Julio Torres, the actor and director known for his graphic and playful personal style, has made his design debut with the 'Coming to New York' collection for Sabai. This collection is a unique collaboration between Torres and US furniture company Sabai, inspired by the act of moving to New York City. The collection features four objects that recall the 'passing of the torch' to newcomers to the city, when you have just enough space in your apartment to start hosting others who need a place to crash.
One of the standout pieces is the Landing Daybed, an ode to the couch for visitors. Its stainless-steel arched base calls to the bridges that lead to Manhattan, and it's topped with slim pillows. The daybed comes in a variety of fabrics, as the All Other Passports collection is made-to-order, but the version shown at New York's design week was a light blue, with checkered cylindrical cushions that serve as an abbreviated backrest.
Another notable piece is the Arrivals Screen, which is made with highly polished and reflective stainless steel, so it can double as a mirror. It is fronted by a wood motif that references Harry Roseman's Curtain Wall installation at JFK's international arrivals terminal, which is made of gypsum curtains affixed to a long hallway leading to customs. There is also a series of pegs to hang items on the backside.
The Personal Items side table is inlaid with a variety of objects that one throws onto a catch-all space after a day of travel. The objects, such as a fork, a key and an actively spilling coffee cup, are stretched and distorted to create a wooden, marbled surface. This table is a tribute to the feeling you have of landing after a long trip and emptying your pockets and trying to assess what's important and what's not important.
Torres and Sabai founder Phantila Phataraprasit, who immigrated to the US from El Salvador and Thailand, respectively, worked together on this collection. They told Dezeen that the collection pushed them into new territory, with Phataraprasit bringing stainless steel as a new material to produce and manufacture the collection, and Torres applying a DIY design approach to his sets, making it usable and practical.
In conclusion, Julio Torres' 'Coming to New York' collection for Sabai is a unique and thoughtful exploration of the act of moving to New York City, with a focus on the 'passing of the torch' to newcomers. The collection features four objects that recall this theme, each with its own unique design and purpose, making it a fascinating and inspiring debut for Torres as a designer.
