Australian designer Grant Featherston began designing furniture in 1947. He met his wife Mary in 1965, and the pair soon became creative collaborators, amassing an incredible design archive over 30 years.
This month, a small, passionate team have joined forces to bring Featherston back into the spotlight. Featherston 2016 is a reissued collection of 17 iconic Featherston furniture pieces, manufactured locally to original specifications by Gordon Mather Industries. The project has been facilitated by Gordon Mather with Grazia Materia of Grazia & Co in close collaboration with Mary Featherston.
Gordon and Grazia describe working alongside Mary as a very humbling experience. ‘Mary has a sympathetic, holistic approach,’ explains Gordon. ‘She is always thinking beyond the design, expressing sympathy for the end user, the proposed target market and their interaction with the end product.’
The heart of the collaboration is to acknowledge the work of the Featherstons as some of the most significant in the history of Australian design, while supporting and fostering local design and manufacture. For this trio, good design is trans-generational, and can shape the identity of a nation. Grazia sums it up best when she says –
‘Let’s bring back the idea that you buy something special, original and timeless to hand down to the next generation.’
Featherston 2016 Open Day
Saturday 6 August from 10am until 4pm
Gordon Mather Industries
1, 10-14 Advantage Road, Highett
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