Regardless of the price point, Sit always endeavors to design pieces that are functionally and stylistically timeless, so that they’re not changed out or replaced quickly as fast fashion would be. She typically restricts herself to two or three materials per design, and describes her design language as a fusion of past and future. “I like to think of it as the future’s interpretation of the past, like what another time period would think of as a relic,” she says. A trip down the Nile to visit the ancient Egyptian sites had a big impact on her aesthetic, which often involves reducing a form to its essence (much like hieroglyphics) and cutting away at basic geometries to reveal unexpected shapes, like the timeworn temples and tombs of bygone dynasties. This is demonstrated in her new Peniche Travertine Table Lamp, with a base comprising two interlocking U-shaped pieces of smoothed angular stone. These look as if they have been weathered over millennia, uncovered from beneath the sands, and combined with a contrasting drum-shaped fabric shade to create a functional object. “Mystery is always interesting,” Sit says.

Mermelada Estudio
A CB2 collaborator for over 13 years, Barcelona’s Mermelada Estudio has grown and developed alongside the brand. The studio was founded by Laura Blasco, Juanmi Juárez, and Alex Estévez, who met in the Catalan city and combined their individual styles into a practice that prioritizes simplicity and playfulness, ensuring their products have plenty of character but aren’t overtly in-your-face. “Each of us has been trained in different creative fields in major cities across Europe, and this European influence lends itself to an elegant yet carefree touch across our work,” the trio says. “Our design philosophy revolves around the harmonious fusion of contrasting concepts to forge innovative and distinctive design languages.”

For Fall 2024, Mermelada Estudio’s new pieces include a simple and sophisticated lounge chair with armrests that fold inward over the seat cushion, and two metal table lamps: the chrome Melani with a dome-shaped shade suspended from a curved arm, and the unlacquered brass Elliat, featuring stacked cylindrical forms etched with very faint seams that are exciting because they’re so simple. “We really focused on the details with this piece, with line detailing from brass sheeting adorning the shade and base to create horizontal and vertical bands throughout,” said the studio. “We love that, over time, the brass will develop a patina that adds character to the piece, or you could polish it gently, if desired, to restore its original shine.” Both lamp designs fuse forms that feel very familiar with an element that’s unfamiliar, and it’s the subtle nuances that make them stand out.

Having worked with CB2 for so long, Blasco, Juárez and Estévez have been able to witness the continued evolution of the Designer Collective. “Despite the company’s growth, it continues to uphold the philosophy with which it began: working on and preparing collections with the care and attention to detail of a small boutique/atelier that understands the crucial role of designers,” the team says. “Now, with this collective, CB2 is fostering a blend of languages, styles, cultures, and even eras, which we believe represents a new step in reinforcing their commitment to design.”

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