When Adam Lippes is asked about the design similarities he shares with our Co-Founder and Creative Director Sue Jones, he responds that it would perhaps be simpler to list the differences instead, so entwined are their creative visions. Though his core focus is creating exquisite clothing for his eponymous womenswear brand, the designer’s heart lies in interiors, for which he favours a colourful, pattern-filled and classically English aesthetic. “Sue and I speak the same language; it’s comfort, style and quality competing in a way that works,” Adam says of their shared design sensibilities.
These characteristics certainly came to the fore when the pair collaborated on their first limited edition collection in 2020, a range of tableware inspired by antique Famille Rose china. This season, theirlatest meeting of minds sees them move from the dining room to the study with a collection of furniture and accessories designed to elevate the working-from-home experience. “Not everybody has their own office at home, so we wanted to create a collection that would look good in any type of room, be it a bedroom, sitting room or a smaller space,” explains Sue.
Taking cues from a swatch of vintage fabric that Adam sourced from a French market, the pair built the pieces around an intricate pattern of botanical and bird motifs, building a complementary palette from the core colours of green, red and blue. Intricate craftsmanship was at the heart of the collection, and the designers worked closely with OKA’s artisans to produce pieces that emphasised quality and longevity.
Though Adam and Sue’s preferred aesthetics typically lean towards the more traditional, for the Avery Desk, Desk Chair and Set of Three Nesting Tables they looked to more modern inspirations, bringing in clean lines for a simple-yet-striking silhouette. Paired with luxurious leather, lacquer and bamboo detailing, the pieces perfectly bridge the gap between the classic and the contemporary.
“Like an English decorator, I really like to mix everything, and so I was really craving something that could be a bit more modern in my home,” says Adam. “The desk is perfect for that; it can fit into a contemporary room without feeling old, and also bring a luxurious sense to more traditional spaces.”
Adam’s vintage fabric, meanwhile, experienced a renaissance in the form of the Magistry Stool, which boasts a botanical-inspired print wrapped around an hourglass silhouette. It’s finished with a contrasting edge and cord in the same forest green that features in the Avery Range.
Accessories complete the collection, from the brass Avery Table Lamp to the Magistry Cushion Cover and Everett Box Files and Trays in red, green and blue ticking stripes. With each piece carefully designed to harmonise and yet sing beautifully on its own, the range perfectly marries the pair’s love of mixing and matching.
“It’s always a great pleasure to work with Adam; any excuse and I’ll take it,” says Sue of the collaboration. “His inspiration very much comes from the antique aesthetic but, like me, he likes to bring that into the 21st century. We think the same way – to make people feel comfortable and pleased about their surroundings is his ethos, and that’s very much mine too.”
The Adam Lippes X OKA: Collection II is available now. To explore the range, click the button below.