As Brit design’s poster child of craft cool, Lee Broom, celebrates 10 years at the top, he talks exclusively to Vogue Arabia about the highlights of his megawatt career.
To step into Lee Broom’s Electra House in Shoreditch is a crash course on the transformation of this once lamented London district into the epicenter of cool.
Part show space, part studio and full-time hub of this specific brand of design genius, Electra House was on a high as the studio prepped to celebrate a decade of design with a special showcase at Salone del Mobile, which opens today in Milan.
Splendid in Gucci circa Alessandro Michele, Broom sits behind his travertine desk, poring over the final details of this fantastical installation when Kelly Teasdale, his PR wonder woman, ushers me into his office.
The installation, which can only be described as a modernist interpretation of a fairground carousel, promises to offer unique insight into the designer and his brand’s 10-year history. Set in a disused vault of the Milano Centrale Station, it’s billed as Broom’s biggest presentation to date. And why not? He never stops creating.
“I create because I love it,” he says. “There is barely a day when I don’t pick up a pencil, even just for the fun of it. But when I work on new collections I need to banish all restrictions in my head, such as who will buy this, or how can I make this. I focus on my vision and let my imagination run. That’s the only way you can achieve anything new.”
Here he looks back at his career, handpicking five definitive moments:
Crystal Bulb
“The Crystal Bulb was a watershed moment in my career, bringing the attention of a wider public. The idea actually came to me in a dream. We then designed and produced it eight weeks ahead of our 2012 show in Milan. It remains one of our bestselling products.”
Louboutin store at Harrods
“I love Christian’s work, so was very delighted when he approached me to design his store in Harrods. Harrods was pleased with the result, as was Louboutin. We continue to make lighting and furniture pieces for Louboutin’s stores, both bespoke and from the collection. It will remain a special project for me as it marries my passion for design with my appreciation for fashion.”
Crescent Light
“As a design it deconstructs the simple silhouette of a classic illuminated art deco-inspired globe light. It also mixes solid and opaque finishes and has a playful theatrical feel to it. It plays with form and balance to deliver something that is both unique and familiar.”
The Department Store
“For Salone del Mobile 2015 we presented more than 25 new designs in a row of empty shops, which we transformed into an elegant faux department store. Across two levels, visitors moved through departments – books, wines, fragrances, women’s accessories, gents’ fitting rooms and so on. The project was more of a theatrical undertaking than anything else. Milan is stressful. There’s so much to see and The Department Store provided that unexpected escape.”
Salone Del Automobile
“With Salone del Mobile growing bigger every year, I thought, why not take our show to the people? That’s where the idea of a mobile exhibition stemmed from. The show was installed into our Lee Broom grey liveried delivery van, which we use at our factory in London, and we drove it across the Alps to Milan for the week, stopping at the key design districts. A mini Italian palazzo-inspired interior seemed a perfect contrast to an industrial van. It was very surreal, almost like an art piece. It is one of my most talked about exhibitions.”
Design takes over Milan with Salone del Mobile from April 4-9. More information is available here or have it at your fingertips with the app.
