Great Dane Furniture have been importing wonderful Scandinavian design to Australia for the past ten years so we were excited to hear that they are currently launching the first ever, world wide exclusive, Muuto concept stores within their showrooms.

Muuto, an internationally successful Scandinavian design collective, strives to give their hand-picked designers from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark complete freedom of expression when designing everyday products for the home.

Muuto’s collection of furniture, lighting and accessories demonstrate the vision of Muuto’s name, inspired by the Finnish word muutos meaning change or new perspective.

The Great Dane showrooms are equipped with the New Muuto concept store, to showcase the broad diversity and character of these new Nordic designs. The Muuto collection can be viewed at both the Great Dane Fitzroy and Prahran showrooms. For further information visit greatdanefurniture.com

DOMO have released an exclusive new leather furniture collection including this beautifully crafted, hand sewn swivel armchair. 

The Swiss de Sede swivel armchair was first designed and manufactured in 1971 and is meticulously crafted from the highest quality leather producing a smooth buttery finish. We adore this classic design that would fit seamlessly into a modern lounge environment. Make sure you call into a DOMO showroom and view the entire range.

Designer Gail Sorronda has created a bold range inspired by pantomime Pierrot the Clown and silent horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

The collection, Oh My Goth!, carries Gail Sorronda’s typical black and white theme with highlights of bold accentuated colour. We love the styling and cut of this seasons range coupled with the gorgeous accessories. Make sure call into Shoe & The City in Port Melbourne to view the extensive range.

For further information visit gailsorronda.com

Well worth viewing is Josh Goot’s beautiful SS12 range. We especially love the vivid florals, exquisit tailoring and kaleidoscope inspired print. 

The Josh Goot range can be found in Melbourne at David Jones, Green With Envy, Paloma Bleu , Cactus Jam and Lacquer.

Melbourne-based brothers Alex and Tim Britten-Finschi of FROM BRITTEN P/L have created a tongue-in-cheek nod to youth sub-culture with an intriguing juxtaposition of tailored suits and active wear garments.

The Spring collection ‘LADS’ is worth checking out at their Flinders Lane customer store. For further information visit frombritten.com.au

Designer Karla Spetic has created a wonderful range of cotton separates, floral suits and lace dresses this season. We especially love the layering of sheer fabric and half-and-half design, very quirky indeed. Karla referenced her own state of mind when designing the light as air range, we’re sure she would be plenty of fun to be around!

The Karla Spetic range can be found at both Green with Envy and Fat 4 Melbourne. For more information visit karlaspetic.com

Earl Pinto is a Melbourne based design studio crafting signature furniture and lighting combining new technologies with traditional hand craftsmanship. Along with a growing range of products, Earl Pinto custom design and make for both commercial and residential markets. Earl Pinto is a unique collaboration between two designers who create with a pallet of solid timbers, plywood, acrylic, polypropylene, brass and steel. 

I enjoyed a casual chat with the designers, Alex Earl and Gerard Pinto. Both Earl and Pinto design for the label as well as taking on special commissions and project work. You can check out the Earl Pinto designs in their workshop and showroom space in Sackville St. Collingwood.

What was the inspiration behind the Anise light concept?
Gerard Pinto: “The Anise light was the first collaboration between Alex and myself. The form was built up from a simple geometry study of shapes, experimenting with how we could create complicated three-dimensional forms out of flat shapes. The finished product ended up looking very natural and organic.” 

Is the pen mightier than the computer?
Alex Earl: “The short answer is no. However that doesn’t mean that we don’t sketch, we sketch a lot. More often than not however scale mock-ups and material studies have a lot more to do with the development of an Earl Pinto product than sketches do. Of course all of our pieces are computer cut, using CAD (Computer Aided Design) technology.” 

Gerard Pinto: “All ideation starts in the sketch book. Of course designs are refined through computer technologies… CAD drawings are no substitute for the understanding of form and proportion that sketching gives you. 

Alex and I often sit down together when working on a new concept and discuss various construction methods before we touch the computer.”

Who is someone that you would like to collaborate with in the future?
Alex Earl: “I’d like to collaborate with Henry Selick, a stop motion director who created scenes like the Jaguar Shark animation in The Life Aquatic. I really admire people with great imagination who create worlds that tell a story.” 

Does working in Melbourne influence/ enhance your work?
Gerard Pinto: “We sell our work all over Australia and around the world. The majority of our customers are local (Melbournians) and they do like a certain look, which is all about playful details and quality finishes. We work collaboratively with amazing crafts people in Melbourne like Thomas Burless who makes anything we need out of metal, enhancing our pieces.” 

For further information visit earlpinto.com.au

Article by Georgina Lewis

We were excited to see the new season range by Melbourne based fashion designer Alexi Freeman. His background in printmaking and sculpture is clearly reflected in his beautiful work and we are looking forward to seeing more from the label in the future.

We were fortunate enough to distract Alexi from his busy schedule and ask him a few questions recently.

What was the inspiration behind the current season?
For Spring Summer 2012/2013 I drew inspiration from palm fronds in Hawaii which loosely formed the basis of the prints, colours and accessories. I also focused on relaxed glamour, versatile silhouettes and a sci-fi feel that runs through out this collection.

What should we expect from the Alexi Freeman label in the future?
The future has not yet been written but we will be showcasing our SS1213 collection in London during Fashion Week this September. We’ve also got another collaboration in the pipeline with jeweller Tessa Blazey which will be unveiled at Craft Victoria in March 2013 as part of their Signature Style series which will also tour to a number of regional Victorian galleries in 2013.

Alexi’s top style tip for the spring/summer season.
Brights are the new black for Sping/Summer 2012/2013 so this is the season to pepper your neutrals with some dazzling shades of fluro. Orange being our highlight colour of choice but any pop of bright colour will do to get on the neon bandwagon!

Who is someone that you would like to collaborate with?
Well we’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with so many inspiring creative the last few years (Room11 Architects, Tessa Blazey , Preston Zly, The Australian Ballet, Gideon Obarzanek etc…) it’s more about buckling down and doing my own work at the moment. But if Sarah Burton (Alexander McQueen) or Riccardo Tisci (Givenchy) were to invite me to work on a project with them that would be certainly be an offer too good to refuse. 

Having completed 12 seasons, Alexi’s range is currently selling to select boutiques and private clients across Australia, New Zealand, USA and Europe.
For further information or to find your nearest stockist vist alexifreeman.com

Fans of the fashion reality TV series Project Runway Australia may remember the much loved designs of Petrova Hammond of Lady Petrova, runner-up of the 2008 series. 

Viewing a Lady Petrova collection is a transporting experience. Created in the heart of cosmopolitan Melbourne, each item seems like a vision from another, glamourous and enchanting place. You can picture them all being crafted under a canopy of antique Chantilly Lace, at the end of a pastel hued rainbow, to a soundtrack of 60s girl groups and a backdrop of 80s teen Prom flicks.

Petrova opened her first boutique in 2007 at Melbourne Central on Flinders Lane. We would recommend calling into her store, which is an experience in itself with its oversized dollhouse counter and a hand marbled wooden floor shipped in from Copenhagen.

For more information visit ladypetrova.com

The beautiful signature print by Melbourne fashion label Kuwaii takes its inspiration from a 1970’s aerial photograph found in a dusty old bookstore in country Victoria. Designer Kristy Barber was instantly drawn to the image for it’s hazy, dream like feel that was so prevalent in photography of that era, we love it.

Kuwaii's cult footwear collection also features again with the addition of an incredible raw leather platform sandal, as well as classic styles the Darby and Esperance in new pop colours.

Make sure you call into the Kuwall store and showroom, 37-39 Glenlyon Rd Brunswick.
For further information visit kuwaii.com.au

Since launching back in 1985 Dinosaur Designs continue to produce amazing resin and sterling silver jewellery and homewares. Their current collection ‘Earth’, designed by Louise Olsen and Stephen Ormandy is no exception, its simply beautiful.

The colour palette draws inspiration from the natural hues found in rock formations; grey, ivory and brown with precious metal highlights of silver and bronze. The collection consists of 35 new resin jewellery styles, 20 homewares and 11 silver and bronze precious metal pieces.

Make sure you call into a Melbourne Dinosaur Designs store to view their full range. Stores are located at 562 Chapel St South Yarra and Melbourne’s GPO on Bourke St.

For further information visit dinosaurdesigns.com.au 

This great little Duo stool by Melbourne design studio Olio Objects can be used as a stool, side table or hung upside down as a serving tray/ shelf. The design is held together by friction (the Tasmanian Oak dowel is tapered to fit securely within the copper fittings). Ready made parts inspired this fun design. 

Olio Objects is a design studio started by Georgi Lewis that creates products and the processes to manufacture, promote and sell those products. The aim of the studio is to design with the end in mind and make objects that promote valuable crafts, are created responsibly and that can be enjoyed by the customer on more than one level.

The inspiration for this experimental piece came from a challenging brief to design a low tech product that could be made in a home workshop, out of standardised existing materials. This item can be made completely from salvaged materials.

The Duo stool can be purchase from Schtick and is in the window of Schtick on Lygon for the rest of July and into mid August. 

Price: $250 
For further information visit olioobjects.com

James Hargraves trained in Mechanical Engineering, but after graduating, gravitated towards Multi-Media & Graphic Design.

Later his work extended beyond 2 dimensions with exhibition design. In 2009, he designed his first piece of furniture as an exercise to advance his burgeoning computer modelling skills. After receiving a couple of awards, he was encouraged to pursue product design.

His work explores structural optimisation and the formal potential offered by the coupling of 3D modelling with digital fabrication techniques, married with hands on craft practices. 

I was lucky enough to catch James via email whilst he was out of the country. James is a highly conceptual designer, his designs are meticulously hand crafted (typically hand assembled laser cut pieces) and very well thought out. You can view the WEFT designs at www.tongueandgroove.com.au.

1. What was the inspiration behind the WEFT 056 concept?
“This project was unusual, because I developed the technique without having a form in mind. And that came about by playing with paper & scissors.”

2. Is the pen mightier than the computer?
“No, computer modeling is a profound advance on drawing for both visualization & documentation of design. But that is not to say that it has made sketching redundant. Both pen & computer are just tools for externalizing design which is essentially a mental activity.”

3. Does working in Melbourne influence/ enhance your work?
“I find walking and looking a great source of inspiration; and Melbourne is a great city for a wanderer. So I would agree that being based in Melbourne enhances my practice but my Influences are from all over.”

4. Who is someone that you would like to collaborate with in the future?
“No-one I can think of, offhand. It is not something I have given much thought, but I am open to invitations.”

5. What experiences/ projects are you looking forward to? 
“I’m in New York, this moment as I right this, and despite feeling at home in Melbourne, there is nothing better than getting far away…So in answer to your question I would say: future travels.”

For further information visit jameshargraves.com
Article by Georgina Lewis

An intriguing blend of geographic shape and biological forms by jeweller and artist Charles Wyatt. Charles began working in his family’s jewellery shop at the age of 12 where he developed a passion for fine craftsmanship. Moving to Melbourne in 2008 to extend his contemporary practice and went on to complete a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Gold and Silversmithing) at RMIT University where he received the Maggie Fairweather Gold and Silversmithing Award. 

Jewellery and art available from Pieces of Eight Gallery - 28 Russel Place Melbourne.