Harry Nuriev gives new life to classic shapes with bright colors + edgy mix of materials
Harry Nuriev is a multidisciplinary creator that combines architecture, design and recently fashion — making innovative yet familiar pieces that transport us from past to future in a split second.
“I always tried to make an alternative world, not crazy, but more emotional, more honest, less painful."
He emerged alongside a strong & avant-garde group of artistic makers that went from ruling the Russian scene to taking over the world real quick. Some of his peers are big names like Demna Gvasalia, Gosha Rubchinskiy, Lotta Volkova, Hassan Kurbanbaev and Dima Komarov. We know what u're thinking: quite a responsibility to walk side by side with these guys, right? Well, lucky for him, Nuriev's work is just as groundbreaking. As we chatted with him in this exclusive, we could see his boldness come across while he described his goal starting Crosby Studios: "to change the design world & bring interior design back into the cultural conversation". And he does so with colorful, stricking and, most of all, honest pieces of furniture that redefine beauty and originality.
Our personal favorites are the non-obvious goods that combine clean lines with maxi character.
His love for color (& his lack of love for minimalism) is what distinguish him from any other — and also gives him vision light years ahead of us.
Hey, remember that time he predicted Pantone's colors of the year, using Millennial Pink & Classic Blue before it was cool?
He started out Eat Me Milk Me concept store in 2019.
"Color can make boring things fun."
He presented the Throne Pink Fur Chair in early 2016.
When it comes to sustainability, Nuriev's point of view is similar to his designs: innovative & clear. For him being sustainable is not about buying less, it's about buying smarter. It's about choosing durable long lasting products instead of disposable objects — and also thinking about what you're gonna do with the things you got after you're done with them. We can see this practice when he uses scrapped vinyl, recycled plastic & leather for more durability. Now Nuriev's personal challenge is to crack the code of how to make upcycling and sustainable design beautiful without hiding it. And he succeeds as he brings this subject to the table in a new & creative way. 'Cause upcycling to him is not only about his choice of materials, it's also in his way of thinking about furniture shapes — like this classic office chair in neon lime green covered w/ lace made of biodegradable film. Crazy cool, huh?
Nuriev feels that brand new is kinda boring and working with existing things to give them a whole other life is awesome. That's why his latest collabs are under the spots: for his unique combination of old school, avant-garde & unpredictable.
Such as the Nike Air Max chair, a design with transparent vinyl body that reveals dozens of discarded leather sneakers piled up on top of each other.
"It felt like a really interesting challenge to take on — combining two seemingly completely different worlds into one."
And, we see even more of that inspiration in the most talked about furniture of the fashion world. After his Office Collection with Balenciaga, Nuriev presented the Balenciaga Sofa @ Miami Design. A piece that is upholstered with damaged or otherwise unsellable garments and off-cuts from obsolete stocks of clothing, encased by transparent recycled plastic. Both collabs have that state-of-the-art feel but a familiar vibe, maybe because they look like the furniture in everyone's childhood home. "When we see something from our past, even vaguely, we trust it more than a completely new shape", Nuriev says. And it's that mix of familiar with visionary that makes Harry Nuriev the biggest & more representative designer for Gen Z cool kids.
Interior design is back in convo. Mission accomplished, Nuriev.
For more [metcha originals], u know what to do.