Richard Yasmine designs ‘nomadic’ collection for Milan Design Week as an ode to craftsmanship
'Woven Whispers' aims to preserve vanishing cultural heritage
Lebanese designer Richard Yasmine’s playful yet socially conscious designs have graced many of Milan’s design weeks, and this year is no different. ‘Woven Whispers’ pays homage to artisanship, with the intent of preserving vanishing cultural heritage while exploring the relationship between east and west. The collection is a series of ‘nomadic’ furniture pieces that takes inspiration from bold modernist architecture and basic geometric volumes, as well as the ‘Arts and Crafts’ movement.
Choosing rattan as the hero material, Yasmine muses on wicker, one of the oldest furniture-making methods in history, whose influence and prominence travelled as far as Ancient Egypt, Persia and Ancient Rome before becoming a staple piece of furniture from modern times until today.
The result of a collaboration between several craftsmen, the pieces display intricate techniques and dynamic skill, which have been used to weave and braid the contemporary lines and rows of the collection, using natural fibres such as organically dyed rope, rattan and wood.
‘Woven Whispers’ will be displayed as a ‘mini city’, composed of a series of levels of stackable tables of various sizes and heights that together create a monolithic installation mimicking rising edifices from history, such as the Tower of Babel – marking its grandeur but also its fragility. As with all of Yasmine’s pieces, the collection is a play on metaphors, highlighting the importance of solidarity and harmony between people and nations.
The Latest
Things to Covet – Summer 2025
Here are the bold and statement pieces that caught our eye this month
A Ruin Turned Intimate Retreat
Tucked away in the Andalusian countryside near Gaucín, a small town located between Marbella and Gibraltar, Cortijo Genesis in Spain has recently been renovated by Victoria-Maria Geyer
A Parisian Touch
Interior designer Juliette Spencer of Atelier RO revives a storied pre-war apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side with an elegant fusion of New York structure and French soul.
A Local Connection with a ‘70s Twist
Designed by Barcelona-based studio El Equipo Creativo, the newly renovated Kimpton Los Monteros hotel in Marbella, Spain is deeply inspired by Marbella’s rich landscape and cultural heritage.
A bold exploration of culture, nature, and the future of work by Roar
Roar has recently designed a new office for a global consulting firm that boldly reimagines the UAE's landscapes and cultural heritage into a workplace
Dare to be Bold
“No one does colour quite like Caroline Stanbury,” shares Kate Instone, Founder and Creative Director of Blush International
Zaha Hadid Foundation launches scholars program
The Zaha Hadid Foundation partners with the American University of Beirut to support the next generation of architectural talent.
Zayed National Museum to open in December 2025
The Foster + Partners designed striking museum will honour the Founding Father of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Culture & Conversations
identity hosted a roundtable and workshop in honour of Emirati Women's Day in collaboration with Casamia
identity Design Awards 2025 launches
identity is excited to announce its 11th annual identity Design Awards 2025.
Dubai Design Week is back in 2025
Taking place between 4-9 November, here's what we know so far about the 11th edition of the Middle East's leading design festival.
Abu Dhabi Bright
From cultural icons to world-class entertainment, this latest book by Assouline captures the many layers of the UAE’s capital