A Site for Discovering Contemporary, Collectible Design

Two realizations prompted Martin Clause and Kristian Snorre Andersen to found Adorno, an online gallery specializing in contemporary and collectible design. Clausen, a graduate of Copenhagen’s Royal Academy of Arts, saw more and more designers were becoming unable to continue their independent practices. Andersen, who had been traveling to remote design communities, was discovering craft traditions that he knew would be lost if its practitioners’ didn’t have a platform. Thus, the pair established Adorno in 2016 to provide visibility to these artisans and studios.

The site offers a vibrant mix of furnishings and decorative pieces from more than 50 countries. All items are ethically produced in the communities from which their creators hail. The designers also receive support from the Adorno team, ranging from sales advice to editorial promotion on the site.

We asked Adorno’s founders to choose a few of their favorite emerging designers—including a few that will be showing at this year’s Look Book and Launch Pad sections of ICFF. Their answers follow.

“Francisco from Fango Studio works with local natural materials to create pieces that are genuinely Colombian. In collaborating with local artisans and imparting his knowledge of process and material through teaching, he has helped shape a design culture that does not derive its methods solely from Western or international influences.”

“Platalea is one of our many Mexican studios that interpret the country’s rich cultural heritage in new ways. Its Happiness collection draws upon the playground memories of its two founders, Lilia Corona and Rodrigo Lobato. Those early years are transformative: an often-forgotten time which is the foundation for creative expression throughout our lives.”