Born in Shrewsbury and Oxford respectively in 1969, Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby studied architecture and interior design together at the Royal College of Art in London. In 1996, they set up their own agency, Barber Osgerby. The duo work at the crossroads between industrial design, furniture design and architecture. Their first design, the Loop Table, was spotted by Giulio Cappellini at the 1996 Milan Motor Show. The latter struck up a friendship with the designers, and together they developed a series of products that are now internationally recognised. Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby have won numerous awards, including Best New Designer at the ICFF Editors Awards in 1998, the Good Design Award for the Tab T table lamp published by Flos in 2010, and Design of the Year 2012 for 'The London Olympic Torch'. They fold materials and like to play with colours. Their work is inspired by existing production techniques, using them in "more original and intelligent" ways. They have worked with leading brands such as Magis (Poppins umbrella stand), Vitra, Established&Sons and Cappellini. Their creations can be found in the permanent collections of museums around the world (MoMa in New York, Victoria & Albert Museum in London, etc.).
2.
EMECO
American furniture company Emeco was founded in 1944 to manufacture lightweight, non-corrosive, fire-resistant and anti-torpedo chairs for the US Navy. The classic 1006 Navy Chair was a result of this aim. Made to last for at least 150 years, lightweight, intelligent, functional and solid - because "it was the best we could do". Today, Emeco’s craftsmen in Hanover, Pennsylvania, continue to make chairs that are so resistant they are passed on from generation to generation - Emeco defines the concept of sustainability. Emeco leads the industry, explores and innovates in terms of industrial waste and environmentally-friendly resources to create and build simple and timeless furniture.