This October, Stylex welcomed Brandon Walker to the design team. He joins Stylex having participated in two momentous group shows this year: the Furniture MFA Graduate Show at Rhode Island School of Design and a group show at WantedDesign called Furthermore, which put the work of eight RISD graduates in the spotlight alongside that of international designers. Brandon’s background balances fine art (he has a BFA from Pacific Northwest College of Art) and design, as well as digital fabrication—he was a teacher’s assistant in CNC technologies at RISD and the manager of the rapid prototyping studio at California College of the Arts.
You’ve had an interesting year in which you showed work at WantedDesign as part of RISD’s MFA show—what were the most rewarding and challenging parts of that whole experience?
It was a crazy, intense, but rewarding year. The Furniture Department at RISD requires its grads to put together a show outside of the RISD Graduate Show. My fellow grads and I applied to exhibit as a group at WantedDesign in New York. The challenge was to create two events in two different cities that opened the same weekend. It really tested our ability to work as a team and manage the logistics of setting up two high-profile shows simultaneously, let alone having the work to display. I did not sleep.
To show alongside such talented and forward-thinking designers at both shows was an incredibly valuable experience in terms of both exposure and connections within the art/design worlds.
What is it about Stylex that drew you to the company. Also, what are you looking forward to learning and bringing to the job?
I was drawn to Stylex for its clean, approachable, modern product line. Simply put, it was important for me to contribute to a company in which I like the work and the people behind it. The position was also an incredible opportunity to learn more about the contract furniture industry and the challenge to contribute my skills and ideas to work that speaks to a broad audience. It was also an opportunity to push my ideas by melding art object with functional design, all while collaborating with the design team to come up with intriguing, forward-thinking products.
Tell us about your favorite Stylex design?
I am partial to both the Nestle and Allround designs. It is hard to pick a favorite because I love the versatility of both and the wide range of options and functionality. They are both very user friendly in the way they can be “optioned” to suit the client’s vision and space. They are simple and sophisticated while retaining a playful attitude.
What everyday object have you always appreciated from a design standpoint?
My Opinel pocket knife. My wife gave it to me for Christmas one year, and I have loved them ever since. They are high quality, durable and beautiful. I love how the blade is locked in place by a simple metal band that twists around the top of the handle. I am drawn to simple things. I often reference old tools to find durable design solutions.