Lee Broom - Product and Interior Designer

It is not very often that we are struck by pure creativity and indivividuality. But that was exactly what happened a few years ago when we were in The Shop at Blue Bird, on King's Road. There it was, in the middle of the store was the most unique and captivating piece of furniture we have ever seen and at that moment, we knew we had to have it. As collectors and admirers of vintage furnitures brushed with a touch of modernity, it was a moment to be seized. The talented designer behind this one of a kind work is the award winning Product and Interior British Designer, Lee Broom. The chair, also known as the "Luminaire Bergere", was founded by Lee in a flea market in North of Paris and became part of the Rough Diamond Exhibition at The London Design Festival in 2008. The chair was purposely left in its original condition with the exception of added turquoise neon lighting, highlighting its original craftsmanship. According to Lee, "it's a total one off and I carried it back to London all the way from a Paris market on the Eurostar myself. A complete labour of love." It is truly a testament to Lee's eyes for originality and by preserving its authenticity, the designer is respecting its original beauty while still able to create a one off art piece.

Lee designs and manufactures his own furniture and lighting collections as well as many retail spaces, restaurants, and bar interiors. With his own collections, I love and admire the fact that he remains true to British manufacturing techniques and craftsmanship by working closely with traditional craftsman throughout the entire process. This particular attention to details coupled with a raw talent for exquisite designs has earned Lee many prestigious recognitions over the years including the British Design Award, Crystal Bulb in 2012 as well as the British Design Award, Designer of the Year 2011. Below are some of my favourite pieces from Lee's own Products range: __________________________________________________________________________________ First up are The Clear and Frosted Crystal Bulb Table Lamps - Handcrafted and inspired by traditional whiskey glasses and decanters

Frosted Crystal Bulb and Decanterlight Chandeliers (Decanterlight is inspired by the original vintage collection released back in May 2010)

Pieces from the Salon Collection - Six pieces of furnitures inspired by the 1930s with a contemporary edge

Carpetry Sideboard and Console Table - These were manufactured with a technique dated back to the early 17th century known as the "Wilton looms"

Part of the Rough Diamond Collection, this "Club Chair" has a limited release of only ten

"Electric Louis" is part of a limited edition of twenty five as shown in the Neo Neon 2007 Collection

Also part of the Rough Diamond Collection, the limited edition of fifty "Bright on Bistro" bentwood chairs that were rescued from a tea house in Brighton, England, and have been beautifully transformed

Besides working on his own collections, Lee has designed many well known retail, restaurant, and bar spaces over the years. For example, his first project was for the Nylon bar in 2002 that led to the Best Bar Nomination by London's Evening Standard.

The Lancaster House where Lee was chosen alongside other British designers to transform the location that played host during the recent Olympic Games into a showcase of modern art and design. Shown here is the only room that was dedicated to just one designer, the Gold Room, where Lee displayed his collections of modern and contemporary pieces connecting the past and the future

And finally, to all the shoes fans out there, Lee created a magical world of Christian Louboutin located in the world's most famous department store, Harrods, with inspiration from iconic landmarks throughout London

Lee's own label was launched in 2007 and we were happy to learn of the recent opening of his first shop in London's Shoreditch called Electra House. One can also find Lee's beautiful creations with various dealers throughout Europe, the U.S., Asia, and the Middle East. Nevertheless, his work has yet to make its way to Latin America but I have no doubt that not before long, his unique designs will be showcasing in this part of the world. His work is quite simple but eloquently resonates that old glamour that so many artists today try to replicate but they lack originality and heart. As for our piece of treasure, its place in our home forever reminds us of that special day of great discovery that forever opened our minds to a world of possibilities, imagination, and the true meaning to "labour of love." __________________________________________________________________________________ All Photos credit Lee Broom / Background Info at www.leebroom.com __________________________________________________________________________________ *Upcoming Posts - Bid Farewell to 2013 in Style / Spring and Summer 2014 Fashion Lineup / Fashion Makeover

In Styles - New York

It was around this time last week when I immersed myself in the Big Apple. As always, I love being in New York around the holiday season. You can feel and see the festive mood everywhere as the city is wrapped up in holiday decorations with everyone out and about looking so effortlessly stylish. We were only there for a few days and with the fast moving energy it seems to possess, everything just flew right by. I have been waiting to do a story on New York City for a while now as there is no other places in the world where every experience can forever imprint in your mind and wake up your senses, regardless of time spent. As one of the most famous cities in the world, it has been written about, reported on, documented and represented throughout history. To me, no matter how long it has been since I was last here, the energy is still raw, unpretentious, full of life and creativity. One of the stories I love writing about is the street styles from different cities as this is when I have a chance to meet some of the most wonderful individuals and New York is certainly one of those places. Last week, whilst walking around the different areas of Manhattan, I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with some of the nicest and stylish people who were all so kindly agreed to be a part of this story. __________________________________________________________________________________ Ha-Tien Nguyen - Creative Director of Zink Magazine / Favourite Designers - All Saints, Helmut Lang, Alexander Wang and Aritzia

James M. Rosenthal - Fashion Stylist

Alejandro Nones and Heather Miles

Deirdre Hering - Digital Advertising / Favourite Designers - Rag & Bone and Alexander Wang

Josephine Papasavvas - Sales Director for Nicholas Kirkwood

Alexandra O'Neill and Natalie Obradovich

Vivien Shahzad and Janiece Dilone - Models / Favourite Designers - YSL, Alexander Wang, Philip Lim, Calvin Klein and DKNY, respectively

Aside from the many wonderful facets of fashion we see here, I also fell in love with the artwork represented throughout the city. Whether it is a painting depicting the daily NY commuters by award winning illustrator, Marcos Chin, to random graffiti, I see New York as a diverse outdoor art museum and gallery. It is an idyllic place to create a personal collage from some of the city's most original artwork.

Marcos Chin

I must admit though and similar to many of you out there, I took advantage of the city when I lived here seven years ago and did not really explore all it has to offer. I thought time was on my side and there will be many opportunities to properly explore but there was the transfer to London and by that point, I ran out of time. Since then, I made every possible effort to get to know the city from every aspect whenever I return for a visit. But this does not apply only to NY but other parts of the world where I am fortunate enough to live and travel to. It is the best part of living and exploring everything that life has to offer because at the end of the day, it is a luxury that money can't buy but something you have to do for yourself. __________________________________________________________________________________ *Upcoming Posts / Product & Interior Designer, Lee Broom; Fashion Makeover; Spring and Summer 2014 Fashion Lineup