Hender Scheme Crafts Leather "Shoes" for Artek Stool 60

Japanese leather artisan brand Hender Scheme has collaborated with Finnish furniture house Artek to introduce a unique collection centered on Alvar Aalto’s iconic Stool 60. This partnership reimagines the classic furniture piece by outfitting its signature L-shaped legs with handcrafted leather "shoes." The collection, which includes these stool "shoes" along with leather-wrapped trays and baskets, aims to bridge the perceived gap between footwear and homeware, emphasizing both brands' commitment to craftsmanship and material integrity. The Stool 60, designed by Alvar Aalto in 1933, is a foundational piece of modern design known for its simple, stackable form and three-legged construction, typically made from bent birch plywood. Hender Scheme, renowned for its use of raw, vegetable-tanned leather in its Manual Industrial Products (MIP) line, applies its signature aesthetic to this collaboration. The "shoes" are meticulously crafted from undyed leather, designed to slip over the wooden legs of the Stool 60. This approach leverages the natural aging process of the leather, which will develop a rich, unique patina over time, mirroring the gradual darkening of Artek's birch wood. This evolving aesthetic highlights the interplay between the enduring nature of Artek's furniture and the dynamic transformation of Hender Scheme's untreated leather. The collection extends beyond the stool accessories to include other items such as leather-wrapped trays and baskets, as well as reinterpretations of Artek's classic furniture pieces, all infused with Hender Scheme's distinctive raw leather sensibility. These additional pieces further explore the theme of permanence versus patina, showcasing how Hender Scheme's materials age and soften, adding a tactile and evolving dimension to Artek's timeless modernist designs. The Hender Scheme x Artek collaboration is set to release on October 10, 2023, and will be available at Sukima, Artek Tokyo, Artek Helsinki, and other select retailers. This initiative represents a novel approach to furniture customization and design, offering consumers a way to personalize iconic pieces with artisanal, evolving materials. The Stool 60's enduring popularity and modular design make it an ideal canvas for such creative interventions, allowing for a fusion of fashion-inspired accessories with functional home furnishings. The collaboration underscores a growing trend in the design world where boundaries between different creative disciplines are increasingly blurred, leading to innovative and unexpected product offerings that appeal to a discerning consumer base interested in both aesthetics and material longevity.