Mr Ralph began 12 years ago, the idea was based on my own experience renovating a small cottage in Cambridge with a very modest budget, I simply couldn’t find the Lighting I craved and realised there was an opportunity, so, armed with very little to invest I developed a website and designed and manufactured a few products.
Around this time I noticed another inspiring brand and founder - Miranda at Ico Traders who seemed to emerge at around the same time, her offering included some simple enamel lighting. I loved it and we connected, very quickly we realised that we could collaborate rather than compete, we had a very similar values and an alignment in our design choices.
I began stocking Miranda's lighting, and she stocked Mr Ralph festoons. It also occurred to me that the relationship between the architectural quality of her wire furniture worked perfectly as a backdrop to my lighting, so you will always see ICO featured throughout our showroom. Miranda designs all her own product and has developed the most glorious colours, and like Mr Ralph has very a strong relationship/friendship with a Chinese Manufacturer, thus enabling unique designs that are realistically priced and with full control of the final product.
About 12 months ago we met in Christchurch, excited about the idea of designing a small range of lighting, we had so many ideas and fixed on a range of classic silhouettes, interpreted through a mid century lens, the wider pendants influenced by pinched 1950s skirts, Miranda sees the range as a reflection of New Zealand mountains and landscapes that surround us. Her strong connection to the land she lives in, is the influence for the colours she develops for her furniture range. The glory of this range is in its simplicity, the earthy ICO colours and the gossamer quality of open wires.
This is our first product drop and trust me we are brimming with ideas, we chose these shapes because they are not only beautiful but also work practically in lower ceiling heights and across multiple areas, dining, living, bedside, kitchen and en masse as an amazing feature.
We hope you love this range as much as we have loved designing it together.
