.

The piece that truly shines a light on Lutyens' work is the inclusion of cream and scarlet-shaded pendant lamps by Sir Edwin's granddaughter, Candia, that dangle from the ceiling on lengthy cord pulleys. Rawlings concludes, 'This has been a very unique opportunity to realise a vision which is so important to me, and to the Studio, and to pay tribute to the project which started my career.'

Information

The Kips Bay Decorator Show House is open until 9 June at the Carlton House Townhouse. Admission benefits the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club. For more information, visit the Kips Bay Decorator Show House website

Photography courtesy David Collins Studio

ADDRESS

The Carlton House Townhouse
19 East 61st Street
New York, NY 10065

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

Imagine a London without Claridge’s Bar, the Wolseley, J Sheekey, Nobu or Bob Bob Ricard. Or even without Pret a Manger, Eat or Harrods' 'Shoe Heaven'. Not only would it fail to be half as vibrant a city, but it wouldn’t be London. These spaces, and the myriad others designed by David Collins Studio over the last 30 years, define some of the most iconic aspects of London’s hospitality sector.

This week, Phillips auction house is hosting a special two-day exhibition, marking three decades since the late interior designer David Collins (1955 – 2013) first established the eponymous studio. Curated by Wallpaper’s own Nick Vinson, with sets designed by Leila Letchin (another alumni of this publication), ‘Past Present Future’ provides a chance to celebrate and showcase the studio’s body of work since its inception in 1985.

David Collins has long been known for his clever use of colour, and famously once said that he would never use a colour not found in nature (though thanks to his extensive travels, nature’s natural spectrums never proved too limiting).

As the title suggests, 'Past Present Future' will also provide an opportunity to explore the studio’s current and upcoming projects, many of which are phenomenal in scale.

Historical references are a key theme in these interiors, though no one could ever label them old fashioned or pastiche. Instead, they are modern, fashionable spaces that unfailingly balance a grand sense of occasion with an understanding of scale and proportion. ‘Timeless’ to David Collins does not mean classic or neutral – rather, it embodies a sense of the enduringly spectacular.

Now under the leadership of its senior management team (and guardians of the company's heritage) – Iain Watson, Simon Rawlings, David Kendall and Lewis Taylor – David Collins Studio continues to evolve and grow at an impressive rate.

Staying true to Collins’ ethos and trademarks – glamorous materials, extensive and often surprising attention to detail and that all-important flattering lighting – the designers continue to redefine interior design on a global scale. New projects include the Alexander McQueen flagship stores (most recently the duplex on Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris, but also including spaces in Miami, London, New York and Tokyo), the Continental restaurant at Pacific Place Hong Kong, and the Garden Lounge at the Corinthia Hotel, London.

As David Collins Studio looks forward to the next 30 years, this is a chance for London to celebrate some of the wonderfully conceived spaces in its midst.

INFORMATION
’Past Present Future’ is on view until tomorrow (23 October)

ADDRESS

Phillips
30 Berkeley Square
London, W1J 6EX

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

The world of Alexander McQueen is one which is based on dualities; fragility and strength, tradition and modernity, subversion and luxury. And all of these complex partnerships are on display within the brand’s newly opened Paris flagship, designed in collaboration with McQueen creative director Sarah Burton and David Collins Studio.

Located on rue Saint Honoré, the light strewn boutique is housed within a 1717 building and spreads across two floors. Here, customers are invited to shop the brand's current men’s and women’s collections in addition to iconic pieces from the masion's archive.

The ground floor, which unites women’s ready-to-wear and accessories, introduces the store's dusty pink carpeting and illustrative wallpaper alongside black lacquered parquet flooring and white plaster panelling. Large wall niches are similarly lined in pink and white onyx to display the house's formidable accessory remit.

The lower ground floor, which accomodates menswear and eveningwear, has a more dramatic, masculine feel and is dominated by two large black and gold brocade rugs from McQueen’s collaboration with The Rug Company. These two floors are connected by a spectacular staircase, fashioned from a monolithic block of Nero Marquina marble, with white onyx handrails and polished brass detailing. Other design highlights include fitting rooms upholstered in nova-suede, flora, fauna and skulls moulded in plaster and furniture gems from Giò Ponti and Jacques Duval-Brasseur.

INFORMATION

Alexander McQueen
372 Rue Saint Honoré
75001 Paris

Earlier this year when it was announced that London Fashion Week was moving from its much-loved home in Somerset House (its base for the last five years) to the second floor of a car park in Soho, there were more than a few raised eyebrows.

Although less conventionally beautiful than its former Neoclassical locale, the Brewer Street car park does offer a much needed upgrade in terms of space and flexibility that reflects the current growth within the UK fashion market. 

To transform the new urban setting into a showcase befitting of the designer collections, the British Fashion Council enlisted the expertise of David Collins Studio who, under the guidance of design director Lewis Taylor, reimagined the car park as a light-filled, contemporary showroom with a concept based on lines of symmetry, transparency and reflection.

Finished in a cool palette of white, teal blue and silver grey - a nod to the British Fashion Council's brand identity - the design celebrates the car park's concrete structure rather than trying to conceal it. 'We were very aware of the fact the showroom would be in an urban environment and we didn’t want to completely disguise this,' explains Taylor. 'We wanted the design to feel like an installation within the space with glimpses of the raw car park interior rather than creating an interior that completely envelopes the existing space.'

A 70-metre-long mirrored ceiling catwalk that runs the length of the 1,600 sq m venue cleverly doubles the exhibition space's perceived volume while reflecting the light and enhancing the symmetry of the design. Off to the sides and reflected in the mirrored ceiling, are 100 showcases that allow designers to exhibit within their own private spaces without closing them off from the wider showroom. 

To keep things light and airy, the booths are separated by translucent, reeded smoked acrylic while silver grey metal show rails, floating shelves and showcase plinths bring a subtle uniformity to the space - much like a 'mini-department store,' notes Taylor. 

Visitors are encouraged to lounge on accent furniture pieces made from high density foam that resembles terrazzo, while a casual café concept in the form of a pop-up HIX restaurant provides the refreshments. 'The temporary nature of these projects doesn’t really allow for layering of details and finishes that our permanent concepts do,' says Taylor. 'The approach is to use a simple strong palate of materials and a small number of strong ideas.'

INFORMATION

Photography: Dylan Thomas

ADDRESS

BFC Show Space
Brewer Street Car Park
Brewer Street
London
W1F OLA

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

The private collection of the designer David Collins is to be auctioned at Christie's King Street site in London next week. The auction house has collaborated with David Collins Studio to recreate parts of the designer's home.

Collins passed away last year at the age of 58. And for the designer's friends – and he collected many along the way – the pre-sale presentation was an affecting reminder of Collin's taste and talent for creating permanent sets that made movie stars of everyone.

His studio, thriving and with ongoing projects around the world, was as central to the remarkable renaissance of London's restaurant and hotel scene as any superstar chef, conjuring up a series of now iconic restaurant and bar interiors.

The designer expertly matched Deco and Mid-Century influences with a confident, controlled use of materials, creating spaces of cinematic sweep and glamour. And David Kendall, the studio's communications director, says, Collins used his home as a testing ground for new ideas. 'These are pieces that he loved. But he also used his home to try out ideas and develop them. His house was always evolving.'

The 200 lots in the sale include the studio's own designs but also a number of 20th-century French and Italian designs, including pieces by Marc du Plantier, Jean Royère, Christian Bérard and Nicolas Aubagnac – as well as photography from Wolfgang Tillmans, Steven Klein and Mario Testino.

ADDRESS

Christie's
8 King Street
St James's
London SW1Y 6QT

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

PAD, the unaffiliated design adjunct to the Frieze London art fair, is now a settled fixture. And it makes for a civilised diversion, made even more civilised this year by the restaurant and bar design from David Collins Studio. It doesn’t though offer much in the way of surprises. In fairness, PAD, unlike Design Miami, has never set itself up as champion of new design. It is built around the Parisian 20th century design galleries who continue to unearth pieces from Prouvé and Perriand when logic suggests the supply must be thoroughly exhausted.

But there is adventure at PAD this year if you look for it. Cologne’s Ammann Gallery has new pieces from Turin-based Nucleo, even if they come off ancient as much as contemporary. The young British designers Faye Toogood and Bethan Laura Wood, now enjoying almost pop star status, have works at Gallery Fumi and Nilufar respectively.

Hervé van der Straeten, meanwhile, is presenting his own new designs; the French contemporary ceramics specialist Sèvres, a PAD debutant, has typically beguiling designs from Aldo Bakker; Galerie Kreo, recently opened in London, has new pieces from Doshi Levien; Friedman Benda fields new works from Joris Laarman; and Carpenters Workshop Gallery has genitalia-inspired lamps from Atelier Van Lieshout. As you do.

This year’s standouts though are probably the Garrido siblings, Juan and Paloma, who sell their own designs through an eponymous gallery in Madrid. Second generation silversmiths, the pair craft sculptural metal furniture in elegant ellipses and shattered shards.

ADDRESS

PAD London
Berkeley Square
London W1

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

If you want to create a store that combines the 'refined detail of a haute-couture salon with the intimacy of a fantasy closet', David Collins Studio would seem the smart way to go. That's certainly the way Jimmy Choo creative director Sandra Choi went for the brand's expansion and renovation of its New Bond Street flagship store.

And she's clearly got what she wanted. Tagged the first Jimmy Choo Townhouse, the now three-storey, 200 sq m store carries the entire Jimmy Choo womenswear range, which stretches through eyewear, sunglasses, small leather goods, soft accessories, fragrance and, of course, shoes.

David Collins Studio has already worked on two new store concepts for the brand: Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles and Vienna, both of which opened earlier this year. But the designers have been given more space to operate in with the New Bond Street store: the brand's largest. As well as the inevitable VIP area, complete with champagne bar, and a dedicated space for the brand's new made-to-order service, the store similarly includes a distinct space for the newly launched Choo.08 collection. The renovation also encompasses the restoration of the building's original terracotta façade and the installation of a dramatic new twisting marble staircase, finished in highly polished plaster.

Address

Jimmy Choo
27 New Bond Street
London
W1S 2RH

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

David Collins' interiors might have photographed well - extremely well, in fact - but they were always more impressive when you were in them. Of course they had glamour and drama but they also worked beautifully; there was a 360-degree balance and a rhythm no picture can really capture. Still, the new 232-page monograph ABCDCS is a very welcome tribute to the designer's 28-years of creating remarkable spaces.

Published by Assouline, the book is very much a David Collins Studio project and is something, as the studio's communications director David Kendall says, Collins was 'obsessed with'. 'It really developed out of a 56-page book we prepared for a project we were working on in Bangkok in 2009,' explains Kendall. 'We had a letter from the alphabet for each single image. David was really keen that we expand it and self-publish it as a book.'

Kendall gathered Collins' thoughts on an A to Z of design key words, and images of projects were gathered to illustrate them. 'It was great because he was such a good writer. And we worked on it for a couple of years with the designer [and Acne Paper editor] Duncan Campbell and by last summer it was pretty much ready.'

Last summer of course Collins passed away unexpectedly, but his team decided they had to complete the project. 'The thing is, it's not just a portfolio,' says Kendall. 'It's a real insight into his thinking.'

A year after Collins' death, the studio that still carries his name is as busy as ever with Simon Rawlings taking the lead as creative director. 'David always emphasized continuity,' Rawlings says, 'and I have been here for 17 years so I've seen it all.' He continues: 'The studio has the confidence of our current clients and we are bringing in new clients. The house style is not a design style, it's a feeling. It's about details and materials and the use of artisans and making a space work properly. And that's what we continue to deliver.'

See the quartet at the helm of David Collins Studio today, and their forthcoming and recently completed projects

A new Alexander McQueen flagship store in Tokyo has just opened, the first of a wave of summer openings for the studio. A new three-storey Jimmy Choo store opens on London's Bond Street in August, following the opening of a DCS-designed store in Beverly Hills in April. The Continental, the first Rowley Leigh restaurant to open outside of the UK, also debuts in August at the Thomas Heatherwick-designed Pacific Place building in Hong Kong, as does Harrods Shoe Heaven, part of a £200m revamp of the Knightsbridge store. A new bar within the men's department at Bergdorf Goodman is set to open in September.

Longer term projects include The Charles, a new 32-storey residential building on Manhattan's Upper East Side with apartments and public spaces by DCS and set to open in November 2014. The studio is also working on a revamp of the Windsor Hotel in Melbourne; a Kengo Kuma-designed country club and villa complex in Thailand; and Ole Scheeren's mixed-used MahaNakhon building in Bangkok, all scheduled to open or re-open in 2016.

David Collins, the interior designer and architect, was internationally renowned for the interiors of some of the world’s most famous hotels, restaurants, bars and boutiques. He was a good friend of Wallpaper*, contributing to several visionary projects.

Born in Dublin in 1955, in 1985 he founded his self-titled practice where he lived by (and frequently quoted) Mies van der Rohe: ‘God is in the details.’ He died following a brief illness, on 17 July 2013.

Today, the studio that still carries his name is as busy as ever. The designer was adamant it should continue to thrive after his death, entrusting it to design director Lewis Taylor, creative director Simon Rawlings, founding member and CEO Iain Watson, and communications director David Kendall.

Here, his friend Simon Mills bids farewell to a friend and a creative force...

Mixing ubiquity with exclusivity, being prolific and original, requires vision, skill, a lightness of touch, but somehow, even though he worked for everyone – Claridge’s, the Berkeley, the Wolseley, Brasserie Zédel, Bob Bob Ricard and the Delaunay in London, Larusmiani and Promemoria in Milan and Alexander McQueen around the world, the Delaire Graff Estate in South Africa and many, many more – David Collins was never predictable or homogeneous, instead creating a look that was reliably glamorous but also unintimidating and comfortingly familiar.

The Collins aesthetic was jet-set deco; olde Hollywood meets nouveau fashionista; big on silver leaf, brass, mirrors, plump upholstery, cosy banquettery and lighting designed to flatter customers and encourage flirting. Anyone entering a Collins interior felt correctly wowed and dazzled but also immediately at home – he had the knack of making recently opened venues seem exciting and new and, simultaneously, already part of the social establishment. Older buildings always got a turbo-charged revitalisation from the Collins effect. It is no exaggeration to say that the restaurant and hotel revolution in London of the last two decades would not have been the same without him.

David loved fashion – he spent most of his money either at Prada or Lanvin, usually on pieces in navy blue. He loved music, art, eating out, a good party and a laugh, and I think this gave him an edge over the competition. His wit, generosity, open mind and an ability to softly charm pretty much everyone he met, meant that he was influenced by more than just trade fairs, showrooms and magazines.

He was friends with the likes of fashion editor Hamish Bowles, jewellery designer Solange Azagury-Partridge, photographer Mario Testino and Madonna – or ‘M’, as he called her, even getting a song-writing credit on her Ray Of Light album. (Two days after David’s death, Madonna arrived in the UK for his funeral, walking through Heathrow airport dressed entirely in black – how he would have loved that!) He was always first on everyone’s guest list when a party was being organised.

Wallpaper* worked with David on a number of projects: he contributed to our Handmade exhibition at Salone del Mobile in 2012, and we were planning another collaboration. David had seen a feature we published in September 2010, themed around architect Peter Marino’s penchant for black leather, and wanted to go one better – with a ten-page story that would be a kind of self-portrait in objects, interiors and fashion, all in his beloved navy blue.

But to many of us here, he was much more of a friend than a work associate. In a world that can often seem overly po-faced and egotistical, David was immensely talented yet touchingly vulnerable, self-deprecating and utterly hilarious. If you encountered him socially, you could be guaranteed to be screaming helplessly within seconds. Either because he’d poked fun at himself, or you... or made some wildly, mercilessly disparaging remark about a third party. He could be outrageously indiscreet.

My best memories of David will always be the South Kensington breakfasts we’d have at a series of poncey patisseries on Old Brompton Road (David enjoyed a gourmet biscuit with his coffee). The form was always the same. Whether I arrived first or second, David would look the other way, refusing to make eye contact and then have a conversation with an imagined third party, or someone made up on the end of the (dead) phone, totally ignoring me, before feigning histrionic surprise at my presence… and then encouraging my dog to hop into his lap. Dog would usually be fed biscuit.

One time, I bumped into David at one of our favoured caffs, telling him that I was meeting a mutual friend (a well-known restaurateur) in a few minutes’ time. ‘He owes me a lot of money and he isn’t returning my calls,’ said David, hatching a plan. So, he sat in a chair next to me covering his head and body, in classic spy-movie style, with an open copy of the broadsheet FT. When the non-payer arrived and sat down, David, showing immaculate timing, pulled down the paper, revealing himself at close quarters, and said, poker-faced, ‘Hello. May I have my £20,000 now, please?’

Over coffee another morning, we discovered that we would both be attending the same Diane von Furstenberg party at Claridge’s that evening. ‘I’m going with M,’ David said, proudly. ‘Ooh, I’d love to meet Madonna,’ I said hopefully. ‘Will you be sure to introduce me?’

That night, I stood as David walked into Claridge’s art deco ballroom with the world’s most famous pop star hanging off his arm. I was in the doorway as he passed and, rather clumsily, shouted out his name, waiting, like a sappy fan boy, for my stellar moment. David clocked me, grinned, tossed his blonde hair in a dramatic flounce and walked on, giggling to himself. Being deemed worthy to be on the business end of a David Collins flouncing was much better than meeting Madonna, anyway.

Goodbye, David. Wallpaper* and I and my dog will miss you.

Opening a spanking new David Collins-designed store at 2 Savile Row is quite a declaration of intent; especially for a brand that, despite a storied history and royal ties, most locals are blissfully ignorant of. And while the new Kent & Curwen flagship is dwarfed by the monster debut J Crew outlet, opening on Friday around the corner on Regent Street, it is similar evidence of empire building, if going in different directions.

The 1,600 ft store was one of David Collins' last projects and is another expert act of resuscitation, retail theatre and story-telling. Green leather panelling, black and white checkered marble, a Portland stone fireplace, bespoke brass fixtures and cream plaster scalloped curvature summon up a brand of a particular place and time, though very much back in business.

Eric Kent and Dorothy Curwen joined forces in 1926 and quickly became the tie maker of choice for the British elite, providing neckwear to Oxford and Cambridge universities, British army regiments as well as many leading public schools, including Eton and St Paul's. It quickly added cricket sweaters to the mix, becoming the first choice supplier to top clubs and national teams. It also dressed the Hollywood Cricket Club whose members included Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Cary Grant, Laurence Olivier, PG Wodehouse, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, Errol Flynn (renowned for his impressive middle stump) and David Niven.

In 1982 it was bought by the Japanese Renown group who, having spotted its potential as a heritage act, smartly went about developing the brand in Asia. In 2008 it was bought by Hong Kong-based Li & Fung who continued the push.

Kent & Curwen now has 141 stores in 63 cities across China, Hong Kong and Taiwan as well as 23 in Japan. But while Renown and then Trinity (Li & Fung's menswear arm) have made a very serious go of Kent & Curwen in Asia, the brand was left to wither on home turf. Even patronage by Princess Diana in the early 1990s couldn't reverse this domestic decline.  

Now an operation called British Heritage Brands, a new venture involving Li & Fung USA, Tommy Hilfiger, and others, has taken on the license for Kent & Curwen in the Western hemisphere, intent on establishing the brand as a serious player in the UK and the US. BHB's president is Craig Reynolds. And it was Reynolds who suggested Collins was the man to work wonders on what had been an odd set of units at the back of the Gieves & Hawkes store at 1 Savile Row (Trinity bought Gieves & Hawkes last year, making the two brands stablemates). 'A friend of mine introduced me to David long before all this came about,' he says. 'But I had always watched what he had done and thought he would be a great person to create a modern take on the gentleman's haberdashery,' says Reynolds.

David Collins Studio has also worked on the design of a store on Madison Avenue in New York, which opens next February. As Reynolds says, these stores are not only the frontline of a fresh push into the UK and the US, they are also draws and symbolic markers for the newly mobile Chinese consumer.

'[Trinity] recognise that this is a heritage brand and they have a really significant business with it in China. But as the Chinese consumer travels more and more, you need a store in London, as well as places like New York, to give it a validity; to say that this is not a local brand or made up brand. And of course, as more and more brands come into the Chinese market, there is more competition too. It made sense for the brand to expand the other way.'

The store carries the first collection of the new western wing of Kent & Curwen. Designed by Michael Sondag, the emphasis, Reynolds says, is on matching casual wear and tailoring, sitting somewhere between Dunhill and Gant Rugger. 'We are finding, especially in the States, that men are breaking up their suit. So this seems like an appropriate thing to do. A number of Italian brands have done that very successfully but not many British brands.'

The collection is backed by a new ad campaign featuring England cricketers Alistair Cook and Nick Compton. Reynolds admits that name recognition of the players is somewhat limited in the US. 'People don't really know them there. But they are two really handsome men who could be models anyway. And the overall campaign idea is gentlemen and sport. So that could be cricket, or sailing or tennis. I think the US customer relates to them in that way.'

The Chinese parent company are so impressed with the new line that they are carrying it in the Asian stores, tagged as the Heritage collection and sold in distinct areas. Sondag though has already moved on and in September, highly rated British designer Simon Spurr was appointed creative director of the brand. Spurr's first collection will be autumn/winter 2014.

'Simon has been brought on to build and modernise the customer base,' says Reynolds. 'So the collection will be a little more modern, not edgy by any means but we can probably push the needle a little more.' The current collection is also available in Nordstrom and Bloomingdales in the US and Harrods in the UK and Reynolds says BHB will probably add two more Kent & Curwen stores on the East Coast in the US and is also looking at other stores in the UK.

ADDRESS

2 Savile Row
London

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

The creative partnership between Alexander McQueen and the studio of the late, great David Collins has produced some of the more dramatic and intriguing of recent retail spaces, including the McQueen menswear store on Savile Row and the McQ store on Dover Street. And now the Bond Street womenswear flagship has just reopened after a redesign by Collins' studio.

The 250 square metre, two-storey store has been given the baroque bespoke panelling that is a signature of the new store designs. Flora and fauna, including shells, wings, cactus flowers and tangled leaves, are everywhere in the moulded plaster panels, while tiny skulls and grimacing gargoyles add a gothic twist to the bucolic splendour.

This twin fascination with the natural world and the gothic imagination continues in furniture, with gazelle hooves and monster claws for feet. Materials meanwhile are suitably splendid, with white and grey book matched marble and deep pile carpets at floor level, gilded silver and gold mirrors and black lacquer and aged brass shelving and hanging rails.

'It's very McQueen to see something from a distance and think it's one thing and then look up close and discover something else,' says Alexander McQueen creative director Sarah Burton of the flagship redesign. 'It's important that everything in the stores feels very precious.'

Irish interior designer David Collins has teamed up with Italian furniture brand Promemoria on his first furniture line to date - albeit a capsule collection. Launching at the Salone del Mobile, the lamps, tables and chair take the brand in a decidedly pared-back direction. Forms are elegant and clean, while details are luxurious yet subtle, like the slim panel of bronze gripping the centre of the side table.

'Symmetry and geometry are the inspirations for this small capsule collection,' says Collins, whose weighty design CV includes stores for Alexander McQueen, hotels such as The London NYC in New York and The Apartment at London's Connaught, as well as residential projects across the globe. 'The pieces articulate the strength in restrained and deceptively simple shapes.' Lamps bear triangular or hexagonal bases and shades, while the chair has an elongated wooden back that extends to the floor.

A small collection it may be, but it's perfectly formed.

ADDRESS

Romeo Sozzi Srl
Via Bagutti 13/Via Montenapoleone 8
20121 Milano

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS