Each season, busy designers work tirelessly to bring new products to NY NOW. Before you hit the show Feb. 4-7, go behind the scenes with designers at Bungalow 5, Made Goods and Worlds Away to discover the stories behind their new collections.
Chris DeWitt and Oscar Yague, Co-Founders at Made Goods
On the collection: In this introduction, we continued our focus on the use of special, organic materials in relevant designs in many of our favorite categories. Materials we love include banana bark, kabibe shell, braided raffia and olive ash.
On their design approach: We listen. The positive response is our inspiration. Oscar travels the world to find materials that will resonate with the design trade. His attention to quality, application of the materials and details serves as his motivation and focus.
What they’re looking forward to at NY NOW: Since we launch in NY NOW, we always look forward to our customers’ responses to what we have been working on for the past year. The interaction with our customers is really important and allows us to react and respond to their needs.
Cristina Jabbour, Designer at Worlds Away
On the collection: The new lighting collection is classic yet edgy, mixing metals, acrylic and marble to create shapes that are modern with a hint of familiarity.
On her design approach: I always listen to my gut. It is tempting to design pieces that go along with current trends, but I like to think of the longevity of the piece. We want our customers to love their pieces forever like a one-of-a-kind.
What she’s looking forward to at NY NOW: We are celebrating the 25th anniversary of Worlds Away this year so we have a special booth design planned. As always, we will have a lively booth, but I think this year it will be especially fun.
Luca Rensi, Partner at Bungalow 5
On the collection: Romantic Modernist. In this collection, we’ve reinterpreted patterns and shapes from the 1950s and 1960s using artisanal glass and bronze finishes. The result is a very sophisticated collection that is chic and fun.
On his design approach: I’d describe it as “slow-design.” In a world where everything is getting faster, like fast food, we take the opposite track. We take our time in developing our designs. In fact, sometimes it has taken us a couple of years just to develop the manufacturing process to be able to produce our designs.
What he’s looking forward to at NY NOW: Meeting clients and hearing their reactions to our new pieces.
