Kristian Byrge and Peter Bonnén got a lot of muutos. They've realized a candelabra skinned in rubber, a "cordless" bone china lamp lit by oil, and a storage system compiled of a group of fiber tubes that can be endlessly reconfigured.
Lifted from the Finnish word for change and new perspective, their young company Muuto collaborates with leading Scandinavian designers such as Louise Campbell (her More, the Merrier candelabra was in the second series in 2007), Thomas Bernstrand (A Cordless Moment) and Phil Bredahl (he of the Oto 100 Storage System). To wit, they are the first Danish design firm to launch with capital from venture fund Vaekstfonden, which will pull out as co-owner after five years, when it expects Muuto to have a footing in the global market.
Making that deadline shouldn't be a question. We should know, having introduced the collection to the North American market after its 2006 debut in Paris. Last Monday night Muuto finally marked its official roll out at an American trade show, ICFF, with a late-night cocktail fete at the Tribeca Grand Hotel. There, after Andy and Kristian bonded over their Form Us With Love watches, the striking cofounding director let us know over the clamor that A+R is the Finnish brand's number one retailer in the U.S. (Hurrah! Not all we carry instore is online...yet). And the distinction is made all the more uncomplicated when working with such a cool bunch of products--and people.