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Philia
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Kaori Akiyama Portrait

Kaori Akiyama

Kaori Akiyama is a Japanese designer and the founder of STUDIO BYCOLOR, a Tokyo-based design practice established in 2013. Working across product, furniture, interior, exhibition, and branding design, she explores the expressive relationship between colour, material, and form, seeking to uncover the essential character of an object while questioning conventional perceptions of the everyday.

Driven by a process of observation and material experimentation, Akiyama creates works that balance functionality with a refined sensitivity to colour and texture. Her practice has received international recognition, including the iF Design Award Gold, iF Design Award, DFA Gold Award, DIA Top 100, and Good Design Award, reflecting an ongoing commitment to thoughtful, research-led design.

"The things around you aren't necessarily perfect. Your perspective holds the potential to bring them to life."
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14 July 26
Lisa Allegra scaled modified

Lisa Allegra 5 Picks From Philia Collection

Lisa Allegra is a French designer and artist based in Barcelona whose practice explores the intersection of sculpture, furniture, and everyday objects. A graduate of the École des Arts Décoratifs in France, she creates handcrafted collections of furniture and lighting that investigate balance, materiality, and the quiet presence of form. Working primarily with clay alongside textiles and wood, Allegra combines craftsmanship with a minimalist sensibility, creating timeless pieces that celebrate tactile materials, thoughtful making, and the poetry of everyday life.

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16 May 25
John Proctor

Proctor & Shaw

Founded by John Proctor and Mike Shaw, Proctor & Shaw is a London-based architecture practice known for creating transformative spaces defined by thoughtful simplicity, refined materiality, and a sensitive use of light and form. The studio approaches each project with a balance of creative ambition and pragmatic thinking, delivering tailored architectural solutions shaped around the specific needs of its clients.

Before founding the practice, John Proctor graduated with Distinction from the University of Nottingham and worked with several award-winning UK studios, including Softroom, where he led the delivery of the Sackler Centre for Arts Education at the V&A Museum, recipient of an RIBA Award in 2010. Today, Proctor & Shaw continues to develop award-winning projects that combine careful craftsmanship with a deeply considered spatial experience.

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15 May 25
Kevin Frankental scaled modified

Kevin Frankental

Kevin Frankental is a South African designer and the co-owner and Creative Director of Lemon. Working across furniture and collectible design, his practice is rooted in a profound appreciation for natural materials and the enduring relationship between craftsmanship and time. Guided by an intuitive understanding of stone, wood, and other earth-derived materials, he creates pieces that reveal their intrinsic character while balancing sculptural expression with functional clarity.

Through his work, Frankental explores the idea of timelessness—not as a stylistic pursuit, but as a lasting dialogue between material, form, and making. His designs embrace authenticity, restraint, and permanence, creating objects that transcend trends and celebrate the enduring beauty of nature and craftsmanship.

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13 May 25
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BehaghelFoiny Picks From Philia Collection

BehaghelFoiny is a design studio founded by Antoine Behaghel and Alexis Foiny. Based in Paris, both designers specialize in the creation of limited-edition furniture pieces. 

The duo explores the boundaries of the design discipline by combining traditional craftsmanship with unconventional materials. Their creations emanate from a spontaneous and playful approach to texture and color, leading them to work, in particular, with colored plaster and carved wood. BehaghelFoiny collaborated with Galerie Philia on the “Design Brut” co-creation project with kids in the South of France, and is currently in residence at Les Ateliers de Paris. 

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9 May 25
Richard Parr modified

Richard Parr

Richard Parr is the founder of Richard Parr Associates (RPA), a RIBA-chartered architecture and design practice established in 1994, with studios in London and the Cotswolds. Known for its thoughtful approach to contemporary and historic residential and hospitality projects, the practice creates timeless spaces that balance luxury, comfort, craftsmanship, and contemporary design intelligence.

Led by Richard Parr and a multidisciplinary team of architects and designers, RPA’s work ranges from contemporary new builds to extensive restoration projects, including the award-winning Farmyard at The Newt. Rooted in a quiet, modern traditionalist sensibility, the studio places longevity, locality, and human experience at the heart of its architecture.

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8 May 25
Daniel Poole modified

Daniel Poole

Daniel Poole is a bespoke furniture designer in Melbourne, Australia. Providing bespoke design consultancy, design strategy, and development combined with a comprehensive in-house master cabinet-making studio. Daniel Poole studied Industrial Design at RMIT University, followed by a qualification in Cabinet-Making. Daniel Poole PL commissions are certified with authenticity.

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6 May 25