Cosmos – a range of dressing table accessories by Daniel : Emma, designed for Guerlain – commissioned by Wallpaper* Magazine

I still have a soft spot for Adelaide-based design duo (and super cute couple) Emma Aiston and Daniel To, aka Daniel : Emma.  These two clever kids have an uncanny knack of making serious waves on the international design scene, whilst flying very much under the radar here on home soil.

Their object series pictured above, entitled Cosmos, was commissioned by Wallpaper*  Magazine for French cosmetics brand Guerlain, and exhibited earlier this year as part of the Wallpaper* Handmade Exhibition in Milan.

‘The project sees many small design studios paired with big international brands to collaborate on fictitious ‘in a perfect world’ design briefs!’ says Emma.  For their contribution, Daniel and Emma put forward a set of three dressing table accessories – sculptural pieces made of polished brass and  aluminum, which conceal Guerlain’s lipstick, powder, and eyeliner.  I love the slightly mysterious ambiguity of these pieces – it isn’t until the contents of each item are revealed that the function of each abstract sculptural form becomes apparent.

‘We had free rein over the brief, but set ourselves the constraints of designing a harmonious collection using three different products’ says Emma. ‘We wanted to remain true to our design philosophy – making products which are ‘just nice.’  We put a lot of thought into the forms and the way they relate to one another and the materials and finished used.  At the end of the day even though we aren’t usually designers of cosmetics accessories, we wanted the aesthetic of the pieces to be ‘Daniel : Emma’.

At present the designs are merely concepts and won’t be going into any form of production… but who knows what the future holds!   These designs are published in the August issue of Wallpaper* magazine, out now.

Further Reading

– Head to our Facebook page today for a gallery of behind the scenes snaps and concept drawings from Daniel and Emma’s Cosmos range!

– Re-visit Daniel and Emma’s sweet home in Port Adelaide, which we featured in November 2011.

Cosmos by Daniel : Emma, designed for Guerlain, commissioned by Wallpaper* Magazine.  Photo – Tommaso Sartori