Crosby Studios founder Harry Nuriev attends the opening of the exhibition in Shanghai
Sokol Kirill
Harry Nuriev is no stranger to radical design. His work spans products, public spaces, immersive installations, retail and fashion. Founded by Nuriev in 2014, Crosby Studio has risen to fame through collaborations with brands such as Balenciaga and Nike. The brand has also designed interiors for luxury retailer Dover Street Market Paris' cafe, collections for Opening Ceremony, H&M, Avgvst, Amina Muaddi and Jimmy Choo, among others.
Nuriev's manifesto is based on what he calls “transformism” – a practice that prioritizes change and transformative experience. Now, he and business partner Tyler Billinger are taking Nuriev's creative ideology to Asia. The starting point? Two immersive installations in South Korea and Shanghai aim to foster community and introduce Crosby Studio's theory of transformism to Asian audiences.
Nuriev, who is based in Paris and New York, explains that this is not the duo's first visit to Asia: “It's a quiet time in Europe right now with many businesses closed, so we decided to take the opportunity to visit Asia again and take our time to bring our work to China and Korea.” The exhibition coincides with the studio's 10th anniversary and celebrates global connections, set against the backdrop of ongoing construction on Shanghai's streets.
Occupying a 1933 complex in the Hongkou district, the studio brought together Shanghai's creatives for an intimate gathering. Guest Victoria Rebello, creative and artistic director of Loewe Greater China, acknowledged that the studio is unique in its ability to “bring people together,” which is “particularly important” in Chinese society. “I think we can create this cultural community by offering different experiences in design and environment as they grow up here,” Rebello said.
Her verdict: “After seeing this exhibition, which is different to much of the work they have done in Europe, I believe that this ability to reinvent itself will appeal to the rapidly changing Asian market.”
Speaking by phone from Shanghai, Crosby Studio discusses the concept behind its aesthetic.
Crosby Studio Exhibition Opens in Shanghai
Sokol Kirill
First of all, congratulations on organizing this exhibition. How important is China, or Asia, in Crosby Studio's future roadmap?
Harry Nuriev (HN): Asia is an important new market for us. We are doing a lot of work in retail and hospitality in China, Korea, Japan and Singapore. Last year we collaborated with Nike China in Shanghai and we are currently planning a restaurant in Shanghai. Hopefully, we will open our new headquarters in Shanghai.
In general, are there any differentiated requirements from Asian clients, such as a desire for more immersive elements?
HN: That's an interesting question. I would love to distinguish between each group and say this group is interested in this, this group is interested in that, but it's a difficult one. We work in many different markets around the world: Europe, America, Asia. And after analyzing all of our partners, our clients, and the people who support us, I have to say that they are all very different. But strangely enough, they are all intertwined and similar in a way, in that they are all looking for an experience, something new. I think that's why people call us. People want to feel good in the space and have a new experience.
And part of it is based on transformationalism. Can you explain that?
HN: I've been working on this for the last 10 years, and this is a style that evolves my creative alphabet. I believe that shapes, colors, philosophies have already been explored in the last 100 years. And in my work, I call this archive and transform it to fit more needs. We live in an age of consumption. Consumption permeates every corner of the world today: social media, products, food, etc. Therefore, the idea of transformation is based on a utopian world without factories and means of production. We have to take what we already have and find a way to utilize these elements for different functions. We have to address what now surrounds us: the paradox of abundance. Then waste becomes very important and we become more conscious of consumption.
This is most clearly seen on the iconic Balenciaga sofa. Can you talk about how the studio works directly with fashion brands to develop products?
Tyler Billinger (TB): Yes, we've worked with Balenciaga a few times over the past six years, and I think this sofa is one of Harry's earliest transformist pieces. He created the sofa using decades of archive pieces and clothing; because the brand doesn't burn clothes. Since then, we've introduced the idea to a lot of big names, like Nike and H&M. Of course, they always have their own wants and needs, whether it's a space rather than just object design. But we always try to use it as an ideology throughout the space, in a very clever way.
Balenciaga sofa at Crosby Studio
From Minka with love
That's interesting. Can you walk us through this process on a practical level?
HN: Yes, that's great because we think about how we can get our design philosophy to be adopted by our clients, even if they are tech companies. So, I would like to give another example, Casetify. We were asked to design the Casetify headquarters building in Hong Kong, and they were very open to our ideas of transformation.
TB: Basically, Harry came up with the idea to make patterns and mosaics out of damaged, unused, or unsold phone cases – basically reconstructing them. We didn't necessarily expect Casetify to be so open to transformism as a design concept, especially in the commercial space.
Finally, can you talk about Crosby Studios’ sustainability principles and how they are being received in Asia?
HN: We always try to be as sustainable as possible when we design or make something, for example using second-hand items wherever possible and then breathing new life into them. I think this is a practice that everyone in our industry should have, but we try to express this throughout and in all our work.
It's a global thing for the studio. But people in Asia, especially China, are much more environmentally conscious than they are given credit for. Asia is one of the most progressive regions in the world, and it reflects the reality of overpopulation. We need to confront what we have been ignoring, prepare for new ways of living, think more about the environment. All this is reflected in my artistic vision and inspires me.
