The first two collections of our metal furniture were designed by a couple of leading Czech designers after the owner of the brand, Filip Dušek, approached them at Designblok 2022. We asked the designers personally what was behind the functionality of their ideas.
When and where did the collaboration between the two of you start and how did you get involved with Fleysen furniture?
Michal: Filip and I met in 2015 during the Diploma Selection, where we had a stand next to each other. During the installation we both needed a cloth and couldn't find one anywhere. That was our introduction. The collaboration with Fleysen then started in a more traditional way, when Filip Dušek discovered us at Designblok and suggested that we redesign the functional shelves and cabinets that Elroz exports to foreign hobby markets.
Filip: We started with the door of a classic cupboard that is sold in hobby markets, and then we were given the task of adding something unusual to give the furniture some life.
How do you come up with your designs for Fleysen?
Filip: We get a brief from the company and together we discuss how to approach it. We come up with initial sketches and a basic idea. Then we draw the design in 3D, from which we get the production data, which we then discuss with the production and Fleysen engineers. This is also where the visualisations come from, which are then used to present the furniture.
Does Fleysen furniture have any distinctive features? Can we recognise it at a glance?
Filip: The most important element is probably the perforation. We started with this because the doors had to be reinforced with inner sheet metal, and because the outer sheet metal was perforated, the colour shone through from the inside. It gave life to the design and, as well as the interesting colour scheme, the play of light and shadow. At the same time, we strive for a subtle construction. So that the furniture doesn't feel massive, but rather light and airy.
Michal: The technological background that Fleysen has is very important for the design, and that's basically what it comes down to. We try to use the limitations of the metal as decoration, rather than limiting our flight.
What are the limitations? What are the specifics of the metal you are working with?
Filip: Probably the biggest limitation when designing in metal is the complexity of the bend, which would be other than straight. This limits us in terms of form.
Michal: The production possibilities are limited by the workshop equipment. The crucial moment was when we designed racks that used bar material in addition to sheet material, and it was possible to extend the production technology to weld the bars. For us, this meant taking the morphology for Fleysen furniture one step further.
What are the advantages of using metal as a production material?
Filip: We see the advantage of metal mainly in the fact that we can make very light, subtle things that also work well and can carry a lot of weight. In terms of sustainability, we try to be as recyclable as possible. The steel itself is recyclable and we also take into account in our designs that the individual parts can be easily separated and recycled separately.
Do you have a favourite Fleysen product?
Michal: If I had to pick one product, it would be the shelving. But basically I like them all because I think we do a good job of keeping the look of all the products consistent in terms of typology and purpose.
Filip: I think I like the little red lamp and the ribbed wall clock the most.
Who are the Fleysen designers?
Filip Mirbauer
Filip Mirbauer (*1990) received his diploma from the Faculty of Design and Art Ladislav Sutnar in Pilsen in 2015, but his name began to be heard in art circles even before he graduated. He was nominated for the National Student Design Award in 2012, has two nominations for the Czech Grand Design, was awarded the Red Dot Award in 2020 and the first-ever Designblok Award for Sustainable Design in 2021.
Michal Strach
Michal Strach (*1985) graduated from the KOV studio at the Academy of Arts and Crafts in Prague. His work, which includes furniture, toys, jewellery and objects on the border between design and art, is widely exhibited at design shows in the Czech Republic and abroad. In 2016, he won the Designblok award, was nominated several times for the Czech Grand Design award and, together with Filip Mirbauer, received a nomination for the Designblok and Czech Grand Design awards for his first furniture collection Fleysen.
