Doshi Levien Deliv­ers Culture Shock

So natu­rally, we wanted to know more about it. Almora marks the begin­ning of a highly antic­i­pated part­ner­ship between B&B Italia and the design duo known as Doshi Levien.

Estab­lished in 2000, Doshi Levien is a brand known for cultural hybridism, while infus­ing sensu­al­ity and pure skill. Founded by Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien, the part­ner­ship marries together Doshi’s love for mate­ri­als with Levien’s deep under­stand­ing of tech­nique and indus­trial preci­sion. Having been raised in India, Doshi has an astute eye for visual culture. Her unique back­ground fueled her need to design prod­ucts that contribute to society. She studied at the National Insti­tute of Design in Ahmed­abad, which was founded on the mani­festo of Charles and Ray Eames. She then contin­ued her studies at the Royal College of Art in London, where she met Scot­tish-born Levien. Levien trained in fine cabinet making and went on to receive his Masters in furniture design.

Soon a part­ner­ship was born in which Doshi’s cele­bra­tory back­ground and Levien’s luxu­ri­ous and refined aesthetic could perfectly balance one another. In 2008, Doshi Levien was awarded the pres­ti­gious ​“Future Legends of Design” award by Cooper-Hewitt, and in 2012 were made Guest of Honor at IMM Cologne as well as debuted their ​‘Das Haus’ project. Their designs can be viewed in the perma­nent collec­tions at MOMA and Cooper-Hewitt, and the pair has been invited to lecture inter­na­tion­ally, keynote speak, appear on design juries, and teach at Royal College. They have created work for leading indus­try manu­fac­tur­ers such as B&B Italia, Moroso, Capellini, Camper, Swarovski, Galerie Kreo, Hay, and have contributed to museums and cultural institutions worldwide.