INDEX RISING STAR 2017 AND GENSLER DESIGNER YASMIN FARAHMANDY
LAUNCHES DEBUT FURNITURE RANGE
Multi-award winning Dubai designer Yasmin Farahmandy has launched her debut furniture line – diversifying her already enviable interiors CV.
The 27-year-old’s ‘The Bold Collection’ is the first under her newly established label, Y-Design.
Awash with luxurious coloured marbles and gold plating, the range comprises two side tables, one multi-use interchangeable coffee table, and an octagonal planter.
“Furniture has always been my passion,” explained Yasmin, whose work across interiors saw her named both INDEX and her employer Gensler’s Rising Star for 2017.
“In interiors, everything is connected. In interiors, we, as designers, choose furniture – sometimes we customise it. So in many ways all interior designers are furniture designers. My background and degree is in furniture design. This is what I’ve always wanted to do and these pieces are very…me!
“The collection is called Bold, and every piece has a playful title: be bold not old; be a catch, not a batch; be bright, not right; be a plant, not an ant. This was my choice to illustrate the playful and freshness of each piece, while also reflecting my personality as someone who is bold, bright, and growing like a plant.”
The range includes two side tables, one coffee table which doubles as a pouf, and a planter – a decorative plant pot.
“All of the pieces are marble and metal,” said Yasmin. “They are funky!
“The marbles aren’t the usual marbles we see – they are very colourful and cool. I, in my fashion, am always very black and white – that’s my wardrobe. But here I go bold in colours. In my paintings and my furniture I like to be very bold. This range of statement pieces really encompasses and I’m so excited about launching them.”
Targeting her line for retail use, Iran-born Yasmin – who mastered her trade studying in both Milan and Vancouver, before settling in Dubai – wanted to develop a collection that amalgamated high-end finishes with soft edges.Practicality, adaptability and colour were also the central ingredients to the “pastel colour palette” feel of the finished line.
“I wanted them to be luxury items, which are targeted at a retail market, but could also just as easily fit in residential or office,” said Yasmin.
“To me, the uniqueness of each of the pieces makes them perfect for displaying. They have magazine holders which are multi-use, as they can occupy fabrics or scarfs, for example.
Be Bold, Not Old: A celebration of luxury modern design with an unexpected twist; this unique furniture piece pushes with elegance and intelligence the boundaries of the traditional furniture design
Multi-use: ‘Bold’ is a surprising table combined with a sitting element and a filing element. It has multiple lives and dimensions in homes but also in retail or commercial spaces
Luxurious: It combines cleverly the richness and softness of the velvet with the traditional and precious marble and metal finishing, very different textures and surfaces converge into a new inspirational composition
“The focus of the collection, from my perspective, was about the materials. The marbles, for example, are not used commonly. That’s why I was keen to work with them. They are curved and the whole collection is organic, and inspired by nature, with a soft pallet of colours and surfaces you just can’t resist touching. I want to take my design back to materials people can feel, sense and embrace. These pieces do that.
“The nature of my job as a designer has given me a huge advantage, since I am exposed to new materials and products every day, whether is fabric, marble or metal. I’d had the marble samples in my pile of ‘treasured’ items for a while, so was desperate to use them. I then worked with many local manufacturers to bring the pieces to life.”
Yasmin revealed her debut line at March’s INDEX in Dubai, where her range drew the interest of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group.
Be a Catch, not a Batch: This bespoke side table pushes the boundaries of the traditional furniture with intelligence and flare. It combines cleverly the richness of precious marble and metal finish, which is gold plated.
Be Bright, Not Right: Bright through the use of technology, embedded LED lights within the piece, it is a side table but also a lighting feature.
Be a Plant, Not an Ant: This Playful planter plays with geometric shapes, and pushes the boundaries of the traditional planter. It is not a planter, it has its own character and presence; it is elegant and stylish
Change: The table’s whimsical nature creates a different ambiance by day and by night.