‘At its best, it's all an act of love’: Apparatus’ Gabriel Hendifar on building a cult design brand

A relative newcomer to the London design scene, New York furniture and lighting brand Apparatus opened its first UK outpost, in Mayfair, in autumn 2023. Since its inception in 2012, the brand has become renowned for its all-encompassing approach to design, led by co-founder and creative director Gabriel Hendifar. The detailed narratives that Hendifar weaves inform every detail, from the tactile materials he selects to the immersive launch events he hosts – the brand’s ‘Operatic’ collection debuted in a historic theatre in New York, while another was based on pre-revolutionary nightclubs in Tehran.

In light of this, it’s perhaps no surprise to learn that Hendifar began his career in costume and scenic design after studying at UCLA, and cut his teeth working in fashion. In 2012, after he was unable to find suitable lighting fixtures for his own home, he created Apparatus alongside Jeremy Anderson, and grew it into a global design brand. One year since opening its London gallery, Hendifar reflects on his journey so far, shares his impressions of London, and reveals his plans for the future.

Behind the scenes of Apparatus

Wallpaper*: How do you think the design landscape has changed since you founded Apparatus in 2012?

Gabriel Hendifar: My mission for the work of the studio is to always approach what we do with an understanding that the objects we live with have power and carry meaning, and to honour that potential. I see a growing awareness of that generally in the culture at large, and I believe it has made design consumers much more invested in the stories of objects.

W*: Your business has grown dramatically and fantastically in that time. How many people/locations are you now?

GH: We are about 110 team members now, between design, sales, operations and manufacturing. We currently operate our own galleries in New York, Los Angeles and London, and in 2021 we moved manufacturing from our Manhattan studio to a factory we designed and built in Red Hook.

W*: What has managing that growth been like?

GH: It's a bit like raising a child. You do the very best you can to instill the right values, to encourage growth and imagination, to guide the development of this new organism with the aim of making a positive contribution. And just like raising a child, there are twists and turns, tantrums, and moments of pride and triumph. At its best, it's all an act of love.

W*: Has the Apparatus aesthetic or your design approach evolved since you started out?

GH: I’ve always considered Apparatus more of an approach than a specific aesthetic or sensibility. I always want to arrive at an object that feels just familiar enough to invite you in, but then reveals its idiosyncrasy – its a temporality. There are always historical or aesthetic references, but they are used in service of arriving at that emotional response to the object. This approach has remained consistent, albeit more nuanced and sophisticated as we evolve; the aesthetic can develop without losing connection to the body of work as a whole.

W*: You opened your first London gallery last year, which now serves as your European base. What made you choose London?

GH: London is a centre for design in the UK, but beyond that it is a window into the rest of Europe, the Middle East and Asia. It allows us to present a seductive and compelling story to a broad, international audience. Our clientele ranges from architects and interior designers to design-savvy fashion consumers who want to bring the same level of sophistication to their home as they create in their closet.

W*: How does your London outpost compare to your galleries in New York and LA?

GH: Our spaces in New York and Los Angeles are very hidden from the street by design, to heighten a sense of mystery and discovery. We play a different game of seduction on Mount Street where, in addition to creating a gathering place for clients who already know the brand, we are attracting a new design consumer who might just be out for a stroll.

W*: What new projects are you most excited to see come to fruition in the near future?

GH: Our catalogue is made up of fixture series in continuous production, and over the next year we will be revisiting some of these series to introduce new ideas – some inspired by function, some inspired by what I call ‘fancy’. ‘Series Extension’ allows us to shape knowledge gained over time into new ways of making light.

W*: How do you see Apparatus evolving in the next ten years?

GH: What has become more clear to me in the last ten years is that my process starts first with imagining a full world – its mood, its attitude, its references. From that point of departure, the pieces I design become the tangible artifacts of that world. As we’ve grown, I’ve had the ability to bring more of these worlds into existence through our presentations and campaigns, and to think through the resolution of their details. I’m excited to see how this process will inform the growth of the studio over the next ten years, and the categories it will inspire.

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