MAISON&OBJET Americas
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/676176
m a i s o n - o b j e t. c o m 35 An Ambitious step in providing a contex- tual framework for the fair, the Designer of the Year awa rd is a n integ ra l pa r t of M a ison&obj et. in Pa r is, singapore, a nd Mia mi, t he recipient of this honor communicates the fair's message of cul- tural relevance and innovative acumen. this year, new York – ba sed desig ner R a fael de Cá rdena s has been chosen as M&o aMeRiCas Designer of the Year by a selection committee of global design specialists for his abilit y to create environments that provoke emotional experiences through his engaging use of color and pattern. i n t he pa st , w i n ners of t he prest ig ious award have included Dimore studio, tom Dixon, K a rl L a ger feld , P h i l ippe nig ro, a nd P h i l ippe starck. as for the present: andré Fu, M&o asia Desig ner of t he Yea r 2 016 , a nd i l se Cr aw ford , who w ill receive t he honor at t he Pa r is show in september, are two of the designers who have syn- ergized the Maison&objet platform. H av i ng st ud ied pa i nt i ng a nd fa sh ion de s ig n a t t he R hode i s l a nd s c hool of De s ig n (RisD) before pursuing a degree in architecture at Columbia University and later UCLa, de Cárdenas has established a transdisciplinary practice that undertakes an array of projects, from commercial and residential spaces to objects and furniture. H i s s t u d i o , a r c h i t e c t u r e a t L a r g e — founded 10 years ago and now with offices in both new York a nd L ondon — i s home t o a g roup of versat ile creat ives who help him t ra nsfor m a nd realize projects around the world, from the states to asia to europe. Commissions from super-size cor porate client s like Cappellini a nd nike have kept him and his team busy, but it was the projects at the beginning of his career that set the stage: at the much-talked-about restaurant Charles in new York's Greenwich Village, a woman admired his interior design. she happened to be a young heir- ess looking to refurbish her five-bedroom mansion in West London. Wit h h i s t a lent a nd h i s v i sion s w i f t ly gaining credibility, de Cárdenas began to orches- trate projects from new York to Paris to beijing. a passionate art collector, he also advises clients on acquisitions and sometimes references literature