Making

One of my favorite booths at ICFF this year was Volk Furniture. The Brooklyn-based company is dedicated to the design and fabrication of handcrafted, traditionally joined and finished wood furniture.The gorgeous, almost glowing wood is enhanced by thoughtful details like antique organ stops as drawer pulls, vintage typewriter keys as accents, and inlaid brass following the grain of the wood. Owner and designer Brian Volk Zimmerman’s eye for detail results in lining all his drawers with shirting fabric, and upholstering his wood frame chair in a Harris Tweed that is so nice, it should never have ended up so close to butts.

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A little Friday afternoon fun – this film was made by Dutch directors and artists Lernert & Sander, who were commissioned by Wallpaper* magazine to create create a film about Italian brand Brioni‘s bespoke tailoring for the Wallpaper* Handmade issue. Using a very refined hand as their muse, the film demonstrates, with elegance and humour, the skills and craftsmanship that go into making a Brioni suit.

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Another great video from the students at ECAL. Hot Tools was an exhibit during Milan Design Week by students in their second year of the Master’s in Product Design under the direction of Alexis Georgacopoulos. Explains designer Ronan Bouroullec, who led the workshop: “After a visit lasting a few hours to the workshop of glassblower Matteo Gonet in Basle, students had to design and produce tools and utensils, and invent scenarios that would create an interesting effect in Matteo’s artisanal glass-making process. We had five days to create a successful test palette.” The result is a set of experimental glass pieces that overtly showcases the art of glassblowing, as well the process that went into each individual piece.

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When Dutch designer Merel Karhof read that Italian ceramicist Antonio Bonaldi could produce pots more quickly than an industrial production line, she decided to set him a challenge.

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