Monocle - Huzi Design

inventory
November selection
Inventory
No68
Preface
From natural bitters and
handmade spirits to dainty
teapots and bird books, we
reveal the products that are
grabbing our attention
this month.
Editor
Josh Fehnert
Photographer
David Sykes
01
Clancy Moore Design
Leaded Strand Lamp
Made by a family-run
metalworker in Portadown,
Northern Ireland, each of
these sturdy desk lamps is
hand-rolled from a brass bar.
Every piece differs slightly
in burnish and patina and is
numbered and signed by its
designers, who also keep
a ledger recording the final
homes of their wares. — etl
makersandbrothers.com
02
Huzi Design
Wooden car
Petrolheads young and old
can thank Hong Kong-based
designer Mike Mak and Huzi
Design for the chance to
craft their own dream car. The
chassis is made from sturdy
poplar and the wheels are
crafted from birch (selected
for its smooth movement). The
walnut base gives each vehicle
a distinctive grain pattern and
if you fancy a splash of colour,
the toys can be adorned with
easy-to-clean chalk. — vl
huzidesign.com
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November selection
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03
Oola
Spirits
Hailing from Seattle’s foodie
Capitol Hill neighbourhood,
Oola Distillery was established
in 2010 by former gallery
owner Kirby Kallas-Lewis. The
brand uses local ingredients
to make high-quality spirits.
“Our bottles are all handlabelled, etched and sealed.
This is labour intensive but
it’s important for us to employ
people and have a community,”
says managing director Jeana
Harrington. — jaf
ooladistillery.com
04
Asahineko
Dustpan and brush
When Japan’s forest-rich Gifu
prefecture decided to utilise
its trees, it turned to designers
Makoto Koizumi and Kazuteru
Murasawa. This handy desktop
brush, available in three shapes,
is made of arborvitae (nezuko)
and cypress (hinoki). — jt
asahineko.jp
05
Frank Clegg Leatherworks
Briefcase
New England-based Frank
Clegg Leatherworks has been
producing high-quality leather
goods for more than four
decades. Its briefcases are still
top of the pile and made from
100 per cent vegetable-tanned
leather. This handy bag comes
with an optional shoulder strap
for portability. — adc
frankcleggleatherworks.com
06
Verso Skincare
Beauty products
Verso, (literally “reverse” in
Latin) is a Swedish skincare
range that focuses on turning
254 — issue 68
back the hands of time
when it comes to ageing
skin. Its eye-catching, minimal
packaging was designed by
The Studio. — ec
versoskincare.com
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07
AÃRK Collective
Watches
Design firm AÃRK Collective’s
debut watch collection has
been ticking over nicely since
launching this year. “We believe
in reducing the elements to
the essentials and we keep
branding to a minimum,” says
the company’s director Sara
Su. With their aircraft-grade
stainless-steel cases and
Melbourne-made straps, these
modern timepieces are just
the beginning for this Aussie
five-piece. — jaf
aarkcollective.com
08
Our Songbirds
Book
Our Songbirds is an enchanting illustrated depiction of
Britain’s chattiest feathered
friends. It features a bird for
each week of the year and
artist Matt Sewell combines a
love of ornithology with a dab
hand for watercolours. — jaf
mattsewell.co.uk
09
Cuckoo
Teapot
Designed by Yu-Fen Lo of
Taiwanese brand Cuckoo,
this dainty teapot is made
of stone and wrapped in a
wooden heat-resistant handle
to ensure a steady grip. “To be
able to make a good pot of tea
while travelling is an incredible
luxury for the modern urban
dweller,” says Yu-Fen. — aim
ditmit.co
album reminiscent of the
goshuincho notebooks found
in Japanese temples. — ic
grafolita.com
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10
Best Made
Blanket
Founded in 2009 by Peter
Buchanan-Smith, US manufacturer Best Made makes hardy
objects for a life lived outdoors.
We like the feel of this Lumberland Camp Blanket and
nifty leather sling – perfect
for a kip under the stars or
a picnic in the park. — jaf
bestmadeco.com
11
Grafolita
Notebooks
Portugal’s Grafolita sells a
collection of notebooks made
by designer Catarina Vaz. “This
project resulted from my love
of traditional typography and
my desire to do something
handmade,” she says. On an
old Hogenforst printing press,
Vaz makes an accordion-style
12
Dram Apothecary
Bitters
Shae Whitney first came up
with Dram Apothecary at foodscience college while working
as a bartender. “I realised
most of the bitters I served
were synthetically dyed and
flavoured – I wanted to create
something out of wild, natural
herbs.” Whitney attempts to
bring back the ancient “cureall” function of bitters by foraging for them herself among
Colorado’s alpine herbs. — gsl
dramapothecary.com
13
Ministry of Mass
Barrel lamp
Founded last year by David
Braeckman and Sander
Michiels, Ministry of Mass
is a Belgium-based design
collective with sustainability
at its core. This beech-framed
lamp with a rolled-steel case
is ideal for illuminating large
spaces and can be suspended
by its hook or rested on
its base. — jaf
ministryofmass.com
14
Topo Designs
Bags
Topo Designs makes colourful
bags that are as at home on
the trail as they are in the city.
“We wanted to bring style and
simplicity back to an outdoor
brand without sacrificing too
many technical details,” says
co-founder Jedd Rose. — jaf
topodesigns.com
15
Carriage 44
Soap
After seven years in the UK,
Oliver Stenberg returned to
Canada in 2010 to found
Carriage 44 with his wife
Hannah and mother Florenda.
The handmade soaps share a
base of olive oil, shea butter,
coconut oil and sweet almond
oil, and are available in 12
scents ranging from vanilla
to Stenberg’s favourite –
oatmeal. — adc
cargocollective.com/carriage44
16
Bleeding Heart Rum Co
Rum
This tasty tipple was born on
the island of Negros – the
capital of the Philippines’ sugar
industry. “The idea was to create
a single island rum made and
aged 100 per cent on this
beautiful island,” says Stephen
Carroll, founder of Bleeding
Heart Rum Co. Distilled from
the finest sugar cane and aged
for seven years in American
oak barrels, this smooth rum is
named after Papa Isio, a lesserknown hero of the Philippine
Revolution. — aim
donpaparum.com
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