Named after the Great Rift Valley, Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola’s new Rift sofa and chair series was geologically inspired. Just as tectonic plates diverge, collide and overlap – creating several layers – Urquiola’s Rift series for Moroso convey the effects of sliding movement and asymmetric fusion. The range includes eight interior pieces: a small chair, a slightly larger chair and a settee, three Y-shaped islands and two L-shaped compositions that could be considered either islands or sofas. They’re made of stress-resistant polyurethane foam in varied densities and polyester fibrefill on a hardwood frame. There are also indoor/outdoor chairs made of polyurethane shell and lacquered steel base. They come in two heights and about six colors including gray, violet, green, black and white.

Urquiola’s partnership with Moroso began in 1998 when she was asked to produce designs under her own name, making Moroso the first manufacturer to produce her work. Since then, the Milan-based Urquiola has been working with Moroso, designing not only furniture but also her first US interior project- the New York City Moroso store.

*Images courtesy of Moroso.

Diesel teams up with cutting-edge furniture brands Moroso and Foscarini to expand beyond the fashion world into furniture and lighting. Their “Successful Living from Diesel” range hit the US market during last weekend’s ICFF. Approaching the home furnishing world with the same energetic style that’s made it such a hit in the fashion world, “Successful Living” was inspired by edgy music, a creative spirit, and a need to express one’s individuality. Now, Successful Living will be available through retailer The Future Perfect of Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Recurring themes in both the collection’s furniture (Moroso) and lighting (Foscarini) pieces include the ideas of “Camp” and “Rock.” The Camp theme implies mobility and a nomadic lifestyle, as evidenced by portable furnishings, often incorporating tent-like, canvas materials. The Rock theme has a double meaning: first, as in Rock and Roll, captured through elements like punky, metallic studs and second, more literally, through the rough-textured material inspiration for items like the hanging Rock lamp.

Check out some highlights below!

*above: Fork table lamp, from Foscarini, recalls “a casual camping lifestyle,” with a canvas shade with visible seams and metal grommets that attach it like those used to tie down tents. Fork “emits a warm homey light, like a tent illuminated in the dark woods.”

*above: Fork floor lamp from Foscarini.

*above: Glas from Foscarini reinterprets the classic work light used in warehouses and factories worldwide. Available in hanging and table versions.

*above: Rock, also from Foscarini, recalls an active volcano with its dark, lava-like exterior, split to reveal sparkling crystals inside, with hundreds of asymmetric golden facets that reflect the beams of light.

*above: Overdyed Table by Moroso. The Overdyed series of wood furniture includes a lounge chair, side chair, rectangular coffee, and round side table. The ragging paint technique used to finish the wood comes in Indigo Blue or Weathered Gray and reveals its natural markings for a more vintage effect. Frames are Raw Black lacquered steel.

*above: Overdyed Lounge Chair from Moroso.

*images courtesy of Diesel

Inspired by the best that the natural and technological worlds have to offer, London-based design firm Platform was founded in 2007 by Gernot Oberfell and Jan Wertelrawn. Prior to launching their own operation, both worked several years at the famous Ross Lovegrove Studio, designing for clients like Artemide, Moroso, Sony, VitrA/Turkey, Issey Miyake and Tag Heuer.

Under the Platform Wertel, Oberfell label, their combined passions for new technologies and materials, computer aided design, and the logic and beauty of organic forms results in playful, smart, and beautiful pieces. Their work ranges from furniture, lighting and industrial products to experimental research pieces, all with clear connections to both evolving technologies and nature.

Their Cell Collection chairs (top), for example, were inspired by the honeycomb’s efficient structure, and made of plywood, pu foam and wool fabric, and manufactured in an inmold process broadly used in the transportation industry. They’re available through Iker.

To reduce the amount of plastic, Platform’s Woood mobile phone project (above, and last heard in prototyping stage) uses an extruded wood composite, containing up to 80% of natural fibres. Components like buttons and caps are made of biodegradable plastic.The materials are very suitable for today’s livecycles of consumer electronics and very friendly to touch and feel, just like real wood.

And then there’s the Fractal Table (above), derived from studies in fractal growth patterns. Its treelike stems grow into smaller branches until they get very dense towards the top. It was developed by Platform Wertel, Oberfell together with Matthias Bär, and is impossible to manufacture unless rapid prototyped. The table is a single piece SLA in epoxy resin.

In their own words: “We both share a strong interest in new technologies and materials. A very important tool in our Design process is CAD software, which not only enables us to communicate with our international clients, but becomes through experimentation a source of inspiration. However, the most difficult part is to find a good balance between your head and your heart.”

For more information, visit the Platform site.

*Images courtesy of Platform.