Flair Egypt March 2013 - Looks like a new celebrity-hobby is on the rise! Throughout this past month alone many celebrities have ventured into the field of design. Some are sticking to just commenting on furniture, artifacts, lighting products, even architecture and buildings, while others are actually taking an astonishing dive into the process of design itself.

1. interiors
Celebrities
& Design by
Dalia Sadany
Looks like a new celebrity-hobby is on the
rise! Throughout this past month alone many
celebrities have ventured into the field of
design. Some are sticking to just commenting
on furniture, artifacts, lighting products,
even architecture and buildings, while
others are actually taking an astonishing
dive into the process of design itself.
Lenny Kravitz is known for being a very successful singer-
songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, lyricist, record
producer, arranger and actor; and that’s not all! Kravitz
also thinks of himself as an interior designer. The rocker/
actor has entered into mass-production for the design
world, revealing a number of chairs he designed for Italian
furniture company Kartell at the Milan Furniture Fair. The
chairs are based on the well-known designer Phillippe
Starck’s “Mademoiselle” armchair. Kravitz said his aim was
to give the chairs “feel, texture and plushness.” Well, mis-
sion accomplished! The funky chairs are heavily covered
in python leather or fur, similar to what the rocker himself
likes to wear at times. “Kartell goes rock” was born.
Lenny Kravitz Reveals Chair Designs at Milan Furniture Fair
Kravitz also designed black and white tiles for Lea
Ceramiche that were inspired by water drops and
waves, creating an undulating effect on the wall. Ac-
cording to Kravitz, he’s always been interested in in-
terior design; “since I was a kid, it was always impor-
tant how my room was put together. I would buy all
these posters, fabrics and lighting, and I would make
the room the way I wanted it to be.” Kravitz also
adds, “the most important thing was to create a
vibe,” and once that happened, “my world was set.”
It seems his childhood tendencies, well, plus fame
and fortune, was enough to qualify the artist to open
up his own firm, Kravitz Design Inc. Since then, he has
worked with Swarovski on a series of chandeliers
and designed a Miami Beach recording studio as well
as the Florida Room Lounge at the Delano Hotel
in Miami. He even brings his design team along on
tours to work on projects after performances.

2. Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who says she is obsessed with interior
design, began reporting on product design, with her review of the Maison et
Objet trade show in Paris, published on her blog Goop. Her commentaries
have made her quite a referral critic for people of interest in the field. Here’s
a summary of the very informative evaluation: she basically loved everything!
“We all loved this trompe l’oeil wooden floor at Bohemian Works. Made me
seriously consider redecorating!”
“Also loved these modern, round side tables by Muuto and Normann Copen-
hagen - both by Scandinavian companies.”
“Loved every single lamp on the wall display from this French lighting design
studio.”
Timberlake and his good friend and interior designer Estee Stanley
Justin Timberlake is yet another celebrity with a love for interior
design and architecture. Merge that with his passion for innovation
and of course his aesthetic awareness and artistic skills and you get
a home design line of products called “HomeMint,” which consists
of high-end style and quality design. The line includes home items
that are created for everyday use, including rugs, cereal bowls, and
tea glasses. Seems easy enough, maybe we should all give it a try!
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3. Brad Pitt is also meddling in the realms of architecture and interior design with his “Make It
Right Foundation,” which was enthusiastically put into action to design homes for hurricane
Katrina victims in New Orleans. The company started working with LivingHomes to provide
low-priced energy efficient homes throughout the entire country.
Electronic musician Moby has been an of- Yorker who owned a vegetarian teahouse on
ficial Los Angeles resident since December the Lower East Side, which qualifies him to
2010 and has recently started up an archi- be such an architectural connoisseur. LA has
tecture blog where he posts comments on been waiting for a musician from New York to
LA buildings. I guess he somehow managed reveal the true nature of this famously fasci-
to become quite the expert in just two years. nating and multi-layered city.
Perhaps it was his background as an ex- New
O’Shea Jackson studied architectural drafting and has
a deep appreciation for designs and the arts, probably
before he decided to become a rapper and refer to
himself as Ice Cube! Nevertheless, he recently appeared
in a video where he spoke about the work of modern
Ice Cube celebrates the Eames design legends Charles and Ray Eames.

4. Movie and TV star, Sofia Vergara has increased her
already-extraordinary endorsement collection,
which includes Diet Pepsi, Cover Girl, Burger King
and Comcast, by coming up with a home range of
beddings, bathroom accessories and home ware
known as “Sofia” for Kmart. Perhaps she, unlike
Timberlake and Jackson, does not share the pas-
sion but like the majority of us just wants to make
money. “Whatever Lola Wants, Lola gets,” right?
Sofia Bedding by Kmart
Even Mercedes Benz is giving it a shot! The world-class Cindy Crawford, as she may have been one of the ini-
company is moving into the lifestyle sector by produc- tiators leading up to this outburst, when she launched
ing a furniture range inspired by its cars and designed her line of furniture, “Cindy Crawford Home Col-
to give you a glimpse of what to imagine in the car’s lection,” back in 2005. Since, of course, one is never
interiors and exteriors. enough; she now also has a furniture line with Raymour
& Flanigan and launched another home goods line with
We should probably thank the likes of super model J. C. Penney in late 2009.
Sofia by Sofia Vergara expands upon the clothing line
the actress has already launched with the retailer Kmart
New furniture line from Mercedes Benz
It seems that the majority of the above ce-
lebrity examples have somewhat of a sincere
“passion” for design. But I’m still a little wor-
ried and I sometimes wonder, “is this just the
beginning”? Will this recent pattern transform
from a genuine appeal towards architecture
and design to an all-out common trend where Personally, it’s quite ironic to think that the
the field is flooded with untrained amateurs field of architecture and interior design could
solely performing PR stunts? go from a serious profession to a commercial
parade, where celebrity culture takes over the
I might sound peevish and dismayed, but I field of design as it has the fashion world.
am growing weary of overpaid and over-
valued celebrities being paid exorbitant amounts of If that does end up happening, would the title
money to lend their name to everyday products. Sure, Architect or Interior Designer become tar-
it is the nature of the beast; but aren’t we getting tired nished for good? Will the fame, fortune and
of lining these people’s pockets, when they are largely opportunity celebrities have, trump talent and
just figure heads, where a celebrity would occasionally years of hard work? I guess for those of us ar-
play a role in suggesting, approving certain designs , chitects and designers who have struggled for
whilst the genuine technical craftsmanship is performed decades on polishing our craft, there is noth-
by accomplished hired professionals in the shadows ? ing left for us to do but act in a multi-million
Isn’t it enough that we pay to go see their movies, listen dollar movie, perhaps even sing a number one
to their music or purchase the magazines they are fea- hit song… just to pass the time!
tured in? What is the take on celebrities being dubbed
The super model Cindy Crawford now runs and “Jacks of all trades”? Does their endorsement “up” the
designs, not one but, three home furniture lines desirability level in the public for certain products?
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