Designer Christopher Jenner announced a relationship with the luxury tea brand - Kusmi Paris, which has commissioned his studio to design a new interior concept for its stores in the United States and emerging markets.
Kusmi Paris has been blending its famous teas since 1867, notably ‘Bouquet of Flowers’ which was a favourite of Tsar Nicholas II. Initially based in Saint Petersburg, the brand moved to Paris in 1917.
The brief to Christopher Jenner was to design a brand new concept that would balance Kusmi’s baroque Russian heritage with its French provenance, creating a new luxury positioning through narrative and ritual.
Inspired by his travels to both Saint Petersburg and Paris, Jenner has taken his cue from French savoir faire and the exceptional craftsmanship of the Church of the Savior in Saint Petersburg, with its incredible mosaics, Orthodox brass chandeliers, marble flooring and onion domes. Kusmi’s own iconic packaging also created a starting point, leading to a special collaboration with Bisazza in which their matt white mosaic glass tiles have been used for the first time, set within an abstract pattern of primary and secondary colours.
Two large stylised illustrations inspired by Camellia Senensis, a small shrub whose leaves and buds are used in tea making, are realised in marquetry using with more than 30 coloured veneers and mother-of-pearl paying tribute to the art of tea blending.
A bespoke parquet floor in Italian marble and French Oak sits below a breath-taking three tiered, cnc Stainless Steel chandelier. Its 30 interlaced, organic arms connect to a central shaft of multiple turned components that disappear into a multi-coloured, stained-glass onion dome set within the ceiling, evoking the Russian heritage of the brand.
The space reflects a meticulous commitment to craft and technology, where traditional techniques are amplified through computer added design.
The new Flagship opened in January 2016 within the Calatrava station at the World Trade centre in New York.
About Christopher Jenner
British Christopher Jenner established his London based studio in 2010. Born in South Africa, he studied fine art at the Johannesburg school of the Arts, and design at The Boston School of design.
He has travelled the world extensively, living and working in Paris, Tel Aviv and Hong Kong.
This period of exposure to divergent cultures and traditions continues to exert an influence on his work.
Almost immediately the studio enjoyed the patronage of brands looking to connect with their clients on a deeper emotive level. Christopher design process considers heritage, tradition and positioning within his work, resulting in projects that capture narrative through his distinct style.
Currently the studio is working with a number of lifestyle and luxury brands. The scope of these projects includes interiors, product collections and packaging, thus helping his clients to convey the sensory connections so essential to differentiating themselves.
Alongside his work with brands Christopher is working on a series of projects which are represented by leading contemporary design galleries.
These projects are focused on innovation, and the process of reimagining traditional crafts through technology. Designing and developing unique pieces that create a synergy between his handwriting and that of the artisan, bridging the divide between ideas and techniques.
About Kusmi Tea
Created in St Petersburg in 1867 by Pavel Kousmichoff, Kusmi Tea fast gained success when their teas became a favourite of the Tsars.
Fleeing the 1917 revolution, the Kousmichoff family left Russia and installed their workshop on Avenue Niel, in Paris. From there the family business prospered, expanding from New York to Berlin.
In 2003, Sylvain Orebi succumbed to the brand’s charms and purchased it with his brother. Inventive and passionate about modernity, he took over the reins with the main objective to make Kusmi Tea the world’s premium tea brand. He re-discovered the values of the brand, created new blends and established a distribution network, generating over 50 shops worldwide as well as a flagship store on Paris’ Champs-Elysées.
10 years later, the brand is given a new lease of life: in 2014, Kusmi Tea marks a milestone with its multiawarded publicity campaign “The Beauty of Blends”.
