KATA Coat Stand

Portuguese born, Rui Alves comes from a family of skilled craftsmen. His father and grandfather were cabinetmakers and since his childhood he lives surrounded by tools and materials. Rui studied Industrial Design, graduating in 2001. In the same year, he opened his design office based in his hometown to undertake projects ranging from furniture to product design. Always paying attention to details – almost obsessively – he works intensively to explore materials and processes. Rui has a simple and practical design approach to achieve innovative and strong personality products. His work have been recognized and selected to be part in exhibitions around the world.

Ariake is a furniture brand founded by Legnatec and Hirata Chair, two factories from the furniture producing town of Morodomi in Saga prefecture, Japan. Named after the Ariake Sea in Southern Japan, Ariake means daybreak in Japanese. It symbolizes a new chapter for the two factories as they embark on a collaboration with international designers for the global market. It is our belief that strong working relationships are the foundation of good products. Furniture is made for social situations where people live, work and eat together. The creation of the Ariake brand and furniture designs were done over two intensive workshops in Morodomi where furniture designers, art director, photographer and craftsmen did the same – we lived, worked and ate together over. Despite language barriers, the designers and craftsmen generated a collective energy and mutual trust that helped define the soul of the brand. This resulted in a collection of furniture that utilizes the best of hand and machine, inspired by the spirituality of Japanese culture and urban living contexts. We present to you a 30-piece collection made from oak, ash, hinoki, cedar, leather, paper cord, cotton canvas, upholstery and unique finishes such as sumi and indigo dye. Each piece is crafted in Morodomi, with furniture designs by Anderssen & Voll, Gabriel Tan, Keiji Ashizawa, Norm Architects, Note Design Studio, Shin Azumi, Staffan Holm, Zoe Mowat, Studio MK27, Photography Sebastian Stadler, Art Direction by AnnerPerrin.