How High Fashion Does Furniture In 2021

At Design Miami, Fendi, took a centre booth. Their exhibition, titled Kompa, featured 10 works from the mind of Peter Mabeo, founder of Botswana’s Mabeo Studio. There was the “Chicara” credenza, a wavelike woven cabinet with drawers; the “efo” stool, a piece that reshaped the iconic Fendi “F” in clay and Panga Panga wood; the Maduo Chair, which took inspiration from jewellery designed by Delfina Delettrez Fendi. Mabeo took creative meetings with Fendi artistic director Kim Jones, Silvia Venturini Fendi, and Delettrez Fendi in Rome, where broad strokes for Kompa were born. Then, he travelled throughout Botswana to employ artisans and their specialised techniques to help execute the collection, from wood carvers, to potters, to weavers.

Oftentimes, multiple people from varying regions lent their hand to one piece – with Mabeo’s vision melding it all together. The result? A collection that served as an homage to the storied Italian fashion house while also showing off the African country’s exquisite craftsmanship – proving that innovative, collaborative design can be accomplished across borders and cultures.