When the Australian furniture giant King Furniture and Sydney-based designer Charles Wilson teamed up over two years ago to revitalize the King collection the objectives were clear; explore functionality, innovate and differentiate. Underpinning this exciting collaboration design thinking and manufacturing ingenuity has delivered results worthy of acknowledgement. Launched at the State of Design Festival in Melbourne in July the ‘Andrea’ sofa is the first design to grace the King showrooms.

In a recent interview conducted by designer Simone LeAmon, Charles shares his thoughts on the collaboration and the design sector.

Q&A with Charles Wilson - Interview by Simone LeAmon

S.L: Charles, thank you for agreeing to speak with us at How We Create. We were very excited to hear of your new collaboration with the Australian company King Furniture and we recently viewed your first collection at State of Design in Melbourne. Can you tell us how this relationship came about and how long you have been working with King to deliver the collection?
 
C.W: I received an email from David King out of the blue about two years ago saying that King Furniture was moving in some exciting directions and that they were interested in working with me. We met soon after and I was impressed by David’s appreciation of design and his vision for the company.

S.L: The collection for King, what were some of the key drivers behind the designs?

C.W: It was pretty clear from the outset that whatever I did would have to make good use of their core technology, specifically the use of fabricated steel frames, and it would need to continue their quest of innovation in functionality particularly in modularity. In the sofa Andrea my aim was to incorporate (and expand upon) these factors into a more refined, feminine aesthetic.



S.L: Many of us know of King furniture because of their strong retail presence with King showrooms in key locations across Australia, however I suggest it comes as a surprise to many designers that King is also an Australian manufacturer. Why do you believe this is so and have you always known of their investment in product development and manufacturing?

C.W: I didn’t know much about King Furniture before we first met. It’s actually a very interesting story of how David King built this enormously successful company from selling cut-foam furniture at the markets. Working with independent designers is a new stage for them and so now we’ll hear more about this, as well as the values and origins of the company beyond the well know brand.

S.L: Australian designers tend to operate with the myth conception that there are few opportunities to work with Australian manufacturers. Has your collaboration with King furniture changed your perception on manufacturing in Australia or have you seen the possibilities and opportunities throughout your career?

C.W: It’s always good to be on the lookout and certainly because the opportunity with King came unexpectedly, it has alerted me to other possible collaborations. However I’m not sure I agree that it is a myth that the opportunities are limited – we simply don’t have a large manufacturing base here.

S.L: I often hear of Australian design being referred to as a 'culture' and not an industry. Do you have any thoughts on this and where do you think Australian design is heading?

C.W: I guess that by definition design is both culture and industry and if it’s more the later here then that’s because independent, directional design is supported more by grants, competitions, residencies, etc than industry. Something that seems distinctive to the Australian scene is a pronounced and often hostile division between mainstream market-driven design (what’s generally thought of as Industrial Design), and that, which is informed by a personal, creative expression. I think this divide is naive and unhelpful, and interestingly it is less pronounced in other mature design cultures such as in Denmark and Italy. Perhaps this is changing in Australia although some of the younger design studios are mixing up client/market-responsive design with their own directional/experimental work.

S.L: You have invested significant effort in forging business relationships with off-shore brands and manufacturers over the past years. Has this assisted your profile with Australian manufacturers and made it easier to form working relationships?

C.W: Having a profile beyond Australia helps, though I’m not sure this is crucial - I’d rather think that manufacturers are glad to work with me for how I can contribute to their product range. A successful working relationship comes from tailoring your skills to the direct needs of the client.



S.L: What are the main differences working with an Australian manufacturer over a European manufacturer?

C.W. Australia's isolation is still, sadly, an obstacle in dealing with companies on the other side of the world and though there are technologies facilitating immediate and accurate communication, it is amazing the benefits proximity has in doing business. For this particular project I was working both out at King’s Sydney factory and Shanghai facility for months with their development team. This would be a fairly unlikely scenario with a European manufacturer unless you were living there permanently and cultivated a close working relationship over a long period.

S.L. Can you tell our readers what other projects you are pursuing at present - will we be seeing more products with King?

C.W: Yes definitely there’ll be more products with King. While this first collaboration has been incredibly rewarding, it has also been a huge learning curve (the Andrea design has a lot of ambitious technical features) so I think we’re both hoping to work on something a little simpler.

S.L : Charles, thank you for sharing with us your journey with King furniture and we look forward to hearing all about the follow up products.

C.W: Thanks Simone. For more information call 1300 KINGFURNITURE or visit www.kingfurniture.com