Words by Angelica Frey
Three pioneering designers share the paths to discovering their crafts.
MAKERS
TASTE
In design, the journey towards establishing one's aesthetic is almost as impactful as the final outcome. The path it takes to get there often allows us the time and space to explore some of our biggest ideas—to fantasize, then actualize.
Porsche takes dreams and dreamers seriously because they are among them; they know that passion makes things possible, and that being original never fades.
Here, we spoke to three industry-defining contemporary designers about the influences that helped shape their signature style, the materials that drive their work, and the ways their pieces exist in a symbiotic relationship with their surroundings, creating something that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
These names don’t just use shape, color, and texture to break the mold—they create something that captivates; that allures; that inspires.
“We want our items to just disappear into your home, but also be a key piece of functionality.”
In partnership with
“I'm very sculptural, I'm very regimented. I like silhouettes,
and I love color. In the case of this furniture, the shape is the color.”
Emmanuel Olunkwa
Photos: Jasmine Clarke
For Emmanuel Olunkwa’s furniture business E&Ko, materials drive the designs. Growing up, he recalls having an armoire made of wood, which cemented itself as a presence in his life. When he started conceptualizing his sculptural works—a flower-shaped table and a set of chairs—he naturally gravitated towards birchwood. "I'm not a maximalist and I'm not a minimalist,” he says of his aesthetic. “I'm very sculptural, I'm very regimented. I like silhouettes, and I love color. In the case of this furniture, the shape is the color."
Olunkwa, who combines his design work with photography, writing, editing (Pioneer Works, PinUp Magazine, ArtForum), says his pursuit for excellence is motivated by curiosity. “I like to know how things work,” he says. “I don’t know what I’m going to do next, but I want to use my experience and platforms to inform and engage people and climate, social, and political issues. Finding problems and seeking clarity is the thing that motivates me the most.” Here, he stresses this importance of passion: “Give yourself over to your practice and allow for the process to be the guiding light,” he suggests. “Resistance is often an indicator that something is working, but that it just needs more time.”
Eny Lee Parker
Designer Eny Lee Parker admits she’s “never had the urge to be the best designer, create the best lighting or chair,” she says. “My personal motivation is that I get to create jobs, support my small team, my family and participate in the local economy. As an immigrant, I take pride in those things. It brings so much more meaning and intent to what I do.”
Though her Instagram bio reads I Make Mess for a Living, she insists she’s "not a very messy person.” But her material of choice—clay—is. "It's basically dirt,” she says. “It feels like you can really mold it with your hands, but once it gets fired, it can change so much. You don’t have full control over it, which is a really good lesson for everyone.”
Her ceramic objects, lamps, and furniture, known for their biomorphic, bulbous shapes, relate to this. "I really enjoy making things that are not quite the exact dimension they're supposed to be," she says. It's meant to make us feel less isolated from our surrounding interiors, "so that," she continues, "we're not alone with these perfectly linear shapes."
Lichen
In nature, there is an interrelationship between the lichen and its host: They don't harm each other, they don't take from each other, and they both add something to the equation. Lichen, founded by Jared Blake and Ed Be in 2017, abides by the same principle. "It's also a nod to the second life of furniture,” says Blake, “the journey that a lot of our furniture goes through.”
The two started their interiors shop and incubator after observing the practical constraints that came with exclusively selling vintage goods: either sizes were slightly off, or the limited supply did not match demand. Today, the pair aims for their neutral designs to be the "white tee" of furniture. "We want our items to just disappear into your home, but also be a key piece of functionality," says Be. “It’s important to avoid trends in favor of doing what you enjoy. Trends fade—taste and output don’t.”
“I really enjoy making things that are not quite the exact
dimension that they're supposed to be.”
The two started their interiors shop and incubator after observing the practical constraints that came with exclusively selling vintage goods: either sizes were slightly off, or the limited supply did not match demand. Today, the pair aims for their neutral designs to be the "white tee" of furniture. "We want our items to just disappear into your home, but also be a key piece of functionality," says Be. “It’s important to avoid trends in favor of doing what you enjoy. Trends fade—taste and output don’t.”
