Known for its bold, style-driven gestures, both in its collections and beyond (few other New York designers can be counted on to host a dance party at a disused theatre in Harlem, complete with gospel choir), the lighting and furniture design studio Apparatus has made great strides since it was founded in 2012.
The firm’s latest collection, entitled Interlude, that Apparatus revealed at both Salone del Mobile and New York Design Week, heralds a new chapter in its ongoing journey. Launched under the new line, Apparatus Editions, the limited edition range showcases fine handcraft to a degree that goes beyond the studio’s already highly demanded production pieces.
‘Although our entire collection is the result of incredible focus and craft, there are times when we have to pull back on creative impulses because we are somewhat confined by the limitations of production,’ explains Apparatus’ creative director Gabriel Hendifar. ‘Creating edition-ed work is a chance for the studio to really indulge in handcraft and materials without confines. With ‘Interlude’, we were able to conceive a collection that is a full, rich expression of a creative impulse, while exploring processes that test the limit.’
Interlude’s showcase during New York Design Week.
Inspired by the fantasy of a shuttered Italian modernist theatre, Interlude features a variety of handcrafted materials and artisanal techniques that Hendifar has been collecting over the last five yeas. Some of the most memorable include leather that has been tightly folded by hand thousands of times to create a new texture applied to cabinetry; lampshades made from brass mesh that feature individual exquisitely embroidered shapes all crafted by hand, and panels of eel skin that have been elegantly inlaid onto table surfaces.
To appropriately capture the collection’s ethos, the studio once again produced a film, directed by Matthew Placek, who directed its first film ACT III last year. Set to Donizetti’s Ardon Gli Incensi, as performed by Maria Callas in 1957, the short film brings a feeling of playfulness to counteract the serious craft traditions that ground the range.
‘For me, Apparatus’ Interlude collection represents patience and a strong return to skilled craftsmanship,’ Placek says. ‘This film's environment, casting and production required the same consideration and care. We cast a post retirement handyman and his near-retirement successor to convey a confidence and dedication without the urgency to prove it.’
‘We choose a recording of Maria Callas, which not only represents an iconic figure of style but also a wildly cultivated vocalist,’ he adds, ‘these are all qualities that I see in the Interlude collection. There is an undeniable melancholy for the past which makes room for an optimistic future through patience, care and preservation.’
INFORMATION
-
Meet Daniel Blumberg, the British indie rock veteran who created The Brutalist’s scoreBAFTA-nominated Blumberg has created an epic score for Brady Corbet’s film The Brutalist, in cinemas this week; listen here
-
China’s Alila Shanghai hotel is a stylish hub of idle tranquillityAlila Shanghai, the brand's first urban resort in Greater China, is a serene bolthole amidst the pulse of the Jing'an district
-
Pharrell Williams’ latest Louis Vuitton show celebrates a ‘friendship for life’ with streetwear legend NigoLouis Vuitton men’s creative director Pharrell Williams looked towards his long friendship with BAPE founder Nigo to create a collaborative A/W 2025 menswear collection shown in Paris this evening (21 January 2025)
-
From migrating elephants to a divisive Jaguar, was this the best Design Miami yet?Here's our Design Miami 2024 review – discover the best of everything that happened at the fair as it took over the city this December
-
Design practice Astraeus Clarke is inspired by cinema to tell a story and evoke an emotionIn a rapidly changing world, the route designers take to discover their calling is increasingly circuitous. Here we speak to Chelsie and Jacob Starley the creative duo behind Astraeus Clarke
-
California cool: Studio Shamshiri debuts handmade door handles and pullsLos Angeles interior design firm Studio Shamshiri channels the spirit of the Californian landscape into its handcrafted hardware collections. Founder Pamela Shamshiri shares the inspiration behind the designs
-
Is Emeco's 'No Foam KNIT' a sustainable answer to synthetic upholstery textiles?'Make more with less' is Emeco's guiding light. Now, the US furniture maker's new mono-material textile, the 'No Foam KNIT', may offer a sustainable solution to upholstery materials
-
Smooth operator: Willett debuts new furniture at Design Miami 2024, with a playful touch of retro allureLA furniture designer Willett turned heads in the design world with the launch of his eponymous brand earlier this year. Ahead of his Design Miami debut, he told us what’s in store for 2025
-
Hella Jongerius’ ‘Angry Animals’ take a humorous and poignant bite out of the climate crisisAt Salon 94 Design in New York, Hella Jongerius presents animal ceramics, ‘Bead Tables’ and experimental ‘Textile Studies’ – three series that challenge traditional ideas about function, craft, and narrative
-
One to Watch: designer Valerie Name infuses contemporary objects and spaces with historical detailFrom vessels to furnishings and interiors, New York- and Athens-based designer Valerie Name finds new relevance for age-old craft techniques
-
First look: Matthew Fisher opens the doors to his first gallery in ManhattanHistory, design, and environmental consciousness converge at M. Fisher in New York City, offering an experience that is as meaningful as it is visually striking
