Respecting traditional values, but inspired by the needs of the modern world, three teams put their creative minds to work aiming to find a balance between the old and the new, the traditional and the contemporary.

The Lana for Photoliu chair is an elaborately crafted piece with an authentic look, perfectly blended into today’s modern spaces, but still proudly displaying hints of its original timestamp inspired by Romanian traditional art. The belief behind this project is that the knowledge and ethnic base should not be forgotten but rather reintegrated with the help of modern design. The object was designed collaboratively by Photoliu, Lana and Dizainăr.

In 2009, Irina Pogonaru has launched Photoliu.com – a start-up focusing on the design and production of custom furniture. Alongside her team whose combined experience in woodworking and upholstery exceeds 50,000 hours, Irina’s aim is to contribute to promoting customisation and authenticity in a world of mass production. Photoliu makes furniture in various styles, customizing pieces in the most wide-ranging ways and up to the smallest details. The Photoliu concept is based on a passion for interiors with character where the accents fall on both statement pieces and on complementary textures and colour schemes.

Lana is a young Romanian fashion designer and a recent graduate who is currently researching for her PhD in Arts and Fashion. With 8 distinct collections in her portfolio which have consisted, until now, in ”wearable opinions”-as she describes her clothes- Lana has won the jury’s appreciation in various design competitions.

Dizainăr is a product design and branding agency focused on generating and promoting Romanian design, so that it gets back in the international spotlight where it belongs. They are boldly dedicated to telling the world the story of Romanian creativity, as well as to the creation of new and tighter connections within the creative community in Romania.