Noted furniture designer Eric Brand launches MASTERS & MENTORS series with designs by Roger Thomas
Burlingame, CA (PRWEB) May 18, 2018 -- Sales of limited-edition furnishings support unique mentorships for promising design students
Eric Brand unveiled limited-edition furnishings in rare materials, created in an innovative program funding a new MASTERS & MENTORS program for young design students.
Brand’s initial partner in the mentorship program is Roger Thomas, Executive Vice President of Design and Development at Wynn Resorts. Thomas and Brand together selected a design student to work across the entire process of design and manufacturing, spending time both in Brand’s studio and workshops in the Bay Area and in Thomas’ offices at Wynn Design & Development headquarters in Las Vegas.
“The program offers an integral view of what designers and craftsmen can accomplish in close partnership,” Brand says. “That kind of collaboration has benefited my own career greatly, and I’m privileged to be able to share this approach with the rising generation of talent.”
The California luxury residential and hospitality furniture designer, during a career spanning more than twenty years, has become known for offering furnishings crafted from unusual, rare materials. For this program, a new line of four designs is exploring the aesthetic and functional qualities of selenite, a spectacular and rare kind of crystal that Brand has worked to turn into a material practical enough to use for furnishings.
“I’m delighted that Roger agreed to take up the challenge and help me launch this program,” Brand says. “Roger brings a keen sense of history and how just the right material creates just the right effect in a design, and I think the market will be enthusiastic about what he’s created.”
Thomas has been named to the Architectural Digest’s AD100 list five times, and in 2015 was inducted into Interior Design magazine’s Hall of Fame. Best known for the colorful, grandly opulent interiors of Wynn’s resorts in the US and China, he also offers a range of furnishings made by leading manufacturers through The Roger Thomas Collection. “Eric offered me the chance to do something really different, and I couldn’t resist,” Thomas said. “It’s a privilege to work with him, and his vision for the mentorship program promises to be inspiring for the industry.”
Thomas’ designs for the Masters & Mentors Limited Edition Series will be made available to the design trade in coming weeks at the New York showroom of Walters. The products will be showcased at the ICFF in New York in May. Brand and Thomas will discuss their unique collaboration, and Marcus Ferreira will talk about his experience, at a panel discussion on May 20 hosted by Luxe Interiors + Design.
Brand and Thomas selected the first mentee in the series in 2016, Marcus Ferreira, then a California College of Arts student. Born and raised on Maui, Hawaii, says the mentorship opened his mind to the potential to create pieces that “change standard ideas of furniture.” Profits from the program will fund future mentorships with Brand, the partnering designer, or both.
For more information visit http://www.mastersandmentor.com
Press enquiries: Caroline Sheek at Eric Brand, csheek(at)ericbrand.com
About Eric Brand
Eric Brand’s firm recently celebrated its 22nd year in business, and during this time has had the luxury of working with some of the most esteemed architects and interior designers supplying and designing for high-end homes and hotels, both within the USA and internationally. Whether executing these designers' visions to exact specifications, or collaborating with them, the resulting designs have emerged as an incomparable blending of concepts with manufacturing expertise. These designs have been installed in some of the most luxurious residential and hospitality projects worldwide. Eric Brand’s designs have been featured in hundreds of magazines and publications worldwide. For more visit http://ericbrand.com
About Roger Thomas
Roger Thomas is principal of The Roger Thomas Collection Inc., which offers products by the five-time member of the AD100 list of leading designers published by Architectural Digest magazine. Thomas is executive vice president of design for Wynn Design and Development, overseeing design for Wynn Hotels and Resorts in the United States and China. The Collection’s home furnishings, textiles, accessories, jewelry and other items are made under license by seventeen leading manufacturers in the U.S. and Europe. For details visit http://TheRogerThomasCollection.com.
About Walters
For the past 84 years, Walters has had the privilege of partnering with leaders of the design industry. A longstanding relationship with Roger Thomas has led to vanguard design solutions for award-winning residential and hospitality projects around the world. As a fourth-generation furniture showroom, Walters innately understands the importance of mentorship. Walters flagship NYC showroom will showcase the Masters & Mentors Limited Edition Series as a testament to providing remarkable design solutions, facilitating the creative process and remaining at the forefront of the design industry.
Showroom: 979 Third Avenue, Suite 538, New York, NY 10022. Phone: (212) 758-0472. http://waltersnyc.com.
Karen Eastwood, Eric Brand, http://www.ericbrand.com, +1 (650) 483-9019, [email protected]
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