H&M HOME has announced its latest collaboration with renowned Parisian fashion house, Rabanne. Known for its futuristic designs in plastic and metal since the 1960s, Rabanne is now making a bold statement in the world of home decor.

Launching on November 9th, the Rabanne H&M HOME collection will be available in South Africa at H&M stores in Sandton City and V&A Waterfront, as well as online on Superbalist.com.

This collection, a result of the creative partnership between H&M HOME and Rabanne’s Creative Director, Julien Dossena, offers a sophisticated twist to traditional interiors. It’s the most extensive home decor collection ever seen in an H&M designer collaboration. Moving beyond just a few accessories, H&M wanted to create a collaboration where fashion and homewear meet.

The collection features Rabanne’s signature metallics and 1970s-inspired geometric prints, adorning table-top accessories, loungewear, and soft furnishings. From metallic vases and candleholders to monogrammed trays, bottles, and even a set of dice and playing cards in an elegant silver case, this collection has it all. You’ll also find organic cotton and luxurious wool loungewear, including monogrammed towels, blankets, and robes, along with eye-catching cushions in striking geometric prints.

“When it came to the H&M HOME element of the collaboration, I was very excited, because it’s the first time I’ve designed a collection of objects and homeware. Our founder Paco Rabanne was obsessed with covering everything in metal, and he designed some metallic furniture in the 1970s, so it felt like an authentic extension for the house. I liked the idea of embellishing the lifestyle element of the ready-to-wear collection to incorporate home décor items that complemented the luxurious mood of enjoyment. Julien Dossena, Creative Director of Rabanne, shared, “This interiors collection felt like an authentic extension of the house’s iconic fashion. We wanted to enhance the lifestyle element of our ready-to-wear collection by incorporating home decor items that match the luxurious mood. For instance, there’s a fantastic silver lamp that shimmers like our iconic paillette party dresses, offering an innovative take on a Rabanne classic.”

Each piece in this collection is designed to make a statement and is built to last. They’re crafted from high-quality materials, including stainless steel, recycled zinc, recycled polyester, organic cotton, and wool, ensuring durability and timelessness.

Evelina Kravaev-Söderberg, Head of Design & Creative at H&M HOME, expressed her excitement, saying, “Rabanne was the perfect collaborator to merge fashion and interiors. We’re thrilled to present a diverse collection that combines the house’s heritage with a contemporary twist, making these pieces ideal gifts for the holiday season.”

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Metal is used to craft the most delicate jewellery, yet it’s so robust it can hold up a towering skyscraper. practical and beautiful, it inspires creativity, invention and pushing design limits.

An excavation into the world of metal is so complex, it could have you digging for years. Iron, steel, copper and bronze – the list goes on. Take gold: it alone is a material that has built nations, ruined empires and been the cause of colonisation and hardship. Being able to extract metals from the earth and fashion them into new shapes for countless uses has changed the way we live. Metals have forged the development of society, with the Bronze then the Iron Age – and even the digital age, with its reliance on substances such as cobalt and gallium. And just try surviving Stage 6 loadshedding without a lithium battery!

The Golden Rule

In the 1930s, an ancient golden hoard was found in the Limpopo province. This royal burial site included a carefully crafted gold rhino, sceptre and bowl. Known as Mapungubwe and dating back to the early 13th century, this civilisation not only mined gold, but also had the metallurgical skills to smelt and fashion it. Today Mapungubwe is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ingenuity

While humans have been utilising metal for thousands of years, initially it was only used as a small element of construction. As methods and quality improved, so did the ability to use iron and steel in large-scale construction processes, influencing the way we build and live. In the late 1800s, steel skeleton frames began to be used widely, making buildings taller and, eventually, skyscrapers possible.

If there is any doubt – and there shouldn’t be – that metal can be beautiful, just look at the Crystal Palace. Created to house the Great Exhibition in London in 1851, this jaw- dropping iron-and-glass structure aimed to show off the technological advancements of the time. Designed by Sir Joseph Paxton, it embodied the spirit of British innovation and consisted of 1 000 iron columns and 84 000 square metres of glass that took five months to put together. It was a true celebration of technology and design.

The Fluidity of Metal

Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry is known for his alchemy with all things metal. Not afraid of experimentation, his groundbreaking designs – which include the Dancing House in Prague and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao – almost undulate and flow. Thanks to the stainless-steel building skins he introduced, some have gone as far as to say he reinvented the art of metal cladding. His eye-catching Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis in the US, built in 1993, uses 22-gauge cladding with denting that creates a mirrored effect, letting the building reflect the world and sky around it.

On the International Front

Lone Oaks Farm Hunter Education Station was the grand award winner at the Metal Architecture Design Awards in 2022. Owned by the University of Tennessee in the US, the 485-hectare site was envisioned as a centre of hospitality, agriculture and youth education. Tasked with the project, cross-disciplinary studio El Dorado took architectural cues from the existing buildings on the farm, and was primarily inspired by local barns. The result is a simple yet ingenious design of cypress wood, contrasted with a protective ribbed-metal exterior cladding.

Closer to Home

Freedom Park is a heritage site that sits on a hill in Tshwane, and tells the story of liberation and human spirit. Phase 2 of a wider project known as !Xhapo (which includes a museum, a Pan- African archive and a study centre), it was a collaborative design effort between MMA Architects, Mashabane Rose Architects, and GAPP Architects and Urban Designers. “The Freedom Park heritage project took a lot of inspiration from Mapungubwe, the Iron Age settlement famous for its gold collection and situated on the border between South Africa and Zimbabwe,” says Mphethi Morojele, managing director of MMA Design Studio, of their striking red-brick-and-metal design. “Copper was chosen for the cladding of !Xhapo because it’s a metal familiar to, and commonly used by, the people of the region, and also for its aesthetic and enduring qualities.”

Domestic Leanings

Drawbox Design Studio’s House Schalkwyk in Pretoria comprises a contemporary steel structure that links two vastly different existing buildings – one a Tuscan home, the other a traditional thatched-roof building. The new vertical steel addition, which also includes a bedroom and extension to an entertainment area, is suspended above the ground and nestled into a forest. The architects aimed for as little disturbance as possible to the site, which contains endangered trees. The unique home has been nominated as ArchDaily’s building of the year for 2023.

Put the Pedal to the Metal

Johannesburg furniture and product designer Joe Paine is known for his inventive, fun designs. Of his penchant for using metals, Joe says, “Steel and aluminium are extremely versatile. Depending on how you use them, they can be both strong and soft, warm and cold, or heavy and light. Personally, when I see raw exposed metal, I strangely feel like I want to chew it – like a gold prospector or a Bond villain!”

One of Joe’s latest creations is the very glam Marlena candleholder, quirkily named after Marlena Evans, a lead character in the iconic soap opera Days of Our Lives. And just like Marlena was once “possessed” and levitated, this elegant candleholder seems to float too. Despite being made of solid aluminium, the mantle moves slightly upwards as the candle burns. joepaine.com

Another local design studio that pushes boundaries with metal is Cape Town’s NØDE, the brainchild of Gerrit Giebel and Charles Haupt. NØDE focuses on aluminium, and on using industrial manufacturing methods to expand what was thought possible in metal design, texture and colour. The work encompasses the electro-chemical process of anodising, which creates a hard honeycomb structure in the aluminium surface, making it scratch-resistant and possible to dye various colours. “Working with metal comes from our background in blacksmithing and bronze casting,” Gerrit explains. “This passion is extended with our new venture into aluminium, a highly recyclable metal known for its high strength-to-weight ratio and non-rusting attributes.”

NØDE has many great products, from wall hangings to vases – but it’s the studio’s collaborative range with Southern Guild gallery, seen at Design Miami, that has everyone talking. The CØNGREGATE table is an eye-catching piece that, as its name suggests, brings people together. Brutalist in style, it weighs 250 kilograms and measures three metres in length. It may have a simple shape, but the machining of the aluminium pieces has to be completely accurate to ensure it holds together.

The INTERMISSIØN bench is a single piece of airplane-grade aluminium, worked at 450°C and shaped using an 80-tonne press. The shape and texturing of the bench meant many hours of hand-carving by Gerrit. Its name “alludes to the moment of pause and tactile curiosity that the object invites”.

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British design company Tom Dixon takes a fresh and futuristic approach to creating pieces for both interiors and exteriors. Their latest range – the evocatively named Cloud collection – is now available.

The highly reflective, bulbous and sculptural Cloud collection makes use of delightfully organic shapes. Says Tom Dixon, “The inspiration came partly from the natural world, such as cloud formations, and partly from my fascination with engineering techniques.”

And why aluminium? “We chose [it] as it’s the metal that’s powering the modern world and can be used to create big objects that are very light,” he says. “The natural grey metallic finish [that is a feature] of the raw aluminium also creates soft reflections.”

These expressive artefacts are handmade, hammered and braised in India by skilled artisans. Unique indentations are preserved, making each final product a showcase of the physical work – and skilled craftsmanship – that went into creating it.

The Tom Dixon range is available in South Africa at Créma Design.

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Minimalist metal furniture is getting its time in the sun and these trend-defying classics are as comfortable to sit in as they are beautiful to gaze upon.

1. Circo Furniture Series

German designer Sebastian Herkner found inspiration for his Circo furniture series in the traditional travelling circuses of Colombia. The handcrafted designs, which feature powder-coated steel tubular frames and colourful recycled plastic wicker, are produced by Colombian artisans in a small factory for Ames. As a result, all of the items in the collection reflect the spirit and traditional craftsmanship of Colombia.

2. Acapulco Chair

Named after the coastal town of Acapulco in Mexico, the hot destination for the jet set in the ’50s and ’60s, the Acapulco chair has a slightly pear-shaped tubular frame and brightly coloured vinyl cord body. First produced in the 1950s, it is an icon of Mexican design and has given rise to a plenitude of replicas.

3. Fermob Luxembourg Collection

The Luxembourg range of outdoor furniture, originally created in the workshops of the Paris parks department in 1923 for the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris, has become a legend in its own right and is still manufactured for the city’s public gardens. The entire Fermob Luxembourg Collection range has the same distinctive lines and forms, combining the lightness and resistance of aluminium with the comfort of curved seat slats.

4. Buit Outdoor Furniture

Buit (that’s not a typo) is a new line of outdoor furniture in aluminium mesh designed by Mayice Studio for the family-owned Spanish design brand Gandia Blasco. The Madrid-based Mayice Studio, founded by architects Marta Alonso Yebra and Imanol Calderón Elósegui, works with local craftsmen and women to execute their designs.

5. The Palissade Hot Galvinised Bench

The Palissade Hot Galvinised bench, designed by the French brothers Rohan and Erwan Bouroullec for the Danish design company HAY, is made with standard tubes of steel – round for the frame and rectangular for the seat slats. The hot-dip galvanised steel range was developed to supplement their existing Palissade collection of outdoor furniture.

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Having a party? Browse our list of 15 stylish (and multi-functional) trays of all shapes and sizes to make hosting your next soirée a whole lot easier.

1. Flushing Leaves Serving Tray R388, Clinton Friedman at KNUS

2. Step Amenity Tray R145, Umbra at Superbalist.com

3. Large Tray R295, Josephine Road at Prestwich Collection

4. Tray with Gold Handles R899, Zara Home

5. Sweet Pomegranate Round Tray R230, KNUS

6. Deco Mirror Tray R899, Woolworths

7. Vintage Iron Tray R595 – R995, Weylandts

8. Copper Tray with Handles R575, Woolworths

9. Metallic Paper Tray R159.99, MRP Home

10. Dippy Egg Bunny Breakfast Board R265, Stable

11. Rectangular Wooden Tray R249, Yuppiechef

12. Small Metal Tray R149, H&M

13. Methacrylate Tray with Wooden Handles R439, Zara Home

14. Palms Dinner Tray R180, aLoveSupreme

15. Mini Serving Trays Set R229, Kikkerland at Superbalist.com

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The Minima | Maxima By Marc Fornes / THEVERYMANY is a four-storey organic 13.1 m structure made from material that’s as thin as a coin. The core material is made up of 2 mm strips of aluminum.

THEVERYMANY is known for innovative fusion of computational design and architecture to build organic self-supporting structures. This new piece was commissioned by World Expo 2017 and it stands in Astana, Kazakhstan.

They incorporated their ‘Structural Stripes’ invention into this piece: A signature material system for building self-supporting curvilinear structures. It’s a step in a direction that offers even more structural potential – multi-ply composite. Three layers of flat stripes — white and white sandwiching pink — are constructed in tandem, supporting one another as they assume curvature and gain height. One layer doesn’t exist independently, but contributes to and benefits from the unified whole as it is built.

The system is also mechanically bonded, allowing for recomposition and corrections during construction.

(h/t) thisiscolossal.com

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Mabeo, a Botswana-based brand that works with southern African craftspeople, has created three new collections, made from local industry’s wood and waste material.

The new collections consist of cabinets, chairs, plant platforms and coffee tables, all rimmed with textured aluminium. Founder Peter Mabeo, who established the brand in 1996, told Dezeen: “The new material for this year is galvanised metal, which is the result of a collaboration we have with craftspeople in Botswana who work with waste material from the construction industry.”

The futuristic and highly inventive collections are a collaboration between the craftspeople of Botswana and three international designers, namely: Garth Roberts from Canada, Inès Bressand from France and Francesco Faccin from Italy. Each of these designers was tasked to create items that utilised and showcased the wood found locally in Botswana.

All of the items in the collections act as accessories that complement one another, from the tall bent aluminium cabinet to the short pot plant.

To view more of Mabeo’s work, visit mabeofurniture.com.

(h/t) dezeen.com

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Micah Donnoli appeared on VISI’s radar thanks to his striking combination of concrete, wood and oxidised copper in a sideboard. We caught up with the industrial design graduate, who is currently working towards completing his masters in interaction design and creating experimental pieces on commission.

What made you choose these materials?

I tried to capture how the beauty of nature comes from how things wear. No two rocks or trees are ever the same. When I start to feel my way around an idea, I find the materials that work best are the ones that lend themselves well to having a bit of their character revealed.

Is it a combination you’re planning to explore further?

There’s certainly room for improvement. I find the configuration of stone, wood and metal to be quite expressive. On a more practical design level, they provide me with a healthy amount of freedom to explore techniques and assemblages.

How did you get this effect with copper?

I advanced the natural oxidisation process of the metal. Copper tends to be shunned as the “dirty” metal, but I enjoy the way it changes when exposed to the elements. The fact that you can’t control the way the metal reacts to the treatment gives it a unique fingerprint, and that appeals to the part of me that enjoys looking at the intricate details found in nature.

What are you currently working on?

I have started to work on lighting pieces in pursuit of the collection I want to eventually launch.

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The new Love Milo range is inspired by the patterns and materials found under the earth’s surface.

Solid metal saucers and spoons plated in brass combined with agate-inspired decorated ceramics are the main theme of the new Minerals range.

The collection consists of espresso sets with brass saucers, mugs and brass saucers, mug collections, bowls and brass spoons, milk jugs and soon-to-be-released textile products.

The collection is available online at lovemilo.com.

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Yellow metals are a major worldwide decor trend. Give your living space shine with copper, bronze and splashes of gold, says stylist Marian van Wyk.

Moderation is the key though, so here are more styling tips:

• One or two great decor pieces with metallic upholstering material will look better than a range of bright accessories.
• Look out for original handmade pieces such as copper candleholders and furniture with metal inserts or copper legs.
• We do not have all day to stand and polish that gray-green patina that copper evolves over time – call it part of the charm.

Originally published in Rapport Mytyd. Subscribe here.

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