Alexandra Von Furstenberg "goes into the blue" in Tahiti and lives within a world of calm and beautiful blues that inspired her selection of the newest color introduced to her collection of acrylic furniture and home accessories.
INTO THE BLUE
The newest color introduced to the Alexandra Von Furstenberg collection of acryilc furniture is a beautiful calming blue. Drawing color inspiration from the sky and the ocean, Alexandra found the perfect shade of blue acrylic to perfectly represent the blues tha t we've all grown to love and be drawn to.
On her recent trip to Bora Bora, Tahiti, Alexandra was able to live in a world surrounded by these gorgeous, clear, and sparkling blues and turquoises.
"In Tahiti, you can't help but get entranced by it's natural beauty of COLOR. This is the rainbow I woke up to that reminded me of the rainbow of colors that are in my new acrylic coasters". To see more about the tables in blue, click here to view the Fearless Collection.
Alexandra Von Furstenberg loves to support the Arts, and this often means supporting students who are studying a field that will take them into a visually artistic field. Recently, Alexandra loaned one of her acrylic tables to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising's students who were working on a window display project.
The assignment for FIDM Visual Communication students, Jolene Pietsch, Stephanie Echegara, Sophie Harris, and Kayleigh Fawcett, was to create a window display with the vibe and style of designer David Hicks.
They chose to use AVF's M-16 Acrylic End Table to exemplify that feeling of retro modern. Alexandra was excited to be a small part of this because David is one of her personal favorite interior designers. He is world renowned, highly published and his designs have become iconic of the classic, sophisticated and modern 1970's chic interiors that are making a huge comeback today. With graphic and geometric wallpapers and sharp clean lines, David had the foresight and ability to blend those modern elements masterfully within an antique Baroque or Neo Classical styled setting. This style is without doubt, one that has inspired many current Interior Designers who's work gravitate towards the "Hollywood Regency" aesthetic which is so popular today.
The final project that the FIDM students accomplished, under the supervision of instructor and industry professional, Ken Donham, is currently on display throughout the month of July at the FIDM Downtown Los Angeles Campus. AVF was proud to be a part of this, and so pleased with the results of their project. Their vision of a young Manhattan couple, having a cocktail at home before heading out to Studio 54 for a night of dancing in their fabulous outfits was captured perfectly.
Thank you to FIDM and all the students who worked so hard on this project. We look forward to a continued relationship with your faculty and students.
Because she spent a lot of her childhood in Hong Kong, it's become one of the many places that Alexandra has referred to as home. So, her love for contemporary architecture was certainly stimulated by the uber modern skyline of Central, Hong Kong, as well as the beautiful view of futuristic Shanghai. Here's a little bit about two of Alexandra's favorite skylines in Asia.
As a child and into adulthood, Alexandra saw the skyline of the Central province in Hong Kong change throughout the years. Growing higher and higher into the sky, it's become one of the most famous skylines in the world. Sitting across the bay in Tsim Sha Tsui, one can view this expansive and beautiful skyline. When lit up at night, the view of Central, is spectacular with the glistening lights and neon accents, as see in the photo above.
Above is another picture of Central, Hong Kong but taken within the city. The showy neon lights are impossible to not appreciate and admire.
Below are three different pictures of one of Alexandra's favorite buidlings. It's the Bank of China Building. With it's triangular grid and faceted shapes its obvious as to why Alexandra loves this building.
From high up on the Hong Kong island, above Central, is a place referred to simply as "The Peak", but formally known as Victoria's Peak. It's one of Hong Kong's most famous landmarks and provides one of the most stunning views of Hong Kong and Victoria Harbor. It's a picturesque tram ride up, and it always feels like your in a scene from a Batman movie as you glide slowly above all the skyscrapers. Below is a night view from the Peak.
Another one of the most famous and beautiful skylines in the world is also part of China. Shanghai is one of the fastest growing cities. Constantly buliding and developing, it uses the most amount of construction cranes in the world. Almost a quarter of all the construction cranes in the world are being used in this city of 15 million people. Despite the fact that it's one of the leaders in the race towards modernization, Shanghai still has many remnants of it's colonial past. No where is this more evident and beautiful than an area along the Huangpu river referred to as the Bund, which was originally a British settlement.
Below is a picture of the Bund and it's 52 Colonial buildings of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Neo-Classical, Beaux-Arts, and Art Deco architecture. Most would be surprised to learn that in the city of Shanghai exsists one of the most beautiful and extensive collections of Art Deco buildings.
Directly across the Huangpu River, is the province of Pudong, Shanghai. Nowhere else is the dichotomy of modern versus old more distinct and breathtaking at the same time. From the colonial part of the city known as the Bund, one can view one of the most modern skylines in the world right across the river. The Pudong skyline is truly magnificent, with the space age Oriental Pearl Radio and TV Tower, (the third tallest in the world), to the Jing Mao Tower which houses the world's second highest hotel, the Grand Hyatt. The Grand Hyatt's altitude, is only topped by the Park Hyatt which coincidentally, is right around the corner and located in the third tallest skyscraper in the world, the Shanghai World Finance Center building.
Below is a picture of the Pudong Skyline in Shanghai at night, taken while standing on the side of the river known as the Bund.
To the left is a picture of the two buildings that house both Hyatt Hotels, (on the right) the Jing Mao Tower, and the taller one, the Shanghai World Finance Center Building. An interesting fact about the World Finance Tower is that the opening in the top of the building is not just a design element and the highest open outdoor area in the world, but it's design also helps reduce the wind resistance at the top of the buliding making it more stable.
AVF LOVES NEON, and at smaller music venues like the Music Box in Hollywood, all the way up to the big stages like Nokia Theater at LA Live, we are seeing more and more audiences treated to mesmerizing and fantastic neon light shows during musical events. Here are some that we were lucky enough to see recently.
At a couple of recent outings to concerts in Los Angeles, we were lucky enough to see neon light shows during the concerts. At the Massive Attack concert at the beautiful Art Deco Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles, a captivating neon light show moved and played along with the band's haunting music in the background. In the photo above is one of the images captured at the concert.
The two photos below were taken at the Groove Armada Concert held at the Historical Music Box (aka Henry Fonda Theater) in Hollywood, CA. The laser lights danced to the beat of the music and at times created a canopy of criss crossed beams above our heads. It was spectacular! Similar light shows have also been seen at other musical events like American Idol held at the Nokia Theater LA Live.
If you love Neon, you will love our Fearless Collection of Acrylic Tables and AVF Acrylic Accessories. Both collections are accented with neon, and reflect the vibrant colors throughout the gem like facets cut with precision into the crystal clear acrylic.
Just like a Diamond, Acrylic also comes in a raw form as well that is almost unrecognizable. Unpolished and dull, one can almost mistake a raw piece of acrylic for a scrap of undesirable plastic. But when faceted, buffed, and shined the attributes of acrylic take on the same as that of a well cut and polished diamond. In the photo below are examples of what a raw diamond and raw piece of acrylic look like before and after this skilled process is completed. It's no wonder that when inspired by diamonds, that Alexandra chose Acrylic as her choice of material to design her Contemporary Acrylic Furniture collection.
Using the Matrix that a gemologist use, Alexandra had her tables drafted and designed.
THE BULLET ACRYLIC COCKTAIL TABLE
In the picture above is a direct example of how the Emerald Cut Diamond directly influenced Alexandra's design. That, combined with the shape of the goldbar, gave Alexandra the inpsiration to design one of her most exclusive and photographed tables, the Bullet Acrylic Cocktail Table.
TRILLION ACRYLC SIDE TABLES
The Trillion Acrylic Side Tables are another example of how the shape and cut of a diamond dicrectly influenced the shape of Alexandra's design. Here the 3 Sided Trilion side tables show an example of how the trillion faceted cut diamond gave inspiration for the shape of these exquisite acrylic end tables.
Being a very visual person by nature and always acutely aware of images around her, Alexandra's inspiration for colors can sometimes come unexpectedly like they did on a trip to the island of Kauai with the explosion of colors in the sunsets. She captured them on film, and you can see how it has influenced her choice in colors when designing her collection of Modern Acrylic Furniture.
In the photo above that Alexandra captured in Kauai, is a showy display of one of Mother Nature's most fiery examples of a sunset in reds, pinks and yellows. It's quite amazing to think of all the colors that can be shown off in nature, and this is just one example. A palette of colors like this one, is a great way to show how color influences Alexandra's designs and color combinations. (In this photo clockwise from the top are the Radiant Cocktail Table in Pink, the AVF Charm Candy Bowls in Red, Pink and Yellow, the Brilliant Console Table in red, and a close up of the Ice Acrylic Table in yellow.)
How Color Can Influence Modern Furniture and Contemporary Decor
Alexandra took another sunset photo while on her Kauai trip, and this this one is of a golden yellow sun setting into the ocean. This is another example of how an image like this can influence color choices that can translate into someone's home. (In the photo above, clockwise from the top are the Sledge Cocktail Table in Black/Bronze, the Yellow Luminous Acrylic Desk, Yellow Trillion Side Tables, close up of the leg of the Sledge Cocktail Table, and the Bronze, Clear, and Yellow AVF Charm Candy Bowls.)
On a weekend trip to the beautiful Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California, Alexandra fell in love with the magnificent swimming pool. Here, the colors and black geometric lines of the pool, contrasted against the stark whites in the architecture and sky, is an example of a color palette that can easily translate into a modern home and can influence selecting shapes as well as seen in the corner of the Bullet Table, the base frame of the white Revolver Table, and the clean lines created by the black Gangster console. (In the picture above, clockwise from the top is the On the Rocks Cube End Table in Blue, Bullet Acrylic Cocktail Table in Clear, Revolver Acrylic Table in White/Clear, Gangster Console Table in Black, and the AVF Charm Bowls in Bronze, Clear and Blue.
Alexandra discusses how her modern aesthetics have long been inspired by the glossy finish and sharp lines of sexy automobiles and boats when designing her line of Contemporary Acrylic Furniture.
One of my more obvious influences is shown in the chevron fascia of the Luminous Acrylic Desk where you can see how I interpreted the front grill of a car.
Modern Transportation Inspiring Modern Acrylic Furniture
My love of exotic cars and sleek boats have always inspired me when I design my acrylic tables and have given me a modern perspective of how I want my contemporary furniture to look. Using Acrylic, is a clear choice to use in order to interpret these two inspirations into my furniture. The polished, glossy, and slippery feel of a flawless paint job on a sexy sports car, is similar to the feel that acrylic possesses when polished and buffed to it's maximum shine. Acrylic is also a natural choice when creating the clear, sharp, yet smooth lines, edges, and definition that you see in the angles of futuristic cars designed to cut through the resistance of the air.
Other Examples of How Modern Transporation Influences AVF Modern Furniture
The point at which the bow slices through the sea has been something that exudes sleekness and is almost hypnotic to me. In designing the Racketeer Acrylic Dining Table, this hypnotic image is one of the influences in my mind when I created it's shape:
The dark reflective windshield, angular lines and sexy shape of the Lamborghini served as an inspiration for for the Axle Acrylic Desk as show here done in the Smoke Grey Acrylic/Black Mirror Inset color combo.
In the picture above is our Radiant Acrylic Cocktail table in the process of being made. In the background, covered with brown paper with blue text is a sheet of plexiglas acrylic.
Isn't Acrylic just plastic?
Acrylic is a clear high grade plastic made primarily from petroleum. Yes, it's a form of plastic, but just as there are different grades of metals or woods, there are different grades of plastic. Particle board is technically wood, but then so is solid cherry or walnut, and aluminum is a metal, but then again so is platinum or gold. Cell cast acrylic made by a reputable maker, most commonly found in the United States, is usually the best and what we use here at Alexandra Von Furstenberg. The misconceptions about acrylic, because it is a form of plastic, is that it either yellows or scratches easily. Cheap plastic will yellow in the sun, but high quality cell cast acrylic will not, and unlike glass or lacquers, scratches in acrylic can be buffed out.
Acrylic, Lucite, Plexiglass, Perspex: What's the difference?
Other names, such as Lucite (Perspex) or Plexiglass(Acrylite) have all been used when referring to high grade Acrylic. They are all trademarked brand names of acrylic basically like “Kleenex” is to facial tissue or "Scotch" is to adhesive tape.
Acrylic versus Glass
Acrylic is similar to glass, but acrylic has characteristics that make it superior to glass in many ways. First off, it is many times stronger than glass, more impact resistant, and safer. In fact, a 32mm thick piece of acrylic (just over 1”) is actually bullet proof. Acrylic is also only 50% the weight of glass, can be sawed allowing for more design possibilities and it can be shaped as well as glued seamlessly together. Last but not least, as mentioned before, scratches in acrylic can be buffed out where as in glass it cannot.
What makes Acrylic Furniture so valuable?
Acrylic is made in sheets. The thicker the sheet, the more expensive, and difficult it is to maintain the crystal clear quality that its sought after for. Also, because it's made primarily from petroleum, its price is related directly to the price of oil. Lastly, most acrylic furniture, and all of AVF’s pieces are not only made by hand, but the steps needed to make an AVF piece require them to be. Learn more in "The Making of an Alexandra Von Furstenberg Acrylic Table".
Back in February 2010, renowned, respected, and published Lucite furniture designer, Charles Hollis Jones came to visit with Alexandra Von Furstenberg in her store.
Charles Hollis Jones and Alexandra Von Furstenberg, both share a love of working with acrylic to create modern furniture that encompass luxury, modernism and function with an artistic point of view. Having driven by the store and looking at Alexandra's designs through the window, he finally made time to stop in to see them in person. He complimented the pieces and introduced himself to us. Unfortunately, Alexandra wasn't in the store at the time, but we arranged a time for him to come back later that week.
There is certainly a mutual admiration for each other's work. Alexandra has often expressed how she was inspired by Charles' use of the material, and he referred to Alexandra's work as, "so alive and vibrant, the energy jumps off the furniture to the observer--it's electric".
Charles admiring Alexandra's design, the Acrylic Charm Candy bowl.
In the picture above is a direct example of how the Emerald Cut Diamond directly influenced Alexandra's design. That, combined with the shape of the goldbar, gave Alexandra the inpsiration to design one of her most exclusive and photographed tables, 
