Continuing with our month long celebration of Women’s History Month in partnership with the Female Design Council (FDC), an organization we have continually supported, we’re highlighting four women who might be flying under your radar and why you should get to know them. Be sure to check out Part I if you missed it!
1. Mia Wright-Ross of MWR Collection
New York City-based leather artisan Mia Wright-Ross is the creative director and founder of MWR Collection, a luxury full-service atelier that specializes in leather-crafting. From footwear to accessories and home decor to furniture, all MWR Collection works are made-to-order and one of a kind. Each product highlights the beauty of natural leather, detailed craftsmanship of master artisans, and Mia’s modern and unique take on everyday objects. Today, Mia is a Professor of Shoe Construction and Design at Parsons The New School of Design since 2019 and a Footwear & Accessories Design Consultant for numerous brands. Through her IFUND WomenCrowdfunding Campaign, you can directly help support Mia expand her collection of leather works.
Waddie-Jeffrey – Year: 2021 – Medium: Croc Embossed Paper, Bonded Leather, Nylon Thread
Root-ster – Year: 2021 – Medium: Solid Leather Cord
Mie Mohmi – Year: 2020 – Medium: Croc Embossed Paper, Bonded Leather, Nylon Thread
Boonana – Year: 2020 – Medium: Croc Embossed Paper, Bonded Leather, Nylon Thread
2. Lani Adeoye of Studio Lani
Chairs, tables, and lights – designer Lani Adeoye does it all. After graduating from McGill University, Lani worked as a Management and IT Consultant to Fortune Global 100 clients but her creative curiosity pushed her to continue her education at Parsons The New School of Design. Since then, she’s been selected by Elle Décor as part of ‘Women of the World: 75 Global Female Designers Worth Celebrating’ and won the 2017 WantedDesign Launch Pad Furniture Competition. Lani owes her versatility as a designer to her eclectic roots and diverse life experiences after living in four major cities: Lagos, Montreal, Toronto, and New York. Her designs are a balance of tradition and modernity that also highlights intangible cultural concepts.
Hand welded in steel rods and hand turned wood, T-T is a multifunctional side table, with storage and an optional light feature. Its top can also be taken off and used as a tray. \\\ Photo: Jonathan Lantz
Sisi Eko can be interpreted as Lagos Lady. \\\ Photo: Idris Dawodu
BATA means ‘shoes’ in Yoruba. Inspired by the concept of journey and ‘walking in someone’s shoes’. \\\ Photo: Idris Dawodu
The Talking Stools blend the art of hand-woven mats, leather craftsmanship and shoe-making techniques. \\\ Photo: Idris Dawodu
Photo: Brenda Callado
3. Nikki Alagha of Nikki Alagha Design
Designer Nikki Alagha founded her eponymous product design company in 2018 and has debuted nationally and internationally at trade shows like Wanted Design Manhattan, Interior Design Show Toronto, and Fluorisalone Digital Show. The Montréal, Canada-based designer focuses on furniture, lighting, and jewelry design while balancing custom projects, collaborations, and commissioned work. Because of her Persian background and artist upbringing, Nikki embraces colors, curves, and textures. Her pieces, all inspired by lived experiences, explore emotion, intent, and movement.
A playful wall sconce that explores the idea of gravity determining the shape of an object. Liquid glass is draped over a handmade mold, naturally covering all the curves of the mold. Ending in a solid piece of glass with the illusion of flexibility and movement. Challenging the idea of uniformity, and emphasizing individuality. Each glass shade is different from the last and each one engages us in its own story. \\\ Photo: Nikki Alagha
Photo: Nikki Alagha
Blume is a planter with a customizable trellis that can be linked together with a simple threaded knob. Up, down, sideways and across; we can play and create new structures so that our plant friends can grow and thrive into any shape and size. Made using hand casted cement, wood and metal. Blume lets plants do what they do best, grow, and lets people do what they do best, create.\\\ Photo: Nikki Alagha
Photo: Nikki Alagha
4. Urvi Sharma of INDO-
Co-founder Urvi Sharma founded INDO- with her partner Manan Narang while both were studying at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, RI. INDO- is a contemporary furniture and lighting design studio that experiments with traditional craftsmanship to create modern objects, from tables to mirrors to credenzas. Her experiences living in New Delhi, India has helped Urvi craft her personal narrative and unique eye for modern design. INDO- has appeared on Ellen DeGeneres’ Next Great Designer competition show and has received multiple awards, including the NYCxDESIGN Emerging Product Designer Award, the Dwell 24: The Best Emerging Designers of 2019, and the 2019 Providence Design Catalyst Grant.
Pilar Tables \\\ Pilar started off on a trip to Barcelona, looking at the abundance of color being used around them and wanting to create the same feeling of warmth and wonder in their work.
Pilar Credenza \\\ Particularly inspired by the rich, earthy glazes of Catalan ceramics that surrounded us in small shops as well as the intense, bold use of color by Gaudi in his architectural mosaics, Pilar translates what is traditionally a ceramics process of dipping earthenware into various glazes and layering them onto a wooden surface.
Mooda Sconce \\\ The Mooda Collection is derived from an Indian technique of stitching together sticks of cane or bamboo to create a low stool called ‘Mooda’. Made up of two layers of slender sticks stitched in opposite directions, Moodas create an extraordinary curved form – a hyperboloid in geometry – that convinces even the observant eye there is not a single straight line in its structure.
Read more from our Women’s History Month coverage here!
