DESIGNERS

Arik Levy


Born in Tel-Aviv, Arik Levy left behind his graphic design studio and surf shop for Europe, at the age of 27. He graduated with distinction in Industrial Design from Art Center Europe in Switzerland, and won the Seiko Epson Inc. Competition. His company, L_design, carries out projects and prospective studies in industrial design, product development, light design, corporate identity, packaging, display and point of sales, interior architecture, signage and exhibition design for the European and international markets. Arik has taken part in many exhibitions and his concepts, design pieces and art work have been presented in a variety of venues like museums, alternative space galleries and fairs. He works both as a scientist and a poet. Innovation, simplicity and experimentation allow him to create new concepts and translate these concepts into products, space and experience. His clients include Vitra, Vizona, Visplay, Desalto, Ligne-Roset, Cinna, SeikoEpson Inc., Boutet, Sentou Gallery, L’OrĂ©al, BPI, EDF, Lanvin, Boucheron, Alon Segev Gallery, Belux, Elica, Ansorg, Renault, Tronconi, Sector Sport Watches, Gallery La Fayette, Baccarat and Zanotta among others.
ldesign.fr

Arik says ..
‘’Gaia&Gino is a place where both emotions and ideas converge and create a space of endless interpretations as well as a state of well being - new ways of exploring every day’s experiences.’’

Constantin Boym

Constantin Boym was born in Moscow, Russia in 1955, where he graduated from Moscow Architectural Institute. In 1984-85 he earned a Master’s degree in Design from Domus Academy in Milan. He has become a U.S. registered architect in 1988. In 1986, he founded Boym Partners Inc. in New York City. His studio’s designs include tableware for Alessi and Authentics, watches for Swatch, lighting for Flos, showrooms and retail displays for Vitra, and exhibition installations for many American museums, including Museum of the City of New York and Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. Constantin Boym is the author of the book New Russian Design published by Rizzoli in 1992. From 1987 to 2000 he was a professor and program coordinator at Parsons School of Design in New York. In 2005-06, Boym has been a Resident at the American Academy in Rome.
boym.com

Constantin says...

‘’Gaia&Gino is a study in contrasts. Stationed between East and West, between history and modernism, between handicraft production and space-age technology, they produce objects not like anyone else. In most daring way, they make experimental design for the luxury market. I was attracted to their products right away, because of these inherent complexities, thinking of design potential the company could offer. The road to my first products for Gaia&Gino was long and complex as well, yet I am proud and happy about the first results. This is only the beginning of a long journey.‘’

Harry Allen


After receiving a Masters in Industrial Design from the Pratt Institute, Harry Allen worked for Prescriptives Cosmetics designing counters and point-of-purchase displays. With the ideas he developed in his Master’s thesis and on the job, Allen opened a studio and produced a line of furniture called “Living Systems” which he showed at New York’s International Contemporary Furniture Fair in 1993. Today his furniture is in production with a variety of clients including Habitat, Dune, and Magis.

From the beginning, Harry Allen’s work has been recognized with honors and awards. He won the Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Award in the area of interior design, the Brooklyn Museum of Art’s Modernism/Young Designer Award, and Interiors magazine’s George Nelson Design Award for innovation in lighting. Three of his projects were selected for the Denver Museum of Art’s “US Design 1975-2000” exhibition and subsequently acquired by the Museum. His design of the Aveda Uruku lipstick packaging won the International Package Design Award, a Bronze IDEA Award, and Design Distinction in ID magazine’s 2004 Design Review. His Kila desk lamp also received Honorable Mention in ID’s 2004 Design Review. In 2006, he again won the International Package Design Award, the Bronze IDEA Award, and Design Distinction in ID magazine’s 2007 Design Review for the solid fragrance compact for Target’s Sonia Kashuk cosmetics line.


Harry says...

‘’Gaia&Gino is a design company with a capital ‘D’. There are so many conflicting forces in product development today it is hard to keep focused on design, but Gaye Cevikel has a commitment to bringing the best design to life. She does this with style and love, and I am very happy to be working with her. Gino, on the other hand, is a lazy dog and he never returns my calls.”

Jaime Hayon

Spanish artist / designer Jaime Hayon was born in Madrid 1974. He trained as an industrial designer in Madrid and Paris. In 1997, he began working as a researcher in Fabrica, Benetton Group’s communication research center in Treviso, Italy. A year later, he was appointed by Mr. Luciano Benetton and communication guru Oliviero Toscani, head of the design department, where he oversaw the development of interiors for shops, exhibitions and restaurants as well as books, magazines and logo designs. In 2004, he began his individual career and has kept his hands full with eclectic projects. From toys to furniture and interior design as well as artistic installations, his boldness has been transcending the borders of the often separated worlds of art and design, merging his own style with ease between the two. Currently with base in Barcelona, Italy and London, Hayon has been awarded by Wallpaper as one of the 10 breakthrough creators worldwide as well as the 2006 Elle Deco International Award. Clients such as Benetton, Metalarte, Artquitect Edition, Coca Cola, Danone Group, bd ediciones, Adidas, Palluco, Piper Hiedsieck, Bisazza, Lladro and Camper work with Hayonstudio.
Jaime says...

‘’Gaia&Gino is a fun brand, with a different vision... The company is fresh and very creative. I feel good about collaborating together... I love the idea of a new Turkish view in today's creativity.’’

Karim Rashid

Karim Rashid was born in Cairo in 1960 - half Egyptian, half English, raised in Canada and practices in New York. His perspective and clients are global and while he considers himself more of a cultural provocateur, his projects range from products, interiors, fashion, furniture, lighting, art and music to installations. In 1993, he opened his own studio in New York City. His clients include Umbra, Prada, Magis, Herman Miller, Foscarini, Giorgio Armani, Yahoo, and Guzzini, among others. Karim has designed and produced over 2000 products during his career. Karim's works are in the permanent collections of 14 Museums and has over 70 objects in permanent collections.
karimrashid.com

Karim says ..
“Gaia and Gino is a new company that has its vision and heart and commerce all the in right place. They have a vision to do new tabletop projects that speak about our contemporary landscape, that touch on values, materials, ideas, and production methods local to Turkey but with a very strong global vision and accessibility.  The first collection I designed with them was drawn on my first trip to Istanbul where I was so inspired by the landscape, the people, the food, the culture. Many pieces were sketched form my hotel window . For example The morphscape is a non-stop continuation of a single undulating ceramic surface that is divided into every need for the table and dining so you can actually have an entire table connected by each function as a modular scape. The inspiration was the city scape of Istanbul from Minarets to mosques to the modern city and the Bosphorus sea.  The rest of the collections were inspired by visiting the underground basilica,  the relics of the prophet Mohammad. And Istanbul’s fulgent life and beautiful people from dancing on tables to the mix of east meets west , the modernism of Islam, the uniqueness of the ornatene versus order , the classicism of the architecture mixed with the contemporary youth culture, and the plethora of diverse exotic tastes of the food.  The first collection has brought one of the first Turkish companies into the global  spotlight and I am so pleased and inspired to work with Gaia and Gino and will continue to develop new objects, and new typologies.”

Nendo / Oki Sato

1977   Born in Toronto, Canada
2002   M.A.in Architecture, Waseda University, Tokyo
            Established "nendo" Tokyo office
2005   Established "nendo" Milan office
2006   Lecturer for Showa Women's University, Tokyo
            "The 100 Most Respected Japanese" (Newsweek magazine)
2007   "The Top 100 Small Japanese Companies" (Newsweek magazine)
2008   Monograph "nendo" (daab)
2009   Lecturer for Kuwasawa Design School, Tokyo
nendo.jp

Oki says..

“ Nendo is a great fan of GAIA&GINO and so we are very happy to be a part of it.”

Sebastian Bergne


Born in 1966, the industrial designer Sebastian Bergne led a nomadic childhood. Traveling widely from the Middle East to Asia and the Mediterranean, his family life exposed him to an array of different cultures. Today, as a designer of international and critical acclaim, Bergne continues to transcend borders working internationally with renowned manufacturers, organizations and galleries on a range of projects primarily in food orientated design, consumer products, objects and furniture.Characterised more by an approach than a formal signature, Bergne’s work is innovative but familiar, finding the extraordinary in the humble with wit and deft precision. It is work that is devoted to detail and the expression of truth.
After graduating with distinction from the Royal College of Art (London), he established his London studio in 1990 and a second in Bologna (Italy) between 2000 and 2007. In this time, Sebastian Bergne has worked with a wide variety of clients from around the world including Authentics, DeBeers, Driade, Epson, Sassoon, Tefal, and MUJI.
His work has been widely published, exhibited and included in permanent collections including those of the Museum of Modern Art (New York) and the Design Museum (London) and honoured with numerous international design awards.Sebastian Bergne continues to contribute to graduate and postgraduate design education in respected instituitions worldwide, including his alma maters the Central School of Art and Design (London) and the Royal College of Art where he is currently visiting professor.

Sebastian says ..

GAIA&GINO is certainly one of the most fascinating companies operating in the world of design objects today. It is a real pleasure to work with such an energetic and productive team. Moreover, their Turkish origin puts them in a very interesting place culturally and gives them access to a rich and varied palette of materials and technologies. Having spent a lot of time in the eastern Mediterranean and the middle east as a child, it is a particular pleasure to be working in a culture that is close to my heart.
Sebastian Bergne