DESIGNER’s STORY
Cristiana Giopato and Christopher Coombes (she Italian and he British) first struck up a working relationship in 2004 with the “In Dust We Trust” project; an exhibition that they set up and directed and which led to the foundation of the company InDustReal.A few years later the duo founded an independent, multifaceted studio to find out how their two different cultures might be fused to form a unique interior design product or project. Since their very first projects for Fiam Italia and Guzzini, Cristiana and Christopher have continued to design products for all living spaces, having been called upon by companies such as Living Divani, Lema Mobili, Miniforms, Frag and Glass Idromassaggio. In 2006, they were selected by Patricia Urquiola for the Promosedia award.
Some of their products have won the prestigious Italian “Young & Design” award, featured in various exhibitions and published in print media and magazines worldwide.
In 2012, Cristiana completed a degree in Architecture and her studies have now led to the creation of a dedicated interior design and residential architecture department. This has allowed Cristiana and Christopher to create photo sets and exhibition stands for catalogues and fairs, whilst continuing to trust in the fusion of their disciplines. In 2013, they delivered their first private residential commission.
Christiana and Christopher approach each new project from the perspectives and perceptions of the client and buyer to find new solutions and build meaningful connections between the two.
The pair’s designs place value both on industrial and cultural worth and on research via inspirational associations and innovative solutions. They firmly believe that a well-made product should deliver satisfaction throughout its entire life cycle. Because all of this is unpredictable and highly complex, Christiana and Christopher’s work is a continuous journey in which they seek to learn and gain experience through their mission to perfectly combine the focal points of everyday design.
READ MORE BRAND DESIGNER’s STORIES
Ferréol Babin dedicates half of his time collaborating with various furniture and lighting editors where he can incorporate his singular vision and approach of design. The other half is spent on making unique pieces, with an obvious brutalist yet delicate approach.
The passion for objects meant as industrial products is the glue of the professional partnership between Alfredo Chiaramonte and Marco Marin, promoting partners of the homonymous Designstudio.
Under label NO-MADE Cleo Maxime and Linde Freya, who met at the Design Academy Eindhoven in 2008, collaborate on creating objects that combine their interest in materials and cultural dialogue. Working ‘apart together’ they aim to combine their forces and views on aesthetics to create tactile, elegant and sturdy objects.
Earned his degree in Industrial Design in 1986 in Barcelona, he moves to New York to joint the Vignellis Studio. After four years, he was engaged at Ralph Lauren focusing his work in both furniture and interior design. Return to Barcelona in 1998 and began to collaborate with Grupo Inditex (Zara Group) as a creative
Alex Josephson cofounded PARTISANS in 2012 after studying architecture at the University of Waterloo, the University of Rome, and the Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA). PARTISANS is comprised of architects, designers, thinkers, and cultural enthusiasts whose work across all scales is devoted to a cause: high-performance design that strives to make the improbable possible.
Harry Thaler is a product designer whose work reinterprets fundamental design typologies by combining high-quality and traditional craftsmanship with clever and innovative forms.
