Balenciaga
The French fashion brand is putting the circular economy and need for greater transparency at the very heart of the home, with an oblong sofa designed by Crosby Studio’s Harry Nuriev. The design is familiar, referencing the overstuffed recliner we would all recognise, subverting it through material choice. The transparent vinyl exterior replaces what would traditionally be leather or fabric, allowing the stuffing to be clearly seen. Within, damaged, unsellable and obsolete Balenciaga stock fills the sofa with colour, texture, patterns and even visible tags. Closer inspection reveals all the details you would traditionally expect: stitched seams and button details on the backrest, as well as a row of seat cushions, armrest and extendable footrest. The aim? To promote environmentally conscious design, encourage sustainable practices and recognise the responsibility designers have to counterbalance their environmental impact. Photography: James Harris
Versace
In ‘South Beach Stories’, interior designer Sasha Bikoff reunites with Versace, building on their spectacular Salone del Mobile showcase earlier this year. Bikoff’s one-of-a-kind furniture pieces are every bit as bold, bright and brash as you’d expect, drawing from archival Versace prints and sitting glamorously alongside Doug Ordway’s archive campaign shots. The original publication by the same title gathers a selection of heartfelt stories told by Miami residents in the nineties. If the acerbic neon lights don’t get you, the nostalgic vibe will.
Gucci
Fresh from the #ComeAsYouAre_RSVP campaign, starring Iggy Pop, Alessandro Michele called upon experimental filmmaker Harmony Korine once again. This time though, the duo also teamed up with Snap, road testing their latest video-capturing glasses, Spectacles 3. The result is a trippy journey through Miami, titled Duck Duck, a surreal blend of reality, wearable cinema and spontaneous storytelling. (Read: Life-size cartoonish animals, a man clad in a hot dog costume, and a range of 3D and augmented reality effects.) To coincide with the film’s premiere, Gucci and Snap unveiled a set of 50 limited edition specs designed by Korine.
Fendi
Bringing a spot of Eternal City to the Sunshine State, the Roman fashion house enlisted Swiss studio Kueng Caputo to create ten pieces of furniture, ranging from stools and benches to a stylised palm tree. Inspired by the iconic Palazzo della Civiltà HQ, the immersive installation is as playful as it is bright, inviting spectators to take a seat and get up-close-and-personal with the Zurich-based studio’s intriguing material combination: glazed terracotta bricks and supple Selleria leather. ‘Fendi has a DNA of contrast and dialogue, which we wanted to celebrate by choosing a strong and heavy counterpart to its soft and flexible leather,’ Sarah Kueng told Wallpaper*. The artisanal bricks create architectural forms, referencing the HQ’s own construction – swooping arches and undulating surfaces – while the soft leather sits cleanly on top. Beyond creating a refined salon space, these pieces pay homage to Fendi’s tradition of craftsmanship and experimentation with style.
Louis Vuitton
American designer Andrew Kudless joins the prestigious stable of Louis Vuitton’s Objets Nomades this Design Miami with his Swell Wave Shelf. The unit, crafted from oak and leather, is an elegant meditation on the powerful forces and delicate balance of the natural world, sensitively evoked through the undulating, smoothly polished wood planks, perfectly held in place by leather straps. As is tradition, the San Francisco-based designer’s addition sits surrounded by other limited-edition pieces from previous years, including the work of India Mahdavi, Patricia Urquiola, RawEdges, Nendo and the Campana Brothers. Each piece is both elegant and practical, faithful to the ‘art of travel’ ethos that the maison’s founder started.
Loewe
Now in its fifth year, ‘Chance Encounters’ returns to the Spanish luxury brand’s Miami outpost, transforming the imposing 18th-century Spanish granary that runs the length of the boutique into a sensational setting for dialogue once again. ‘It is an opportunity to create conversations across time, between artists whose work resonates strongly with my own creative approach,’ says Jonathan Anderson, the brand’s creative director. This year he’s brought together two British artists: Turner Prize-nominated Hilary Lloyd and Ewen Henderson. Lloyd’s films – displayed on monitors dotted throughout – are praised by Anderson for their ability to capture the way we relentlessly consume images. Her textiles echo her rough-cut, spontaneous videos, which in turn relate to the late Henderson’s textured large-scale ceramics.
