Finnish design studio Iittala, in a first time collaboration with Japanese brand Issey Miyake, created a set of tableware all based around the concept of home rituals. Textiles and contemporary ceramics combine to pay tribute to little things such as tea time to very simple acts, such as where one chooses to set one’s keys upon entering the home. The set, “A Collection for Everyday Rituals,” was exhibited at Stockholm Design Week this year.
The 30-piece collection consists of napkins, placemats, cups, platters, vases and cushions. In addition to ritual, they share a tactile nature. They are soft in both texture and color, favoring creamy white and rose. The black selections are the exceptions that provide context to the rest of the set. Pentagons are mirrored in both the ceramic and textile portions. These shapes are rounded for the ceramics and there’s hardly a sharp corner to be found in the set.
The brands told designboom that the textile products are based on Issey Miyake’s original folding and pleating techniques, which date back to the 1980s. Though fabric, these designs do not limit themselves to two dimensions. The folds give them more volume and they take on the look of flowers.
It’s a dialogue between hemispheres that nevertheless creates a single, unified concept. The brands found complimentary design styles between their two countries. Design Director of Iittala Harri Koskinen states:
“The two brands have always been true to their philosophy of timeless design and creative thinking. They also value tradition, functionality, craftsmanship and the use of innovative materials and methodologies in their design work.”
Miyake Design Studio is based in Tokyo. It was founded in April 1970 and is chaired by Issey Miyake. The studio states that its mission is to research and design diverse labels under one group as well as finding and training new designers. Iittala can trace its roots in Finland back to 1881, when a glass factory of the same name was founded. The brand states that its design philosophy is to create “aesthetically and functionally durable products that bring enjoyment and pleasure to everyday life.”
What do you think of this set of fabric and contemporary ceramics? Let us know in the comments.
“A Collection for Everyday Rituals” by Iittala and Miyake Design Studio. Photographs courtesy of the designers.
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