Bilou Bilou

A luxury Italian furniture-maker's riff on the classic Thonet chair

Bilou Bilou, a play on Thonet chairs, recently caught our attention for its subtly luxurious reinterpretation of the classic cafe seating in the Beau Rivage bar in Lausanne, Switzerland. Now, with the just-opened NYC branch of Promemoria, the manufacturer of the chair, we look forward to seeing more of its sensuous pared-down lines stateside. First introduced in 2003, the Bilou Bilou is available covered in …

Kiener Toys

Lo-fi animated music boxes handmade in Switzerland

Kathrin Kiener practically grew up in her uncle’s timber yard, sweeping floors and in the process falling in love with all things wood—so much so that she founded Kiener Toys. Today, the 30-year-strong Swiss company handcrafts clever wooden toys; from mobiles to dolls that wobble, each charming and sturdily-constructed plaything can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. We particularly like the Musikwürfel (music box) …

Paula Cademartori

An accessories vet reinvents classics in her debut handbag line

Italian-Brazilian accessories designer Paula Cademartori toys with tradition in her signature line of handbags, which bridge classic construction with modern silhouettes and unusual combinations of leather, suede, deerskin and the like. Cademartori first studied Industrial Design at the Lutheran University of Brazil, then relocated to Italy where she studied fashion management at Milan’s revered business school Bocconi University. Cademartori continued her education at Istituto Marangoni, …