A central part of realising The Life Above was developing its sculptural brass spine with the brilliant team at @scenic_sets , a family-run London studio specialising in model-making and fabrication.
Working from a 1:1 scale maquette developed in my studio, the team translated the ribbon-like flow of the original form into a precisely engineered structure, holding both tension and lightness.
The final frame is composed of over a hundred individually twisted brass ribs, connected though fine wire threading. These repeating forms echo stitches, binding together two six-metre lengths of embroidered silk folding back into themselves at either end.
The structure is suspended through a finely resolved hanging system, allowing the work to hold in space with minimal visual interruption.
The process moved fluidly between maquette, drawing, engineering and fabrication. Scenic Sets brought a remarkable level of care, precision and sensitivity to the process, developing the initial model into its final sculptural form.
The Life Above
Collect 2026
The Making of:
FENDI’s Fall print brought to life as bouncy hills.
We wanted this key element of the scheme to feel architectural but playfully soft; reflecting the spirit of the Fall collection.
Each dot had to be mapped by hand to keep the print looking correct to the eye, whilst the frames were modelled to balance theatrical perspective with lighting practicalities - traditional handcraft and 3D drafting informing one another to achieve something both aesthetically pleasing and mathematically complex.
Built from timber and pinned lycra, the hills were designed to minimise plastic use with materials separable or recyclable once the scheme was finished.
#scenicsets
#fendi
FENDI Fall windows for its 100th anniversary: a surreal landscape of undulating hills and forced perspectives.
Referencing the fabrics and textures of Silvia Venturini Fendi’s centennial collection, we developed the scheme after a series of maquette proposals.
The hills are made from layers of fabric, painted and stretched over timber frames - with all elements of the scheme designed to be completely separable once finished.
Installed back in August - with the assistance of a super local team - this felt like a suitably technical challenge for a House so associated with craft.
#ScenicSets
#FENDI
Dior Christmas 2024:
This unicorn, taken from one of Dior’s prints (final picture,) was produced as an original model to be later replicated for worldwide production.
With it comes to certain complex creatures, we often turn to traditional clay sculpting; even when a digital 3D model is our ultimate goal. The process of working by hand allows the sculptor to more intuitively imbue the creature with character and sense of life in a way that’s sometimes difficult to reach using digital tools. Final tweaks were done on our in-house 3D scans - which then evolved into the beautiful illuminated Christmas scheme.
#ScenicSets
#Dior
The celebrations continue!
Installed in February, the brass ribbons adorning each column align with those already inside the windows. It was essential to match the historic storefront’s architecture so we took 3D scans, recreating a to-scale version of it back in our London workshop. Each brass ribbon was then shaped by hand. The building’s listed status meant developing a discreet fixation system that left its stonework untouched; one that was ‘invisible’ whilst able to withstand months of wind, rain and public curiosity. Catching the sun throughout the day, the ribbons shine in sudden bursts: an opening act of splendour to commemorate Fendi’s 100 years in the Eternal City.
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#ScenicSets
The making of the jewellery display system for @kimai_jewelry out of hardwood offcuts, including early renders to communicate initial concept, and one of our 40 year old hammers in the background
#Kimai
#ScenicSets
Final set up examples of our ‘Standing Stone’ system in the workshop before going to their home on Chiltern Street.
Jewellery brand Kimaï approached us to create a unique display system for their windows. With a collection made exclusively from lab-grown diamonds and recycled metals, they wanted to steer away from ubiquitous stands and busts so we proposed a series of carved sculptures that could stack and balance in hundreds of compositions. Magnets embedded in each shape allow for improbable combinations and fluid positioning of jewellery holders without visible fixation points.
To reflect the brand’s commitment to minimising environmental impact, we chose offcuts of hardwoods such as sapele, walnut and cedar as our primary material; their dusky, skin-like quality serving as a complimentary backdrop to the fine jewellery.
These are a small selection of possible set ups, with the aim of the ‘Standing Stone’ system to bring many years of reusability and play.
#Kimai
#ScenicSets
Early development for the Travelling Castles, including artwork for mood and composition, material testing for worldwide production and Mo guarding the secret to classic cotton clouds.
#Cartier
#ScenicSets
Making of Cartier’s Travelling Castles. Stretched fabric, with painted clouds and light, acts as a portal for the brass castles and staircases to cross through.
Studio photography @ozbaydesign
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#Cartier
A nighttime voyage for Cartier, Christmas 2023.
The golden Cartier castle travels through the sky over a sleeping cities below, an amalgamated building made up from its three flagship stores in Paris, London and New York; where these windows feature.
The light of each threshold is entirely painted and the cityscapes made in forced perspective. These techniques, traditionally used in theatre, came from our desire to capture the spirit of flight during early development.
New York photography @rickyzehavi
Paris photography @pascalinedargant
#ScenicSets
#Cartier
Early maquette development for Fendi’s centenary sculptures. The inclusion of Selleria stitching came through happy accident at this stage: glue dots holding the maquette together happened to resemble the house’s signature stitch; of course this became a central feature of the final pieces.
#Fendi
#ScenicSets
Making of the Ribbon Sculptures. To retain a sense of fluidity and energy within the metalwork, we worked directly from Carmel’s original pencil drawings - enlarging, maquetting and pattern-making for each bespoke sculpture by hand.
#Fendi
#ScenicSets
