Mark Holmes announced the imminent arrival of his new design collection MINIMALUX in late 2008. This will be his first new project since stepping down as Design Director of Established & Sons, the British based furniture company he co-founded in 2005. Over a career that began at the Slade School of Art in London, 38 year old Holmes has achieved success and acclaim in many creative areas. In 2003 he co-founded the multifaceted creative agency and store !The Lane", and in 2004 his skills as a designer became widely recognized internationally when his 'Seam Light', designed for the German manufacturer e15, picked up both the Red Dot and IF Design awards. For Established & Sons he was instrumental in developing the company"s business model and mission of harnessing the originality of emerging and established design talents; whilst also contributing to groundbreaking collections and executing hugely inspiring exhibitions. Holmes acknowledges that his creative evolution has relied upon his desire and curiosity to pursue fresh challenges. This insight led him to make the decision to continue his creative journey in another very different, new direction. MINIMALUX is his latest project and it introduces the next chapter for Holmes"s work as both designer and innovator. Defined as minimal scale and form combined with premium material and finishing; the products are a magical collection of highly desirable, very small and precious, practical objects. "I wanted to design and develop something on a much smaller scale than furniture and present it in a modest way that was refreshing for myself personally, sympathetic to the current climate, but still optimistic, inspiring and occasionally spectacular. Function and practicality are kept firmly in mind but the scale of the product allows the use of precious materials and locally sourced, highly controllable, cost effective processes. The end result is a lasting, ethically produced, uniquely contrasting marriage of luxury and solid practicality”. Holmes. Defined as a luxury brand with a stripped-down aesthetic, MINIMALUX utilises just a few basic but effective elements as the ingredients of its operational structure and product design. It is a uniquely contrasting combination of opposites, resulting in an identity that is as rigidly formal as it is preciously adorned. The philosophy is clearly identifiable in this first collection of products that Holmes has designed for the company, all of which effortlessly combine simple, primary, solid brass forms, together with mirror polished finishing and a premium plating of 24k Gold or Silver. The 18 variations of cubes and cylinders present wide but harmonious extremes of form and finish. They function as items for the desk - including pen holders and paperweights; items for the table - including salt shakers and egg cups, and items for general use including a series of pots and containers. The objects themselves have a lasting practical and material value, defining their potential as modern day heirlooms and providing relevance and longevity for future generations. ...Collapse