A LESSON OF MINIMAL ELEGANT DESIGN
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games opening ceremony brought everyone’s eyes on Japan. The games were preceded by a manga-inspired trailer produced by UK-based UK based film and animation studio factory Fifteen, which aimed to ‘bring the Olympics to everyday Japan’. If one side of Japan is J-pop aesthetics and manga maximalism, on the contrary, Japanese furniture design is minimal and elegant, with references to the country’s traditions and past.
Stellar Works has been committed to Asian design since its inception in 2012 and has since collaborated with internationally renowned Japanese designers such as Oki Sato of design firm Nendo and Japanese American designer Jun Azuki - Founder of Crème. Learn more about the collections below.
Last year, Stellar Works unveiled its first collaboration with globally renowned design studio Nendo on three distinctive collections: Blend, Frame and Kite. The three collections harness Nendo’s design-expertise and meticulous process together with Stellar Works’ unrivalled ability in craftsmanship to produce a characterful yet functional collection of furniture and accessories.
“Blend” is the formation of the legs, with one ‘melting-away’ in the middle. This slight structural change transforms the direction of force through the stool and how it is applied. “Kite” is a compact armchair designed with commercial and hospitality spaces in mind and in particular small spaces. There are numerous armchairs and sofas for lobbies and lounges, but well executed designs for narrow spaces such as corridors, elevator lobbies, and entrances are in short supply. “Frame” is a simple L-shaped steel frame system that can be customised with small circular mirrors or longer elliptical mirrors to use in combination with shelves and towel bars.
Jun Aizaki of Crème tackles a chair, a restaurant or a building, the same way he would approach a logo or a street block. Crème has developed a contemporary wood and steel chair inspired by the traditional Windsor form. By exchanging the traditional wooden spindles and stretcher of the Windsor back with steel, Crème has produced a new chair that feels both contemporary and traditional at once. This Exchange suggests the new life and design that can be breathed in to used or well-worn objects and furnishings. Aside from the tradition spindle back, Crème has designed several other backs that can be substituted in to fit any design. Custom backs, multiple wood species and steel finishes are available.