Lounge sofa from Menu is inspired by a visit to a tailor shop. Not just any shop though, the designers’ grandfathers’ favourite one.
Rui Alves has a clear image in his head of the shop, the craftsmen working, the old wooden hangers that held all the grey suits and coats. Everything in the room was handmade and the only mechanical items were two old sewing machines that slowly ran and sounded almost like clockwork.
The Portuguese designer comes from a family of skilled craftsmen. Both his father and grandfather were cabinetmakers and he grew up surrounded by wood and tools. Still today observing old craftsmen work is his main source of inspiration, “I admire their knowledge and respect for the materials and often visit the traditional and old shops that are still around.”
