BassamFellows Craig Bassam and Scott Fellows Talk Design, Nature, and Why Functionality Is Integral To Their Work

CULTURE

BASSAMFELLOWS CRAIG BASSAM AND SCOTT FELLOWS TALK DESIGN, NATURE, AND WHY FUNCTIONALITY IS INTEGRAL TO THEIR WORK

PHOTOGRAPY

by MARCO FAVALI

INTERVIEW

by KEVIN TORRES-JURADO

WEB EDIT

by JEENA SHARMA

Furniture, interiors, boots, sunglasses, and cashmere – there’s not much Connecticut-based design firm, BassamFellows, can’t do. Architect Craig Bassam, and creative director Scott Fellows describe it as a “fully integrated post-luxury brand” that effectively “marries architectural authority with a minimal-artisanal philosophy.”

Best known for its refined and minimalist aesthetic, Fellows and Bassam have been nurturing this vision for ten years. Fellows, who is credited with transforming Swiss-luxury brand Bally as former creative director, says

the actual functionality of the product is a bigger priority than design.

That's the kind of perspective that has established BassamFellows as a pioneer in luxury lifestyle.

Now as Fellows and Bassam expand their unique vision, they talk to AS IF about what fuels their creative spirit, and how they strike a balance between usefulness and aesthetics.

AS IF: I was struck by one of your blog entries that stated, “When did the future stop looking so good?” It’s a big statement for designers to make. The blog post I am referring to was made in reference to unique car concepts from the 60s and 70s. As founders of BassamFellows, when do you think the future stopped looking so good?

Scott Fellows: We went to the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, we love design shows in general, but in particular we love cars! To answer your question about when we think design stopped looking so good for us would be the 80s, which I realize is a broad statement. Of course, that’s not entirely true with everything, but in general, the elegance of the fine proportions that we love, started to shift in architecture towards post-modernism, such as fashion in the 80s and car design. Things started becoming more chunky, clunky, and outwardly aggressive. A lot of the fineness, elegance and proportions started to get lost, and I think that cycle has continued until today.

Craig Bassam: We walked into the main hall in Geneva and saw these new car and electric car concepts, and what the manufacturers are doing. There were these three big Italian design houses that had three cars from the 60s and 70s --Bertone, ItalDesign, and Pininfarina -- on a special display sitting amongst new concepts and it just blew us away! It was by far the most exciting thing in the whole show; there was a huge crowd around it while all these new, electric models couldn’t really compare. Those old cars are like sculptures; they were so incredibly innovative at the time. I remember as a kid I was always looking forward to see what they would show each year.

Scott-Fellows (left) Craig-Bassam (right) Photo courtesy of Peter Hapak

BassamFellows CB-450 Geometric Side Chair in Walnut and Satin Nickel-3-4

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The BassamFellows Spindle Chair offers a new take on a classic archetype. The chair possesses a weightless quality, which designer Craig Bassam achieved by using metal for the chair’s legs and spindles, giving the illusion of two floating surfaces. The ultra-comfortable ergonomic seat is carved from solid wood

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So, would BassamFellows be interested in designing a luxury car? And if so, what would it look like, what maker would you partner with, and why?

SF: Yeah, you know I’ve been a car fan. I mean, as a kid I wanted to be a car designer. But I have to say -- because I think about it a lot -- I’m still interested in what’s going on in the industry, and I just think with the technology now they can do much more complex things. But I feel like everybody is doing complex for the sake of complexity, you know? Everything is a little over designed or out of style, and I just wish we could go back to little things—to more purity now. There are some carmakers that are doing that like Range Rover is doing an incredible job; Tesla even has a bit more purity in detailing. Volvo does great things, but, yeah.

What are your thoughts on the future of design? Where do you see it going, as compared to how it should go? Is there a difference?

SF: Ooh, that’s a tough one! You know, we thought a lot about that. I think that Tatijana (Shoan) just mentioned that too. She was talking about the days of collaboration. I think that we’re definitely in that, where the street and celebrities are influencing design on every level. Whether you’re working with designers that started on the street—I think that whole sort of fashion cycle—it’s not slowing down it’s only speeding up so you kind of get this momentum where everything is sort of relevant at the same time, it’s a lot of noise. It’s all, “very, very, very, fast, fast, fast.” We sort of want to slow that down a bit and go back to the simple things; just the beauty of proportion, and come back with something simpler, more considered, more resolved, all of which takes a little bit more time.

“But I feel like everybody is doing complex for the sake of complexity, you know? Everything is a little over designed or out of style and I just wish we could go back to a little—to a more purity now.”

– Scott Fellows –

Where do you find inspiration?

CB: Kind of all over, really. It’s hard to say where because we’re always looking around at things, and we go to different events like car shows, and furniture design. We also love galleries with vintage furniture, and look at the past, old 20th century modern design. You learn a lot by looking at the past; I get a lot of inspiration just by looking at what’s being done, and what hasn’t been done.

SF: Often times, things can even start from a detail, you know - something the way it’s crafted or the material that it is made from. Or you’ll be looking at something like a handbag or a piece of furniture and think about how a certain detail is done. So you are looking at the bigger picture and also looking at details.

What makes good design?

CB: It better be useful, and it’s got to be stuff that you don’t find super often. You know, like good design is stuff that can stand the test of time and that you keep coming back to what you always love; you can never grow apart from it.

SF: Yeah, I mean we talk about the things that you wear, or the things that you use on a daily basis. We can talk about the furniture that you sit in, if that has detailing that you don’t quite like, or doesn’t quite fit you, or is not comfortable. Basically, all of the things that kind of bug you because there’s something that’s not quite right about it, you get rid of all of that stuff and sort of only keep what’s left. For us, that is what really good design is, and with our own design that’s what we’re trying to do.

BassamFellows CB 464 Geometric Dinning Table in Walnut and Bronze Side

BassamFellows CB 570 Club Chair in White Ash and Bronze 3-4

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Mantis Side Chair in Walnut

Strong and elegant, sharp and curved, thick and thin — the Mantis is sturdy and solid, yet visually light. The solid wood chair, which looks great in both contemporary and traditional interiors, will last generations - a true 21st century heirloom.

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Tray Rack Side Table

Modularity is at the heart of the BassamFellows Tray Rack Series. The Tray Rack pieces utilize the Stacking Tray as a basic building block allowing for a supremely simple and functional end table that can be expanded to additional heights based on intended use. The Tray Rack table is suitable for any use where an end table is required. From bedside to the executive office, the removable trays are perfect for serving or entertaining.

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Would you consider your designs to be art objects or functional objects?

CB: I would say it’s a little bit of both, because the truth is, we definitely think that it has to be functional to be useful otherwise it’s just not good. You also need a little bit of art, and I think you got to have the combination of function. It alsoo needs to have some sort of personality maybe that’s the artfulness, it’s that mix. If you get that mix right, I think that’s what really holds up.

SF: You know, this whole thing of limited edition work in the design world—that started you know like 15 years ago and continued, where it’s all about limited edition and the rarity of certain pieces? That’s really something that we never aspired to be. We’re not interested in doing a limited edition run of something for the sake of the rarity, we really believe in these beautiful functional pieces that are meant to be used, and appreciated. Not that we tend to access a full sort of mass market, but we do believe that we want to reach as many people as we can.

When you consider/embark on a new design, what’s first and foremost on your mind: the actual design or the functionality of it?

CB: Definitely the functionality.

“You learn a lot by looking at the past; I get a lot of inspiration just by looking at what’s being done, and what hasn’t been done.”

– Scott Fellows –

BassamFellows CB 59 Bicorn Side Chair in Solid Iroko and Bronze 3-4

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Tractor Stool in Walnut

The BassamFellows Tractor Stool is a modern icon of infinite variety. Dynamic, warm, and organic, each stool is carved from a piece of sustainably and locally harvested solid wood and then hand-finished by expert cabinetmakers. It is suitable for both residential or contract use.

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