Fashion, Art, Design, Lifestyle

Vesper · August 26

Studio GOGO's Lego jewellery is "made to be played with"

https://www.dezeen.com/2025/08/20/studio-gogo-jewellery-lego-ring-design/

Plastic Lego bricks replace gemstones in these customisable rings by Berlin jewellery brand Studio GOGO, allowing wearers to change up the design as they see fit.

Crafted from recycled silver, Studio GOGO rings consist of a simple band and a central plate that carefully replicates the shape and size of a Lego tile.

The rings can be worn unadorned or stacked with the wearer's choice of Lego bricks to suit their current tastes.

Studio GOGO's earliest pieces were centred around the classic two-by-two square tile, but the range has since expanded to incorporate cross-shaped, rectangular and circular tiles.

"My pieces are made to evolve with you, to be played with, customised and maybe even passed down," studio founder Thanh-Truc Nguyen told Dezeen.

"At the heart of my jewellery is the belief that meaning, memory and creativity belong in the things we wear every day."

Nguyen began her career designing one-off jewellery pieces, but got the idea to make Lego-compatible jewellery during a school project on modular ring design.

"At the time, I put it aside, thinking the concept wasn't particularly original, as I had seen similar ideas out there," she remembered.

"But years later, I came back to it and something had shifted. I had always seen its potential. But back then, I was focused on creating something entirely new. Over time, I realised that originality isn't about being first, but about adding your own voice."

The making process begins with Nguyen digitally producing a master model of her design, which is then used to create a silicone mould. Next, wax is injected through the mould to form individual rings, which are cast in silver using the lost-wax technique.

Nguyen makes and refines each ring by hand in her Berlin workshop, using files, callipers, clamps and an arsenal of other tools to perfect the size and surface texture.

"My designs demand an extremely high level of precision," she explained. "Tolerances are tight; even a deviation of a tenth of a millimetre can affect fit and function."

Studio GOGO will soon expand its collection to include Lego-compatible bracelets and necklaces.

The toymaker's plastic bricks have long been a source of inspiration for architects and designers across disciplines.

Earlier this year, British architect Peter Cook collaborated with Lego to create a domed Play Pavilion in London's Kensington Park, while NASA is currently working on replicating the shape of the bricks using 3D printers and meteorite dust to build on the moon.

Vesper · August 26

Gustaf Westman designs IKEA plate to serve meatballs "like they're sitting on little thrones"

https://www.dezeen.com/2025/08/19/gustaf-westman-ikea-meatball-plate/

Swedish designer Gustaf Westman has revealed the first piece from his upcoming IKEA collaboration, an elongated plate designed to serve and display the Swedish furniture company's classic meatballs in a row.

Dubbed the "first-ever dedicated plate" for the retailer's meatballs, Westman's design has a cheerful turquoise-blue colour.

The porcelain serving plate was designed with a central indentation that is wide enough to fit "the perfectly sized meatball", IKEA said, of which the company sells one billion every year.

Westman aimed for the design to honour the Swedish tradition of serving meatballs for Christmas.

"I love designing objects for a specific function – it brings a touch of humour and makes them instantly easy to grasp," the designer said. "In Sweden, meatballs mean Christmas, and this plate is my way of honouring that tradition."

"The design is simple, lining up the meatballs so each one is visible, like they're sitting on little thrones," he added.

In true IKEA tradition, the plate comes with assembly instructions, showing how to cook the meatballs before placing 11 of them on the rectangular plate.

IKEA suggested that the blue porcelain plate could also be used for serving other foods, such as olives, cheese and fruits.

"While it was created with meatballs in mind, it works just as well for many other dishes," Westman said.

The plate is the first piece from Westman's upcoming IKEA collaboration, with the full line set to be released on 9 September.

The collection is set to include 12 pieces that playfully reimagine tradition.

"This collaboration is about taking the traditions of gathering in the home and reimagining them through playful and unexpected designs," IKEA of Sweden creative leader Maria O'Brian said.

"Partnering with Gustaf Westman was the perfect way to do that, and together, we've created a bold, expressive design that uses an unconventional shape and colour to give this Swedish staple a well-deserved new stage."

Westman also recently unveiled another playful food design, a handbag-style baguette holder, and collaborated with car brand Mercedes-Benz to create a pink car with an integrated tent and picnic table.

The images are courtesy of IKEA.

Vesper · Wednesday at 09:32

THE COLLAB

Picante X Perello

Perelló and Picante have dropped an unexpected joint collection. The Picante founders’ obsession with bold graphics and collectible t-shirts sparked the idea to bootleg the Perelló logo for their SS24 summer capsule. The t-shirt went straight to print and became an instant bestseller. That was, of course, until Perelló caught sight of the tee and naturally took steps to protect its IP. But instead of a fighting, something better happened – the two brands have collaborated. The fresh release includes the original (now legit) t-shirt, a new graphic tee, hoodie, cap, Nalgene water bottle and a 600g tin of Perelló’s gorgeous manzanilla olives, rebranded with ‘Picante’ in place of the original label.

Visit Picante.Shop