Contract - May 2015 - S3

OTES
Martin Lesjak and
Anastasija Sugic (above,
photo by Markus Mansi)
pose in seating from the
Low Collection, designed for
VITEO OUTDOORS. Contract's
January/February 2015 cover
(above right, photo by Anthony
Tahlier) features Lesjak as
Designer of the Year. Microsoft
Vienna by INNOCAD (top
right, photo by Paul Ott) was
featured in Contract's July/
August 2012 issue.

Martin Lesjak and Anastasija Sugic
CEOs and creative directors of 13&9 Design
Lesjak is co-founder of architecture and design firm INNOCAD
DATE Wednesday, June 17, 11 a.m.
Martin Lesjak and Anastasija Sugic are the creative duo behind
13&9 Design, an interdisciplinary Austrian design collective that
designs furniture, lighting, fashion, accessories, jewelry, and eyewear.
Lesjak is also the co-founder of the architecture and design firm
INNOCAD, and he was named Contract magazine's 2015 Designer
of the Year for his work. He was the fourth Designer of the Year
from outside the U.S. in the award's 36-year history. The following
is a brief Contract interview with Lesjak.
In everything that you design, you say that you seek to embrace
"the soul of design." What do you mean by that?
LESJAK: For us, "the soul of design" means that we strive to create
products or buildings with an added value. In addition to functional
and aesthetic criteria, this value is about emotion. We want to establish
things that are special-not arbitrary-and that people not only
use or possess but also love!
What has the Designer of the Year Award from Contract meant
for you, INNOCAD, and 13&9 Design?
LESJAK: For me, personally, it is just an amazing experience that
makes me feel inspired and humbled at the same time. It changed
our life, and we are still enjoying the accolade as a team. We gained
so much interest and media presence in Europe and the Middle East,
and it opened up new doors for both 13&9 Design and INNOCAD.

We get weekly requests for interviews, speeches, and new architecture
projects. Also, some very good international companies want
to collaborate with 13&9 on new products.
Are you pursuing work in the U.S.? If so, what types of projects
are you going after?
LESJAK: Yes! For INNOCAD, we wish to find more interested,
curious clients and partners for ambitious projects in commercial,
retail, residential, and hospitality architecture and interiors. For 13&9,
we would love to continue working with high-profile companies
on innovative, soulful products including interior furniture, lighting,
and fashion accessories.
13&9 Design has designed a variety of products, including
lighting, furniture, a carpet for Mohawk that debuts this
NeoCon®, as well as fashion. What types of products does 13&9
Design plan on producing in the near future?
LESJAK: We are working on an office furniture collection with
the Dutch company Artifort Lande Group that will launch this
June. We want to intensify our collaboration with Belgian lighting
brand Wever & Ducré for some new lighting collections. And
we are also in talks about collaborations in the field of hospitality
and residential furniture.
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