The home of architecture and design in Asia-Pacific

Get the latest design news direct to your inbox!

A Unique Design Language

Representing a new breed of entrepreneurs, New Zealand-based makers Trèlogy communicate their business through the lens of a unique design language.

A Unique Design Language


BY

June 11th, 2014


Words Sophia Watson    

TREOLOGY1

How important is the story of your business compared to the product itself? For many, the product wins out every time. For artisan makers Trèlogy however, it is all about the story.Here, these kiwi’s have focused their business on the story of their brand – where the tale informs the design itself, and ultimately communicates a unique language of who they are through the design of their products.

TREOLOGY3

For founder and now managing director, Andrew Davies, the story of Trèlogy is his homeland. “My family have been timber craftsman since the mid-19th century,” says Davies. “After a furniture fair in Queenstown in September 2011 for our original company: Davies Furniture, I flew my wife Mary-Jayne and our two young boys down to Glenorchy for the weekend at the end of Lake Wakatipu. We did a few bush walks, and then came to a cross road – turn right to go back to Queenstown, or left to paradise. Needless to say we turned left and drove to the end of the road and ended up at Chainman’s Bluff. We talked about sharing this landscape with the rest of the world, and connecting people in metropolitan cities to nature. It got to after dusk and we were leaving to drive back to Queenstown when three wild deer ran out in front of the car, stopped, and looked at us. I turned to Mary-Jayne and said ‘This is a sign, I need to share this experience with the rest of the world’. We got together a great creative team to form Trèlogy, and build on connecting people to nature through functional art.”

TREOLOGY5

Shortly after his life-changing experience, Davies joined forces with Christchurch designer Richard Simpson to develop the products and “bring the story to life.”

“Andrew [Davies] has built a superb brand with an amazing story behind it,” says Simpson, “and I see my role to complete the story is to create products in harmony with the brand.”

TREOLOGY-4

The products themselves are the physical manifestation of Trèlogy’s story, with a strong focus on bringing nature and people together through sustainable bespoke designs. Simpson explains: “We see the brand as a vehicle to create a dialogue, and define the company through our design language,” – a language that many are beginning to speak. Having recently won the Best Design Award for the 2012 New Zealand Design Awards, Trèlogy’s Umber chair was chosen to represent the best of New Zealand design at the 2013 Gwangui Design Biennale in Korea, an achievement demonstrating the value of a well-emphasised design language. With plans to move into the US market including LA and New York, Davies and Simpson explain that: “we don’t want to be the biggest, we just want to be the best.”

 

TRÉOLOGY

treology.co.nz

 

INDESIGN is on instagram

Follow @indesignlive


The Indesign Collection

A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers


Indesign Our Partners

Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!

Related Stories

Tarkett Academy: Best In Class

Tarkett Academy: Best In Class

Tarkett Australia launches the Tarkett Academy, an education and training centre for the flooring industry.

Diary Dates for Creatives!

Calling budding creatives of all ages, in Sydney and beyond. The International School of Colour & Design’s acclaimed courses are now offered both on-campus in North Sydney and via correspondence.

24 April    International School of Colour & Design Information Session 10:00am
Held on Campus – Level 5, 99 Mount Street North Sydney

6 May    ‘’Art on The Floor’’ Judging and showing of finalists from Designer Rugs/International School of Colour & Design competition, 6:30pm
Held on Campus – Level 5, 99 Mount Street North Sydney

The exhibition will be open Monday to Friday 10:00am to 6:00pm and Saturday 10:00am to 4:00pm from 28 April until 30 May.

To book for the above free events email creativity@iscd.edu.au or phone 02 9114 5988. And start your creative journey now!

ISCD Facts:
– Delivering creative education for over twenty five years.
– The Foundation Course, Dimploma in Interior Styling and Diploma in Colour Design are available through correspondence.
– Nurturing and supportive study environment.

red dot award: product design 2009 registration closing soon

The red dot award design competition is tackling the economic crisis head on, inviting designers and design firms to enter the red dot award: product design 2009. Red dot aim to recognise the best in design and business through their different awards programs. In an attempt to combat the crippling economic downturn the organization are […]

Sydney Design 2010

Sydney Design 2010

16 days of design events kick off across the city.


While you were sleeping

The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed