Entering a new chapter of creative expression, &Tradition presents a collection of reissued classics and contemporary forms that resonate with both the past and the present, now available in New Zealand from Cult.
This latest series of designs embodies a dialogue between innovation and craftsmanship, with the collection continuing to evolve through the lens of thoughtful collaboration. New designs appear alongside revived works from Robin Day, Verner Panton, and Hvidt & Mølgaard. Joining the fold is a debut from Copenhagen-based OEO Studio: a pared-back collection rooted in precision, tactility, and cultural exchange.
Ita
Traversing the boundary between Scandinavian and Japanese design philosophies, Ita — a new table and bench collection by OEO Studio — is a lesson in the constructs of minimalism. Inheriting its name from the Japanese word for wood plank, Ita takes cues from miyadaiku carpentry: the centuries-old craft used to construct temples and furniture without screws or glue. The six-piece collection includes two coffee tables, two benches, and dining tables in two sizes. Available in natural or dark-stained oak, each piece showcases the beauty of solid timber and a dedication to considered joinery. Flat-packable and assembled using a single tool, the collection is both practical and enduring.
“The Ita collection is the pure essence of minimalism,” says Thomas Lykke of OEO Studio. “When you design a collection like this, it’s very much about the smallest of details — and you need just enough to make it fresh in look and feel. In order to make Ita interesting, we have included subtleties like rounded edges, as well as a deep focus on the function of its assembly. The result is a collection that you experience as you touch or feel it, because to us, design is more than what you see.”
Gio
A contemporary homage to Venetian craftsmanship, Luca Nichetto’s Gio lamp blends decades of design sensibilities in one showstopping chandelier. Drawing on the glasswork of Murano — where his grandfather once worked — Nichetto presents a sculptural form composed of spun aluminium tiers. The layered silhouette nods to classic Murano chandeliers while simplifying their ornamentation.
“The Gio lamp captures the essence of a chandelier’s skeleton, focusing on fundamental geometric shapes,” Nichetto explains. Working as both an uplight and downlight, Gio is available in colour pairings of Signal Green, Deep Blue and Ecru White or Vermillion Red, Dark Burgundy and Ecru White (pictured). The name pays tribute to Gio Ponti, whose pared-back approach to Murano glass design helped shape the piece.
Rotate
Designed by Space Copenhagen, Rotate is an origami-inspired trolley made from a single sheet of powder-coated steel. Bent and welded into a softly asymmetrical form, the piece is practical and versatile. Sitting on discreet wheels and usable from any side, Rotate suits a wide range of spaces — from office to bathroom. “There is something so playful and intriguing about the whole idea of folding a sheet into three-dimensional objects,” say Space Copenhagen founders Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou.
“It points towards a system, a tool to create something, which can be both very complex, but also simple and accessible.” The same goes for Rotate — with a simple fold of a metal sheet, it becomes a shape that fulfills a functional purpose. Available in warm, earthy tones including Terracotta, Hunter, Ivory and Merlot (pictured), Rotate is at once sculptural and understated.
RFH Armchair
Originally created for London’s Royal Festival Hall in 1951, Robin Day’s furniture series is reissued for the first time in decades. Developed in close collaboration with the Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation, the re-release includes five designs from the original commission, including the RFH Armchair. Day’s distinctive form-pressed plywood technique yields sculptural silhouettes: gently curved backrests and outward-reaching arms that appear mid-flight.
Both the RFH Armchair and Lounge Chair, with their armrests growing organically from the curved plywood back, have lively personalities, like birds about to lift off the ground in flight. Each piece is composed of beech veneer with a walnut veneer front, flat-head brass screws, and a cushioned seat in charcoal grey or light-grey Hallingdal upholstery. A historically significant collection made newly accessible.
&Tradition is now available in New Zealand from Cult Design.
