Phase chandelier. Photography by Laura Warren Causton
Highwire pendant at Milky's, Toronto. Photography by Doublespace
Phase chandelier at Casa la Palma, Toronto. Photography by Raffi Tutundjian
DESIGNER OF THE DAY

Designer of the Day: Christian Lo

After cutting her teeth in custom lighting, Christian Lo is determined to solve one of her industry’s most urgent issues: the wastefulness of fast design. The Anony co-founder, along with partner David Ryan, now devises visually compelling, low-impact fixtures to remarkable effect. Each fully modular collection easily doubles as fine art, from a Calder-like mobile to a suspended sculptural pendant system that evokes a gravitational balancing act.

After cutting her teeth in custom lighting, Christian Lo is determined to solve one of her industry’s most urgent issues: the wastefulness of fast design. The Anony co-founder, along with partner David Ryan, now devises visually compelling, low-impact fixtures to remarkable effect. Each fully modular collection easily doubles as fine art, from a Calder-like mobile to a suspended sculptural pendant system that evokes a gravitational balancing act.

Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.

Age: 33

Occupation: Partner at Anony.

Instagram: @anonystudio

Hometown: Toronto.

Studio location: Toronto.

Describe what you make: We design lights that we hope will shed light on the things we believe in.

Highwire chandelier. Photography by Scott Norsworthy
Phase chandelier. Photography by Laura Warren Causton

The most important thing you’ve designed to date: Anony. A system that allows us to exist, create, and practice our ideals.

Describe the problem your work solves: Longevity. One of the downsides to fast design is waste. Our products use modular design, replaceable parts, and quality materials to ensure they last.

Describe the project you are working on now: We’re working on a coffee shop in Toronto called Milky’s that the founder describes as being a place that makes people happy. Toronto has very long and very short days. Being open all day, they needed a lighting solution that would make the space look natural throughout the year. We used circadian lighting that mimics the sun. We also customized our Highwire Pendants. The aluminum bodies of two were anodized to fit the shop’s color palette. We handmade oak joiners to shape the wires. 

A new or forthcoming project we should know about: Row, which launches in Jan. 2020. Our Row lighting collection, a collaboration with EQ3, features matte black frames with acid-etched glass lamp heads. The soft LED light can be directed wherever you like. Or rotate the puck to simply sculpt a shape. The collection has many models, all with a small footprint, making the form repeatable in any sized space. 

Ohm chandelier. Photography by Zach Hertzman
Highwire pendant at Milky's, Toronto. Photography by Doublespace

What you absolutely must have in your studio: Inspiration, tea, distractions, music, spontaneous events.

What you do when you’re not working: Listening to podcasts on bike rides to and from work, but only paying attention when I get a red light. When it rains, I like to ride the streetcar and read. When it’s sunny, I like to read in the park. When it gets dark, I like watching films. When I get hungry, I like to cook a meal using the constraints of my fridge’s contents. 

Sources of creative envy: Dieter Rams. He created his own philosophy of design, then a process to achieve it, and proof in the form of dozens of beautiful, well-designed objects. 

The distraction you want to eliminate: The idea of understanding something. The moment I feel I know what I’m looking at, I stop looking at new ways to look at it. 

Custom fixtures at Casa la Palma, Toronto. Photography by Raffi Tutundjian
Phase chandelier at Casa la Palma, Toronto. Photography by Raffi Tutundjian

Concrete or marble? Concrete.

High-rise or townhouse? High-rise.

Remember or forget? Remember.

Aliens or ghosts? Aliens.

Dark or light? Get a dimmer.

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