PHILIA MAGAZINE

Daniella Ohad is a New York–based design historian, curator, writer, educator, and podcast host specializing in modern and contemporary design culture. She received her PhD from the Bard Graduate Center and has dedicated her career to the study and promotion of design history, interiors, material culture, and the decorative arts.

Ohad has taught at leading institutions including Parsons School of Design, Pratt Institute, Cooper Union, and the New York School of Interior Design. Through lectures, curated programs, podcasts, and public conversations, she has become an influential voice in contemporary design discourse.

Her writings and critiques have been widely published, while her media and public programs—including Dialogues with Design Legends, The Collector, and the podcast Designing the 21st Century—have featured leading figures in architecture and design. Alongside her curatorial and educational work, her platform Daniella on Design has become a widely followed destination for discussions surrounding contemporary design and collecting.

CONTAIN is a design studio founded by Mauricio Obarrio and Juan Peralta that brings together contemporary design, local craftsmanship, and industrial production. Rooted in Mallorca, the studio creates lighting and objects that explore the relationship between materiality, simplicity, and innovation.

Working closely with artisans and manufacturers, CONTAIN develops pieces distinguished by their refined forms, natural materials, and thoughtful functionality. Drawing inspiration from the island’s cultural heritage, the studio seeks to reinterpret traditional techniques through a contemporary lens, fostering a dialogue between local craftsmanship, modern technology, and design.

Morghen Studio is an Italian multidisciplinary practice working at the intersection of design, art, and craftsmanship. Based in a carefully restored former carpenter’s workshop in Milan’s Bovisa district, the studio develops collectible furniture, lighting, objects, and spatial installations that balance artisanal tradition with contemporary experimentation. Each piece is conceived and handcrafted in-house, drawing upon inherited techniques while exploring new materials and methods of making.

Guided by an ongoing dialogue between research and fabrication, Morghen Studio approaches every project as an evolution of previous investigations into form, material, and process. Their work celebrates the uniqueness of the handmade object, creating contemporary pieces distinguished by sculptural presence, material honesty, and a deep respect for craftsmanship.

Phillip Jividen is an American designer based in Cincinnati, Ohio, whose practice explores the relationship between sculpture, furniture, and functional objects. Guided by a refined minimalist language, he creates collectible pieces that balance geometric clarity with subtle material expression, transforming familiar forms into quietly sculptural compositions.

Working across furniture, lighting, and objects, Jividen combines meticulous craftsmanship with an intuitive approach to proportion and materiality. His work emphasizes simplicity, permanence, and restraint, resulting in designs that feel both familiar and unexpected while celebrating the inherent character of each material.

Pietro Franceschini is an Italian architect and designer based between New York and Florence. Trained across Italy, Portugal, and the United States, he founded PF|Studio in 2020, an interdisciplinary practice dedicated to interior architecture, collectible furniture, and product design. His work reflects an architectural approach to objects, combining refined proportions, material sensitivity, and contemporary craftsmanship.

Drawing on experience with internationally renowned architecture studios, Franceschini creates furniture and interiors that balance sculptural clarity with everyday functionality. Guided by a minimalist aesthetic and meticulous attention to detail, his practice explores the relationship between space, material, and form, resulting in timeless designs distinguished by elegance, restraint, and enduring character.

Marianna Fiorin is an Italian interior architect based in New York whose work is deeply influenced by her upbringing in northern Italy within a third-generation woodworking family. Raised surrounded by craftsmanship and materials through her family’s millwork company, she developed an early sensitivity to wood, texture, and construction that continues to shape her design approach today.

After earning her Master’s degree in Architecture in Venice, Fiorin worked on several international projects, including the Hamad International Airport by Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel, as well as the Radisson Blu Hotel Nairobi Upper Hill. In 2014, she moved to New York to further specialize in high-end interior architecture while continuing to support her family’s business.

Working across residential and commercial projects in New York, Long Island, Jerusalem, and Los Angeles, Marianna Fiorin creates interiors defined by materiality, light, and emotional atmosphere. Her spaces combine simplicity, natural materials, soft tones, art, marble, and carefully selected details to create timeless and eclectic environments.

Selma Lazrak is a Moroccan architect and product designer based in Munich whose multidisciplinary practice explores the relationship between design, identity, and territory. Drawing on a life shaped by Morocco and the Mediterranean cultures of France and Turkey, she creates collectible furniture and sculptural objects that reinterpret cultural heritage through a contemporary lens. Guided by a strong architectural sensibility, her work balances sculptural form with material experimentation, creating pieces that are both timeless and deeply personal.

Working across collectible design, interiors, and architecture, Lazrak collaborates with skilled artisans from the MENA region, combining advanced fabrication technologies with meticulous hand-finishing. Through the use of noble materials and traditional craftsmanship, her practice celebrates the dialogue between memory, materiality, and place, resulting in expressive works distinguished by their refined geometry, tactile richness, and sculptural presence.

Taras Yoom is a multidisciplinary artist and designer based in Bangkok, and the creator of Yoomoota, an expansive fictional universe that merges collectible design, sculpture, painting, and storytelling. Drawing on a background in medicine and a fascination with biology, natural sciences, and human physiology, his practice explores the relationship between the body, nature, and contemporary society through a distinctive language of biomorphic surrealism.

Working across furniture, sculpture, and mixed-media installations, Yoom creates collectible works distinguished by organic forms, vivid colors, and symbolic narratives that blur the boundaries between art and design. Through handcrafted techniques and material experimentation, he transforms scientific concepts and emotional states into sculptural objects that invite reflection on the human condition, while presenting an imaginative universe where function, fantasy, and storytelling converge.

Mirei Monticelli is a Filipina designer based in Milan and the founder of Studio Mirei, an interdisciplinary practice dedicated to collectible lighting and sculptural objects. Blending contemporary design with traditional craftsmanship, she creates luminous works that explore the expressive relationship between light, textile, and movement. Her practice is deeply rooted in material innovation, often drawing upon natural fibers and artisanal techniques from the Philippines to develop objects that are both poetic and environmentally conscious.

Working at the intersection of design, art, and cultural heritage, Monticelli collaborates closely with artisan communities to reinterpret traditional materials through a contemporary lens. Her sculptural lighting collections balance organic forms with refined technical experimentation, transforming natural fibers into immersive compositions that blur the boundaries between object, sculpture, and atmosphere. Guided by a commitment to craftsmanship, sustainability, and emotional resonance, Studio Mirei’s work reflects an ongoing dialogue between cultural identity, innovation, and timeless design.

Mademoiselle Jo is a Belgian design studio founded by Joan Bebronne, whose practice explores the relationship between craftsmanship, contemporary design, and enduring materials. Trained as a fashion designer at La Cambre, Bebronne spent more than two decades creating colours, textiles, and trends for the lingerie industry before turning her attention to collectible furniture and objects. Guided by intuition and a fascination with material, the studio creates sculptural pieces that balance elegance, functionality, and timeless appeal.

Rooted in a commitment to local craftsmanship and thoughtful production, Mademoiselle Jo develops furniture and lighting that blend traditional savoir-faire with contemporary techniques. Through refined forms, tactile materials, and meticulous detailing, the studio creates enduring objects designed to be lived with, passed on, and appreciated across generations.

Wendy Andreu is a Paris-based craft designer whose practice explores the relationship between material, space, and human interaction. Through experimentation and hands-on making, she develops functional objects and sculptural pieces that reveal unexpected qualities of the materials she works with.

Guided by both concept and context, Andreu approaches design as an open dialogue between matter, people, and environment, with a strong emphasis on craftsmanship, tactility, and aesthetic sensitivity. Working from her atelier in Paris’s 19th arrondissement, she develops personal research projects alongside commissioned works for public and private clients.

Enrico Tognoni is an Italian designer and the founder of ETAMORPH, a New York-based design studio dedicated to exploring the transformative possibilities of marble. Rooted in his Tuscan heritage and informed by a contemporary approach to material innovation, Tognoni creates sculptural furniture and collectible objects that challenge conventional perceptions of stone while celebrating its enduring beauty.

Through ETAMORPH, Tognoni combines traditional craftsmanship with advanced technologies, developing works that emphasize fluidity, texture, and material expression. His practice is driven by a fascination with transformation, resulting in pieces that blur the boundaries between art, design, and architecture while highlighting the poetic and structural potential of natural materials.

Stone Stackers is an Italy-based design studio founded by Paolo Ciacci and Shilpa Srinivas, whose practice transforms reclaimed marble into collectible furniture and sculptural objects. Established through a shared commitment to sustainability and material experimentation, the studio reimagines discarded stone offcuts as expressive compositions that celebrate imperfection, craftsmanship, and the enduring beauty of natural materials. Guided by the belief that every fragment holds untapped potential, their work explores the intersection of environmental responsibility, sculptural form, and contemporary design.

Working in close collaboration with artisans and marble specialists, Stone Stackers embraces the irregularity of reclaimed stone, allowing each fragment to inform the final composition. Their collectible pieces are distinguished by bold geometries, rich natural textures, and an intuitive balance between precision and spontaneity, transforming industrial by-products into timeless works that celebrate material authenticity while giving stone a meaningful second life.

Gabriela Campos is a Brazilian designer whose work explores the intersection of craftsmanship, materiality, and cultural identity. Through a practice rooted in collaboration with artisans and traditional makers, she develops furniture and collectible objects that celebrate the richness of Brazilian craft while embracing a contemporary design language. Her creations are distinguished by their tactile qualities, refined forms, and thoughtful engagement with local materials and techniques.

Guided by a deep appreciation for handmade processes and cultural heritage, Campos approaches design as a means of storytelling and connection. Her work seeks to preserve and reinterpret artisanal knowledge, creating pieces that balance tradition and innovation while reflecting the diversity and creative vitality of Brazil’s design landscape.

Emily Henderson is an American interior designer, stylist, author, and television host best known for hosting the HGTV series Secrets from a Stylist. Founder and Creative Director of Style by Emily Henderson, Henderson has become widely recognized for her approachable and personality-driven approach to interiors.

Originally from Portland, Oregon, Henderson trained in New York City while working as a prop stylist before gaining national attention after winning Season 5 of HGTV Design Star. She later relocated to Los Angeles, where she expanded her practice across residential design, editorial styling, television, and publishing.

Henderson is also the author of the Styled: Secrets for Arranging Rooms, from Tabletops to Bookshelves and The New Design Rules: How to Decorate and Renovate, from Start to Finish, alongside her long-running lifestyle and design platform Style by Emily Henderson. Her work is guided by the belief that interiors should feel personal, comfortable, and lived-in, often combining contemporary design with vintage and antique elements to create spaces full of warmth and character.

Irene Maria Ganser is an Austrian artist and designer based in Vienna whose work exists at the intersection of art, design, and craftsmanship. After studying design and fashion in Paris and Milan, she developed her practice through a deep engagement with metalwork, creating sculptural furniture and objects distinguished by their expressive forms, tactile surfaces, and refined materiality.

Nature, transformation, and the passage of time are central themes in Ganser’s work. Drawing inspiration from found materials, natural structures, and the rich tradition of Viennese metal craftsmanship, she creates pieces that balance function with artistic expression. Through contrasts of texture, light, and surface, her works explore the dialogue between nature and form, revealing stories embedded within materials and their histories.