Marmalade Issue 5, 2017

‘People are sick of
throwaway items:
they want to invest
in a product they
can be proud to
have in their
home or office.’
In mid-2017 Stobie travelled to Scandinavia to learn more
about the region that consistently inspires his work. Visiting
manufacturers such as JL Møller in Denmark benefitted his
practice from both a creative and business angle. But what
Stobie’s investment in research also reveals is the importance
of knowledge-sharing. Forming connections and cultivating
community at both a micro and macro level are especially
crucial in a small, albeit bustling, creative hub like Adelaide.
It’s a style of networking that promotes a culture of
generosity, something Daniel To and Emma Aiston have
engaged with since launching Daniel Emma in 2008.
The design duo recently moved into a new studio space
in JamFactory’s Morphett Street facility surrounded by
likeminded creatives, including architects from Sweden’s
Snøhetta, whose first Australian studio is also located
at the premises.
To and Aiston’s collaborations are many and varied and
their strong visibility within an international marketplace
has undoubtedly helped fuel a healthy interest in Adelaide
as a design hub. Their new furniture collections, featuring
Soft Chair, 2016, and the Pick n Mix Table, 2014, also serve to
emphasise Adelaide’s diversity of practice. While the couple’s
keen attention to detail is shared amongst their fellow peers
working predominantly in timber, the boldly-coloured,
Memphis-flavoured aesthetic of Daniel Emma’s pieces
stands in stark contrast. Interestingly, To and Aiston have
only recently expanded their practice to include furniture,
which suggests the demand for Australian designed and
manufactured product is on the rise.
It’s a positive shift that designer Franco Crea has noticed
too. As he explains, ‘People are sick of throwaway items:
they want to invest in a product they can be proud to have in
their home or office.’ The furniture designer had been solely
operating out of his Adelaide CBD studio for three years,
when in early 2017 he opened a second studio in Melbourne
(where he’s now based) to meet growing demand.
Crea acknowledges the disconnectedness between the
design hubs of Adelaide and the eastern states is gradually
diminishing and his joint studio operation is testament to
this. However, there’s still more work to be done if design as
an industry is to continue thriving in this country. ‘Education
for the public is more important than ever in order to build
awareness and spread the message of investing in local
design, which needs to happen to increase opportunities for
designers,’ he says. ‘And in turn, emerging designers need
to be educated about what support networks and schemes
are available to them, whether via government or an
independent body.’
ISSUE 05 / 15