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DESIGN CRUSH: SOUDA

From upcycling and optical illusions: straightfoward design from a Brooklyn-based design trio

Winner of Best New Designer 2014 at the recent ICFF in New York, Souda was established in 2012 by former classmates Isaac Friedman-Heiman, Shaun Kasperbauer and Luft Tanaka. The company’s name is a Japanese word that is pronounced “soh-duh” and approximately translates to “Oh, yeah!” – as in the moment when a brilliant idea pops into place.

Although visually minimal, their designs consistently exhibit a level of intricate craftsmanship. For example, their Kawa Series and Kawa Pendant Lamp might look soft and touchable, but they are actually made from porcelain! Each piece is cast in a reusable leather mold, a unique choice of material that leaves a textured imprint and offers a flexibility to create different results each time.

Souda also received the 2014 NY Design Award for their Strut Shelving System. Inspired by the Manhattan Bridge, it is modular system that is both architectural and uncomplicated (side note: we are particularly fond of the copper version, which is possibly symptomatic of our copper obsession).

Thus far, the three young designers seem to have an endless well of inspiration. Their current body of work includes a chandelier made from post-consumer PET bottles, fabric-molded concrete vases and trivets created from industrial aluminum. We are excited to see where their imagination takes them next.

Kawa Vessels

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  • Brooklyn, NY 11206, USA
  • Souda

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