DL Collection is a collaboration between DesignByThem founders and designers Sarah Gibson and Nicholas Karlovasitis and Australian fashion designer Dion Lee. Merging fashion and industrial design, the collection is inspired by Dion’s weaving techniques and angular silhouettes, with Pelle’s Saddle leather sliced, twisted, woven and tensioned over the steel frame.
The project began as a conversation between the designers at Milan Design Week 2016. Three years later, DesignByThem launched the DL Lounge Chair and DL Bench at its solo show at Milan Design Week 2019.
The design developed through six iterations of prototyping and experimenting with materials. “It was important to us that the product demonstrated the experimental aspects of Dion’s work together with our experience in furniture detailing, manufacturing and commitment to creating a timeless design,” Sarah says.
Inspired by Dion’s weaving techniques and structured design elements, the leather sling seat of the chair and bench is slashed, twisted and woven, and wrapped around the cross bars of the steel frame. The linear incisions through the leather create movement, shadow and contrast, and the low-slung angular silhouette references furniture of the Bauhaus.
“I have always loved the slung-leather designs of the Bauhaus era and designing with saddle leather has always been something that I have wanted to do. I love how the leather is a warm, soft yet structural element of the design,” says Nicholas.
Saddle is an aniline leather produced from European hides and tanned using plant-based dyes. The DL Collection is available in Aberdeen (black), Harness (olive green) and Moleskin (neutral), which can be mixed and matched with a polished chrome steel frame or powder-coated steel frame in red gloss or black texture.
For more information about Saddle leather, view the product on our website or contact your nearest Pelle Leathers representative.
Image credits
DL Furniture designed by Dion Lee, Sarah Gibson & Nicholas Karlovasitis, product photography by Pete Daly team portraits by Fiona Susanto.
With thanks to DesignByThem