Provoke. Stimulate. Seduce. That's the goal behind every Bat eye piece. In 2011, Marco Sousa debuted his new luxury furniture company at the Décorex in London. So it makes sense that Sousa devote one of his collections to the city that embraced his company.
Sousa spent the beginning of his career in architecture and city work. His focus shifted to furniture design to fulfill his need to "create furniture that caught in the elements of convergence between art and architecture, transcribing for furniture the forms, movements, gestures and colors that he kept with his look." The London collection, which includes products such as casegoods, tables, chairs and mirrors, highlight the quality of the materials and manufacturing process while paying extra attention to detail.
In this Designer Q&A, go behind the scene with Sousa and learn more about the striking London collection.
How did you conceptualize the London Collection? Why choose London over other cities?
My personal taste was the basic concept for the creation of this collection. The fact that London is a very cosmopolitan city with such great diversity and history, the choice was very easy to make. Collections are based on stories, and there is no better city to tell a story like London.
What life experiences influenced your design of this collection?
The inspiration for this collection occurred as soon as I realized the essence that exists in this city. The influence of design came as I walked the streets of London, over and over again, falling in love with everything I saw and all the experiences I lived.
Walk us through the product design process. How do you go from idea to finished product?
The process of designing the product come from my interest in details, which can often go unnoticed by other people. Each idea comes from a gesture, a color or a story. From that moment on, everything is relatively simple, trying to put together the sculptural and functional side until its finished.
The Portobello cabinet is especially striking in this collection. What inspired the piece?
This piece was inspired while walking around the Notting Hill neighborhood, which is full of history and culture. The Portobello cabinet is the way I found to express the explosion of colors that surround this unique place.
Which piece is your favorite? Why?
I love the whole collection, for everything it conveys. If I had to choose a favorite piece, it would probably be between the Portobello and the Divinity. The cabinet for loving the neighborhood and everything it represents and the Divinity because it is quite different, representing the side of royalty, expressed through the delicacy of the piece.
