Aria Journal:
In celebration of International Women’s Day 2021, we highlight the work of six designers making an impact in the fields of furniture, lighting, architecture and interiors, through design innovation.
Cecilie Manz
Award-winning Danish designer Cecilie Manz is a master of modern minimalism.
She encountered the world of design in early childhood, as her parents were both artists. Her work abides by a ‘form follows function’ philosophy, with an understated aesthetic, highlighting the details with supreme quality materials.
“I view all my works as fragments of one big, ongoing story, where the projects are often linked or related in terms of their ideas, materials, and aesthetics, across time and function,” Cecilie Manz.
Aino Aalto
Aino Aalto was a Finnish architect and pioneer of Scandinavian design, she developed functional objects with an approach founded in the Modernist architectural style and an emphasis on honest materials.
Designed in 1932, one of Aalto’s most notable works for Iittala is her pressed glassware, inspired by the circles that form when a stone is thrown into the water, this iconic design still appears fresh almost a century later.
Anne Qvist
Anne Qvist’s designs balance pragmatism with a respect for craftsmanship and context. She believes in diversity, developing versatile design products that can be applied to many different contexts with a high level of usability, functionality and humanity. Discover the AQ07 Desk Lamp for Fritz Hansen.
Marie Christine Dorner
Designer and interior architect Marie Christine Dorner has designed a diverse range of projects including La Villa at St Germain des Prés and the restaurant de la Comédie Française, to name a few.
Based between Paris, London and Tokyo, she has designed furniture and home accessories for global design companies, including the Uncover Sofa for Ligne Roset.
Kateryna Sokolova
Industrial designer Kateryna Sokolova is the founder and creative director of SOKOLOVA design studio. Her work spans a range of disciplines including furniture, lighting, hardware, electronics and the environment.
Her designs for Ligne Roset place the material at the core, emphasising the properties of stone, metal and concrete with designs including the Mold Vase and Oxydation Tables.
&New
Award-winning furniture company &New was founded by British-Finnish design duo, Jo Wilton and Mirka Gröhn. Their designs are characterised by clean lines, geometric shapes and vivid colours, crafted with honest and sustainable materials. Exclusively manufactured in Britain, their distinctly modern aesthetic combines playfulness and simplicity.
We caught up with Jo and Mirka from &New to find out more about their design process and the story behind the brand. Read More
By Jennifer Ring