Flétta one of the Rising Talents at Maison&Objet in Paris
Designers Hrefna Sigurðardóttir and Birta Rós Brynjólfsdóttir, from Flétta are one of seven designers at the Rising Talents Awards at Maison&Objet in Paris.
This year, the Maison&Objet team has set its compass towards the Arctic Circle to select the laureates for the 2024 Rising Talents Awards, all hailing from the Nordic nations: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Iceland. These laureates, all under 35 years old and who have founded their studios within the last five years, exhibit a vibrant dynamism, supported by a rich history of globally recognized talents and significant craftsmanship.
Dereen O’Sullivan, head of the Rising Talents Awards for Maison&Objet, notes, “In Northern Europe, there's a different approach to time and natural materials. The young generation is defining a new language, often close to artisanal and Collectible Design.”
Rising Talents Awards 2024:
- Christian + Jade
- Malin Ida Ericksson
- Ali Sha Gallefoss
- Lab La Bla
- Frederik Gustav
- Antrei Hartikeinen
- Flétta
Read more about the winners here.
The jury comprises established talents from each country, including the Franco-Swedish designer duo Färg & Blanche, Danish designer Gesa Hansen, Helsinki-based architect and designer Joanna Laajisto, and Danish architect and designer David Thulstrup. Experts such as Halla Helgadóttir, a graphic design consultant and director of Iceland Design and Architecture, and Cecile Molvær Jørgensen, advisor for Design and Architecture Norway, also contribute.
From the press release:
An Economy of Means
Birt Rós Brynjólfsdóttir and Hrefna Sigurðardóttir, 33 and 34, live and work in Reykjavik, Iceland. Both studied product design at the Iceland Academy of the Arts. They founded Studio Flétta in 2018. During their studies, they embarked on an ambitious project: collecting waste from a hundred companies in Reykjavik with the aim of creating a bank of materials available to other designers. "We collected wool, textiles, wood, glass, a lot of waste from the fishing industry, nets... No one wanted it. So we founded our studio to exploit it ourselves and demonstrate its potential." Whether individuals or businesses, the two young women want to educate their country in the art of recycling. "We collaborate with companies to teach them the long term, so that they manufacture objects that can be kept for a long time, repaired. To consumers, we explain in a simple, understandable, and joyful way that one can create things that bring happiness with waste." Studio Flétta produces cushions made with old car airbags. "The design scene is very young in Iceland. So we are very free. We experiment. Our grandparents mended shirts, made new out of old; they had to be creative. We do the same thing but with the raw materials of the time."
Maison&Objet is happening in Paris from 5th - 9th of September and is celebrating their 30 year anniversary this year. It is one of the biggest design event in Europe with over 6,000 brands & designers participating, some 300,000 international buyers and 1,500 international journalists visiting.
