While it might sound like an optical illusion – perhaps in some aspects it is – tone-on-tone color treatments neutralize an object in that sense allowing for a more dramatic contrast in things like material, texture, and finish, as well as changes to the silhouette. Omer Ozturk, of his eponymous interior design firm, conceptualized the monochromatic Valentino Chair referencing an outfit from their Fall/Winter 2022-23 custom color collection developed by Pantone and the fashion house’s former creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli. The sultry, soft furry seat against the slim porous back make for an interesting transition between elements while the angular front legs find correspondence with the triangular perforations.
Sometimes quirky, sometimes Calder, Max Simon is making a name for himself with his custom kinetic sculptures and mobiles. The artful assemblies are fashioned from materials like steel, aluminum, wire, and wood, which are then suspended in these asymmetric forms finding beautiful balance both literally and visually. The contrasts in shape, scale, and color are a pleasure to explore with the eye as it traces each graphic element. His works find homes in equally eccentric spaces like Only Love Strangers, a bi-level cocktail bar and jazz club on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, imbuing establishments with an elevated sense of play.
The Netherlands-based C’est Jeanne is a luxury handcrafted garment brand founded by the designer and dressmaker Jeanne Hermans, whose custom fashions boast an embroidery and tailoring prowess from time spent in respectable ateliers. Each pair of gloves produced by the maker strikes a brilliant balance between camp and couture, innovation and tradition, sophistication and flair. Katja in particular explores solid-void contrasting a distinctive cutout with a sheer, inclusive nude made to order. Many pairs have been featured in global fashion campaigns as well as mainstream magazines bringing this chic accessory back into the zeitgeist.
Brooklyn-based designer Ethan Streicher presents a survey of lighting entitled “Seeing Red.” The capsule collection is rendered in red clay, sculpted into soft geometric forms and a variety of seven silhouettes that range from playful to mod to sophisticated. In contrast to the romantic handmade bases are 3D-printed shades that lean into each individual personality. The tabletop luminaries emit a soft glow and imbue their surroundings with a feeling of warmth that can only be derived from earthen materials. And the subtle differences between each model of the same name reminds owners to embrace the imperfections of humanness.
Food satiates the body as much as the ritual of dining facilitates socialization and community. So too does the art of cooking satisfy a craving for creative expression. From macaroni to noodles, chef and pasta designer David Rivillo has managed to preserve the venerable tradition of handmade pasta while contemporizing the edible end result with an array of hues, intricate pattern making, and in some cases, innovative forms. With an incredible command of color, shape, and texture, Rivillo elevates his dishes beyond novelty with dizzying patterns as enchanting to eat as they are to watch dancing on a rolling boil.
