13/10/2026
You might have seen these chairs before, but I might not have explained why I started making them.
In 2015, I started an internship in leather material research at PVH as part of my Textile Engineering and Management studies. For my final thesis, I explored century-old leather craft and designed a leather bench using these traditional techniques.
As I learned more about leather, I noticed that designer chairs made from harness leather were mostly beige, brown or black. Why? Finding coloured harness leather in the 4mm thickness needed for a strong chair is incredibly difficult. Its compact structure prevents dyes from penetrating easily. There was a technical reason these chairs were rarely colourful after all.
I wanted to create a colourful industrial design chair (Hibiscus chair) without compromising quality or durability. In Milan, I found 2.5mm leather that I could layer for strength. I tested its strength and stretch at my former university, developing a construction that retained its shape even better.
I also wanted to incorporate inlaid leather, a technique used in bookbinding. Cutting through the thick leather proved challenging: even the company making my custom hibiscus-shaped knife couldnโt cut it by machine. Surprisingly, a manual press in my studio did work. Each hibiscus is hand-cut using a press, with red leather petals and a golden-yellow centre.
For the base, I chose wild, textured leather, reflecting the untamed nature of plants and bushes. The hibiscus flowers remind me of the Caribbean, where my dad is from and much of my family lives. The modern design reflects my more structured, Western side. Rounded wooden legs bring organic shapes and materials into the design.
The red ๐๐ญ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฏ ๐ค๐ฉ๐ข๐ช๐ณ and ๐๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฉ๐ข๐ช๐ณ were prototypes made from leftover leather waste. Next came the ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐ช๐ด๐ค๐ถ๐ด ๐ค๐ฉ๐ข๐ช๐ณ, followed by my latest creation, combining transparent seating material with a highly contrasting cord.
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