Q&A: Furniture Designer Kenneth Cobonpue
How'd you get into furniture design?
Armed with a degree from the New York School of Interior Design, my mom went back to the Philippines to settle down. She was doing houses, bars and hotel lobbies, but she had trouble sourcing good furniture. So, she decided to make her own. I grew up to the sound of hammers and saws, and made my own toys and bridges over our small pond.
You're debuting a new collection at the ICFF. What's it like?
The new line is Noodle. I wanted to capture the beauty of paper sketches and whimsical doodles. By incorporating them with an architectural base, they take on the form of functional sculpture on pedestals.
What things inspire your designs?
The challenge of every designer is to find something special in the ordinary. I try to see everything in a new light, from the piece of toast on my breakfast plate to an old parking sign I pass by every day. I have designs inspired by everything from Chinese dim sum steamers to a bad hair day at the parlor.
Who do you see sitting on your curvy sofas or snoozing in your boat-like beds? Isn't Brad Pitt one of your clients?
Our clients are usually well-travelled, environmentally conscious and confident people who choose things not because they see it in a magazine, but because they have timeless qualities and feel comfortable. In today's world of machine-produced kitsch, it's nice to know that the chair you're sitting on is made by an actual person.
You have two young kids. How does your furniture hold up?
Its miniature architecture for them. They tunnel through the Croissant sofa. They climb all over the Dragnet Chair.
You use a lot of weaving techniques in your furniture. Will you maybe branch out into textile design?
It's a dream of mine to explore areas such as architecture and transportation. I am working on a car made out of bamboo and carbon right now. Our ancestors used to cross the oceans in bamboo boats. How difficult is it to make something that rolls on land?
Do you think there's more interest in your designs now that green design is so hot?
That's why I want to translate this warm, natural aesthetic I have into things aside from furniture. I read in Time that bamboo is now the hottest material for bicycles because its structural and tensile properties are better than carbon fiber. It's something I've known all along.
How does your design aesthetic affect your dress style?
It's all about the silhouette. I try to be minimal in form but romantic in detail. I'm inspired by what the Japanese do. Their cuts are great. That said, this season it's Jill Sander who has the most interesting collection that's wearable.
Written by Express contributor Amy Alipio
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