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Q&A With Michael Anastassiades, 2020 Designer of the Year

Maison et Objet trade fair names iconic lighting designer Michael Anastassiades Designer of the Year for 2020

Elen Pouhaer 18 January 2020

Contributrice Houzz, je suis journaliste déco/design, architecture et lifestyle.

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Having completed his undergraduate studies in civil engineering at Imperial College London, UK, and a master’s degree in industrial design from the Royal College of Art in London, designer Michael Anastassiades founded his own creative studio in 1994 and his eponymous brand in 2007. Since then, the talented designer has gone on to collaborate with some of the biggest brands in the industry, like Flos, B&B Italia, Herman Miller, Cassina and Bang & Olufsen. For the latter, he designed a speaker that looks like a work of art. Now he’s been named the Designer of the Year at the January 2020 edition of the Maison et Objet trade fair held in Paris, France from 17 to 21 January.

Always fascinated with light, Anastassiades explores space with sculptural pieces constructed from timeless geometric lines, and creates new forms of lighting with a poetic touch. For him, a light fixture must interact with its environment and engage in a dialogue with its user. His unique installation at this edition of the fair will present his gravity-defying Mobile Chandeliers collection.

We chatted with the designer about his passion for light and the evolution of his designs.

Rencontre Houzz : Michael Anastassiades, designer de l'année 2020

Image from Flos

How would you describe your style?
My approach to design is minimalist. I think you can communicate a lot more by distilling an idea into the simplest possible form. It is always a real challenge to try to reduce the amount of visual information, to purify by removing any superfluous elements to retain only the essence of the object.

Beosound Edge, Bang & Olufsen. Image from Bang & Olufsen

This apparent simplicity promotes curiosity and interaction. The Beosound Edge speaker, created for Bang & Olufsen, has a simple form that hides all the technological elements. As you get closer to it, sensors cause a series of LEDs to light up.

Keen to work some contemporary, minimalist designs into you home? Find an interior designer or decorator near you on Houzz to make it happen

Double Sconce 150. Image from Michael Anastassiades

Where does your passion for light come from?
I have always been attracted to light fixtures. This passion was realised when I decided to focus my research on lighting. The positive feedback I received encouraged me to pursue this and launch my own brand.

Message Cups. Image from Michael Anastassiades. A small electronic device embedded in the cup’s base can record a voice message. Turning the cup upside down stores the message, turning it right side up again plays it.

Tell us about the first thing you created
I designed it in 1993, after graduation. Message Cups was an experimental project: a dictaphone for communicating in a domestic environment. This product stands out. It is, in a way, the expression of my ideas in their purest form.

Fontana Amorosa. Image by Fransesco Nazardo

How has your work evolved?
My approach to design has always been based on basic shapes and simple three-dimensional forms. The key step in my journey was the creation of my brand in 2007. I had already worked as a designer for many years and wanted to evolve differently, to create, develop and produce things without limits or compromises.

B&B Italia, Parallel Structure. Image from B&B Italia

From there, everything accelerated quickly. The lighting brand Flos invited me to sign a first collection, leaving me carte blanche. After that the collaborations multiplied.

Fleet Drinking Fountain. Image by Andy Stagg

What are your favourite materials?
I like real, raw materials, such as brass, copper, steel and wood.

Half Way Round, Dansk Møbelkunst. Image from Dansk Møbelkunst

Mobile Chandelier Collection. Image by Osma Harvilahti

Tell us about your Maison et Objet installation
I wanted to offer a real experience around light. This installation showcases a family of products that I have been developing for ten years, the Mobile Chandeliers collection. For the first time, the 16 lights will be brought together to present the evolution of my language, philosophy and approach to design. In the future, the collection will continue to evolve through this same language.

Beauty Mirror. Image by Hélène Binet

What are the new trends and innovations in the field of lighting?
I don’t believe in new trends or phenomena in fashion. I don’t like the ephemera. Products, whatever they are, must be designed to last.

Herman Miller, Double Dream of Spring Exhibition. Image by Ben Anders

New technology – the emergence of LEDs and the end of filament bulbs – has revolutionised lighting. With LEDs, light has long been limited to cool white. Fortunately, technology has evolved, but there is still a long way to go in order for us to look at lighting in a new way.

Tube Chandelier. Image by Hélène Binet

How do you think the role of lighting has evolved in our interiors?
While the technology has evolved considerably, the role has remained much the same. On the other hand, our sensibility and the rituals around lighting have changed. As designers, we must reintegrate and reinvent these rituals to recreate a poetic experience.

Your turn
Which of these designs captures your imagination? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.

More
Have you read about last year’s Designer of the Year? Find out here with Meet Laura Gonzalez, Maison et Objet’s 2019 Designer of the Year