Sonia Simpfendorfer & Sally Evans

Melbourne Design Week has officially begun, and tomorrow we finally open the doors to RE:BORN. RE:BORN marks the most expressive iteration of Cultivated to date - a maximalist, immersive showcase where fashion, art and design converge. Set within an immersive environment at Artbank Melbourne, we invite audiences to reconsider material value and discover the beauty in reinvention. Photography by @gavin__green 14–23 May 2026 Artbank Melbourne, Collingwood Monday–Saturday, 10am–4pm Presented and curated by @cultivated with @romancewasborn Hosted by @artbankau featuring works from the Artbank collection Exhibition Design by @studioxus Facilitated by @cultdesignau as part of @ngvmelbourne Melbourne Design Week 2026 Supported by @instyle_au , @loomtex.au , @interiauraau , @tsarcarpets , @yeendstudio , @wildheather_australia , @defy_design and @oslekcoatings Visit designweek.melbourne via the link in bio to learn more and explore the full program. #MelbourneDesignWeek #NGV @ngvmelbourne @creative_vic

Introducing studio x us The pavilion structure at the heart of RE:BORN was conceived from the outset to be reused, reinvented and handed to a new context. Collaborating with Cultivated and Romance Was Born has proven that premise beautifully. Working across disciplines, with practitioners who bring a completely different creative vocabulary is where the most considered and surprising outcomes emerge – and this project is exactly that. studio x us is newly formed but far from new – built on decades of industry experience and deep creative insight, the collective led by Sonia Simpfendorfer and Sally Evans represents a deliberate reimagining of how a design practice can operate.  Bringing together designers, thinkers and makers, our practice moves fluidly between interior, object and visual thinking, grounded in materiality, place and human experience. We exist to make thoughtful, resonant work that feels responsive to people, place and moment. ______ RE:BORN is presented by @cultivated_au and @romancewasborn in conjunction with @studioxus @artbankau and @cultdesignau . Melbourne Design Week is an initiative of the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria. Visit designweek.melbourne via the link in bio. Photography by @marieluises #MelbourneDesignWeek #MDW26 #ReBorn

Melbourne Design Week returns 14–24 May 2026, with 400+ events across Melbourne. As part of this year’s program, RE:BORN explores reimagined beauty: transforming overlooked furniture into new forms through a collaboration between @cultivated_au and @romancewasborn , supported by @instyle_au and @loomtex.au More manifesto than display, RE:BORN disrupts assumptions and provokes a shift in perspective around material value: an invitation to pause before discarding, reconsider what already exists and recognise that the most compelling design doesn’t always begin with something new. Prioritising local craft and Australian manufacturing, the project embraces a closed-loop approach where considered design and zero waste exist as the same instinct expressed together. Made possible with the support of all collaborators and partners, we’re proud to have contributed to the exhibition through design collaboration with our @instyle_au design studio and Australian made textiles form @loomtex.au RE:BORN Melbourne Design Week 14-23 May 2026 Artbank Melbourne, Collingwood. Presented and curated by @cultivated_au with @romancewasborn Hosted by @artbankau featuring works from the Artbank collection Exhibition Design by @studioxus Facilitated by @cultdesignau as part of @ngvmelbourne Melbourne Design Week 2026 Supported by: @instyle_au @loomtex.au @interiauraau @tsarcarpets @yeendstudio @wildheather_australia @defy_design @oslekcoatings Sound Design @noah.mcshanagmunn Visit designweek.melbourne to learn more and explore the full program. #melbournedesignweek #ngv @ngvmelbourne

Introducing Artbank Melbourne For over 45 years, Artbank has supported Australian artists while promoting access to contemporary art. With a collection of more than 11,000 works, it operates as a largely self-funded government initiative, leasing artworks to businesses, institutions and individuals. As both host and supporter, Artbank enables RE:BORN to unfold as an immersive environment - showcasing works from its national collection into dialogue with reimagined furniture forms. A space where ideas circulate and new narratives take hold. 14–23 May 2026 Artbank Melbourne, Collingwood _______ RE:BORN is presented by @cultivated_au and @romancewasborn in conjunction with @studioxus , @artbankau and @cultdesignau . Melbourne Design Week is an initiative of the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria. Visit designweek.melbourne via the link in bio. Photography by @diannasnape #MelbourneDesignWeek #MDW2026 #ReBorn

Introducing Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales of Romance Was Born. Contemporary Australian fashion house Romance Was Born bring their unmistakable world of imagination, craft and colour to RE:BORN. Reworking iconic furniture forms through the brand’s signature textile language, the familiar is transformed into the fantastical, blurring the line between fashion, art and design. “A big part of Romance Was Born is upcycling and reuse of vintage and antique textiles, enriching the life of a piece and creating a new narrative” — Anna Plunkett. 14–23 May 2026 Artbank Melbourne, Collingwood ______ RE:BORN is presented by @cultivated_au and @romancewasborn in conjunction with @studioxus , @artbankau and @cultdesignau . Melbourne Design Week is an initiative of the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria. Visit designweek.melbourne via the link in bio. Photography by @lexilaphorphoto #MelbourneDesignWeek #MDW2026 #ReBorn

Barwon Heads Golf Club has been shortlisted in the Hospitality Design Category of the @auinteriordesignawards Barwon Heads Golf Club is an iconic clubhouse embracing its 100 year history in a majestic coastal setting. The design of a major restoration and refurbishment project for @barwonheadsgolfclub was carried by @demainepartnership and @nexus_designs , with @bvcprojects and @alchemyconstruct Photography @timothykaye

NEWNEW Nexus Designs + Cultivated has been shortlisted for @auinteriordesignawards in the category of Installation Design NEWNEW, a prism of possibilities for a better future, was an award winning collaboration by @nexus_designs with @cultivated_au in the @greendesignshow , created in conjunction with @mark_tuckey @craftedhardwoodscom @wildheather_australia @artbankau and @oslekflooring Photography @timothykaye

Something beautiful is being reborn. This Melbourne Design Week @cultivated_au x @romancewasborn , invite you into RE:BORN - a visceral encounter with beauty reimagined, where overlooked furniture and discarded forms are transformed into works of wonder and rediscovery. Thus immersive exhibition weaves fashion, art and design into a richly layered world of surprise, texture and delight. Objects once at risk of disposal are honoured for their history and character, restored and elevated to expressive new form. A celebration of imagination, transformation and new life. Presented and curated by @cultivated_au & @romancewasborn Exhibition design by @studioxus Hosted by @artbankau Facilitated by @cultdesignau As part of @ngvmelbourne Melbourne Design Week 2026 Supported by @instyle_au @yeendstudio @wildheather_australia @noah.mcshanagmunn and John Halpin Upholstery

Barwon Heads Golf Club by us: at Nexus Designs

Two of us: Sonia and Sally

Materiality expertise by us: at Nexus Designs

NEWNEW by us: at Nexus Designs