PHILIA MAGAZINE

Laurène Guarneri is a French designer and artisan based in Paris whose practice explores the poetic relationship between light, reflection, and everyday life through sculptural mirrors. A graduate of the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris-Cergy and the École Supérieure d’Arts & Médias de Caen, she creates handcrafted pieces that transform mirrors into contemplative objects, inviting a more sensitive and intuitive way of experiencing space.

Inspired by fleeting moments in nature—the changing colours of the sky, sunlight, rain, and quiet everyday observations—Guarneri develops works that celebrate simplicity, poetry, and perception. Through refined forms and meticulous craftsmanship, her mirrors preserve these ephemeral moments, encouraging viewers to pause, reflect, and rediscover the beauty found in the ordinary.

Nina Takesh is a Los Angeles–based interior designer, entrepreneur, and creative director known for her refined yet bold approach to contemporary interiors. Through her eponymous studio, she works on residential and commercial projects internationally, combining bespoke furnishings, innovative materials, and architectural sensibility.

Born in Tehran and raised in Beverly Hills, Takesh was introduced to design from an early age through her father, a renowned architect, and her international upbringing between California, France, and Switzerland. Alongside her interior design practice, she is also the founder of several successful ventures, including the luxury baby boutique Petit Tresor. Today, she continues to build an international clientele while cultivating a strong presence across social media platforms.

Studio Yolk is a Copenhagen-based art and design studio founded by Pernille Iben Linde and Morten Linde. Creating collectible furniture, lighting, and sculptural objects, the studio combines contemporary Scandinavian design with playful forms, tactile materials, and meticulous craftsmanship. Rooted in an experimental and collaborative approach, Studio Yolk develops pieces distinguished by organic forms, refined materiality, and a warm, human-centred sensibility, resulting in timeless works that balance artistic expression with everyday functionality.

Goons is a Paris-based design studio founded in 2020 by architect Paul Trussler and designer and creative editor Mia Kim. Working across furniture, objects, and interiors, the studio is guided by an artisanal approach that explores simple concepts executed with precision, creating pieces defined by clarity, functionality, and careful craftsmanship.

Drawing on backgrounds in architecture, fashion, fine art, and model-making, Trussler and Kim bring together diverse creative disciplines to develop a distinctive design language rooted in simplicity and material honesty. Their work has been featured in publications including AD Collector, AD France, AD Italia, AD Germany, AD Middle East, Elle Décoration, and Milk Decoration.

César Giraldo is a Colombian-born interior designer and the Founder and Principal of César Giraldo Design, a studio working across residential, commercial, and hospitality projects internationally. Based in West Hollywood, his work is recognized for blending contemporary luxury with references to traditional craftsmanship, creating interiors that feel both refined and timeless.

Driven by an early fascination with color, form, and materiality, Giraldo approaches each project with a strong sense of individuality and atmosphere. His interiors balance elegance with warmth, combining sculptural forms, rich textures, and carefully layered details to create spaces that are deeply personal and visually striking.

Beyond interiors, Giraldo has expanded into furniture, rug, leather, and lighting design through collaborations with brands including Tidelli, Mehraban, and Studio M Lighting. His work has been recognized with several industry accolades, including the Stars of Design Award from the Pacific Design Center, and has been featured in publications such as Architectural Digest and Elle Decor. Alongside his design practice, he founded the Espiritu Santo Project Foundation in Medellín, supporting art education programs for at-risk youth.

Pierre De Valck is a Belgian designer based in Ghent whose collectible furniture explores the dialogue between geology, archaeology, and contemporary design. Fascinated by historical artefacts and the passage of time, he creates sculptural pieces that reinterpret ancient materials through a contemporary lens, transforming furniture into modern relics imbued with memory and permanence.

Each work is meticulously handcrafted using rare minerals and stones selected for their unique geological and historical significance. Preserving the natural character of these materials, De Valck creates one-of-a-kind pieces that transcend function, celebrating the enduring beauty of the earth while connecting contemporary craftsmanship with humanity’s collective past.

Henry D’Ath is a New Zealand–born artist and architect based in Hong Kong. Drawing from both his architectural background and agricultural upbringing, his practice explores the relationship between perception, place, and material through furniture and sculpture. Working primarily with salvaged and hand-worked materials, D’Ath creates pieces that balance utility with a distinctly sculptural presence.

Rooted in a process of making and material experimentation, his work investigates the tensions between rural memory and contemporary experience. Through carefully crafted forms and a deep engagement with materiality, D’Ath develops objects that blur the boundaries between art, design, and architecture, revealing unexpected narratives embedded within everyday materials and forms.

Sizar Alexis is a Swedish-Iraqi designer whose practice explores the relationship between material, identity, and cultural memory. Working with natural materials, he creates collectible furniture and objects defined by geometric forms, sculptural restraint, and a quiet sense of stillness. His work balances raw materiality with refined craftsmanship, resulting in pieces of enduring presence.

Drawing inspiration from Brutalist aesthetics and the architectural heritage of ancient Mesopotamia, Alexis weaves personal and cultural narratives into his designs. Through this material-driven approach, he investigates his own identity within the Chaldean diaspora while creating timeless objects that bridge history and contemporary design.

Buket Hoşcan Bazman is a Turkish designer based between Istanbul and Izmir whose practice explores the relationship between natural materials, craftsmanship, and contemporary collectible design. Trained in industrial design, she founded her first brand, Marbleous, in 2015 before establishing her independent design studio in 2018.

Working across furniture, objects, and collectible pieces, Bazman develops works that emphasize material authenticity and artisanal production. Rooted in a deep appreciation for natural materials such as stone, wood, and metal, her creations balance geometric clarity with increasingly organic forms, reflecting her ongoing exploration of craftsmanship, material expression, and timeless design.

Alice Lahana is a French artist and designer whose practice explores the intersection of sculpture, craftsmanship, and functional design. Based near Paris, she creates furniture, lighting, and objects that blur the boundaries between art and everyday use, developing a distinctive language shaped by organic forms, material experimentation, and handcraft.

Originally trained in fine arts, Lahana approaches design through a deeply intuitive and tactile process. Working primarily with wood, ceramics, and natural materials, she creates pieces that celebrate irregularity, texture, and the traces of making. Rooted in a dialogue between materiality and emotion, her work reflects a sculptural sensibility that transforms functional objects into expressive and poetic forms.

Sara Story is the founder and creative force behind her eponymous design studio, internationally recognized for interiors that blend refined elegance with a distinctive contemporary sensibility. Drawing inspiration from extensive travels, contemporary art, fashion, and architecture, Sara approaches each project with a strong visual language shaped by balance, materiality, and atmosphere.

Working across residential and commercial projects worldwide, the studio has also developed several successful product collaborations spanning wallpaper, hardware, and furnishings. Sara holds a B.F.A. from the University of San Diego and a degree in Interior Architecture from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She is also an active member of the Artemis Council of the New Museum, America’s Society, and the Design Leadership Network.

Humberto da Mata is a Brazilian designer based in São Paulo, where he founded his studio in 2012. Trained in architecture and urbanism, his practice is dedicated to the exploration of contemporary furniture, objects, papier-mâché, and ceramics through a process deeply rooted in material research and manual craftsmanship. Working closely with local artisans and small-scale industries, he develops pieces that balance experimentation with a strong sense of tactility and construction.

Driven by an ongoing investigation into materials and making techniques, da Mata creates works that blur the boundaries between design, sculpture, and craft. His collections often combine traditional handwork with contemporary forms, transforming materials such as fabric, paper pulp, ceramic, wood, and metal into expressive objects distinguished by their texture, organic presence, and playful character. Through this multidisciplinary approach, he continues to expand the possibilities of Brazilian collectible design.

Lucas and Tyra Morten are a multidisciplinary artist duo whose practice exists at the intersection of art and collectible design. Through their atelier, they create handmade furniture, objects, and sculptural works in limited editions, embracing craftsmanship as an essential part of the creative process. Their work explores the beauty of impermanence, celebrating the subtle traces of the maker’s hand and the quiet fragility inherent in materials and time.

In contrast to the precision and efficiency of industrial production, the Mortens cultivate an intuitive approach to making, where each piece carries an experiential and deeply human quality. Rooted in material experimentation and thoughtful craftsmanship, their creations invite a contemplative dialogue between object, process, and the passage of time.

Chanel Kapitanj is a Belgian designer and metalworker based in Liège, where she founded her eponymous studio in 2017. Trained in industrial design and later in welding and metal fabrication, she has developed a practice that merges collectible design, furniture, and architectural metalwork through a deeply hands-on approach.

Working primarily with steel and other metals, Kapitanj explores the balance between precision, texture, and material expression. Her work is characterized by minimalist forms, refined craftsmanship, and a fascination with the transformative possibilities of metal, from sculptural furniture and lighting to custom architectural elements.

Guided by a philosophy of restraint and material honesty, Chanel Kapitanj creates pieces that highlight the tactile and visual qualities of metal while maintaining a strong sense of simplicity, functionality, and permanence.

Patricia Bustos is a Spanish designer and founder of Patricia Bustos Studio, an interdisciplinary practice based in Madrid working across interiors, furniture, and collectible design. Guided by a pursuit of beauty and emotional experience, her work creates immersive environments that merge architecture, art, and craftsmanship, balancing functionality with a distinctly expressive visual language.

Drawing inspiration from nature, fashion, philosophy, and contemporary art, Bustos develops spaces and objects that navigate between reality and imagination. Characterized by bold colour palettes, organic forms, and a dialogue between handcrafted materials and innovative techniques, her practice reinterprets traditional craftsmanship through a contemporary lens, creating environments that are both poetic and deeply experiential.

Laura Pasquino is a ceramic artist based in Amsterdam whose practice explores the expressive potential of form, texture, and material. Having developed her practice across Kyoto, Lisbon, and now the Netherlands, she draws inspiration from the rhythms and formations of the natural world, creating works that balance sculptural presence with quiet functionality.

Working primarily with spherical forms, Pasquino creates vessels and sculptures that celebrate the spontaneity and tactile qualities of clay. Through earthy palettes, organic textures, and a refined sense of simplicity, her pieces evoke a harmonious dialogue between nature and craftsmanship. Alongside her exhibition and installation work, she collaborates on bespoke commissions for architectural spaces, interior design projects, and selected brands.

Isabel Moncada is a Mexican designer and artist known for her sculptural lighting and collectible objects. Based in Guadalajara, she has spent more than three decades exploring traditional craft techniques, developing her own methods and mechanisms to transform materials into expressive works that balance functionality with artistic experimentation.

Drawing inspiration from organic forms, asymmetry, and the richness of handmade processes, Moncada works across materials including metal, blown glass, porcelain, and cast elements. Her practice merges design, engineering, and craftsmanship, resulting in lighting pieces distinguished by their sculptural presence, material complexity, and poetic sense of form.

kar is a contemporary design brand whose practice is rooted in the principles of Oriental philosophy, exploring the relationship between tradition and modernity through collectible furniture and objects. Derived from the Sanskrit root of karma, the brand reflects on the interconnected nature of creation, where material, process, memory, and emotion shape the final work. Drawing inspiration from art, literature, culture, and personal experience, kar- creates pieces that seek to evoke emotional resonance through restrained forms and thoughtful material exploration.

Guided by a process that values sensibility as much as craftsmanship, the studio continually experiments with techniques and materials to expand the possibilities of contemporary design. Fiberglass has become one of its signature mediums, chosen for its ability to achieve fluid, organic forms while maintaining structural strength. Through meticulous hand-finishing and decades of artisanal expertise, each piece reveals a refined, jade-like surface that celebrates the dialogue between human emotion, material transformation, and timeless craftsmanship.