We can look at a chair or a furniture piece and know that it has Marcel Wanders’ quirkinessor Patricia Urquiola’s feminine edge, but even these well-known designers had to start somewhere, making their way from obscurity to ubiquity. Modern day philosopher Aubrey “Drake” Graham said it best: “Started from the bottom, now we’re here.”
The point is emerging designers are everywhere, and they are talented. It gives me such joy to see new faces and products popping up in design magazines and forums, watching fresh perspectives on old concepts.
Below is a list of five designers you should get to know. They’re definitely on our radar, and soon, we’ll likely be able to point to an installation and know it’s a Kakuda or see the influence of Work + Sea in a wallpaper design.
Joogii
Diogo and Juliette Felippelli, the husband and wife team behind LA’s Joogii, are the epitome of effortless cool. Both kitschy and energetic, their work spans disciplines. For example, the acrylic Giorgio chair is coated with a hand-applied dichroic film that creates a prismatic color spectrum. Their pieces are so identifiable it’s like the Memphis movement for the 21st century.