In a bold move signaling a new chapter, the esteemed furniture brand Holly Hunt has unveiled its latest offering, the 'Onward' collection. This nine-piece ensemble, developed under the insightful leadership of executive creative director Jo Annah Kornak and design director Chris Eitel, represents a significant evolution for the company. The collection masterfully combines innovative design with the brand's cherished heritage, offering pieces that are both fresh and deeply rooted in quality craftsmanship.
Holly Hunt's 'Onward' Collection: A Fusion of Tradition and Modernity
This week, in its Los Angeles showroom, Holly Hunt debuted the 'Onward' collection, a series of nine exquisite furniture pieces meticulously crafted by executive creative director Jo Annah Kornak and design director Chris Eitel. The collection showcases a departure from the brand's historically rectilinear forms, introducing elements of fluid curves, vibrant color palettes, and sculptural aesthetics. This strategic shift aims to broaden Holly Hunt's visual language, allowing the new pieces to seamlessly integrate with existing designs and offer interior designers enhanced versatility in shaping sophisticated spaces.
Kornak emphasized that the objective was not a complete overhaul but a thoughtful refinement of the brand's essence, stating, "My role is to safeguard the brand while fostering its growth. This collection embodies the same spirit but with a renewed rhythm." Echoing this sentiment, Eitel, who also leads design and production at the Vladimir Kagan Design Group (acquired by Holly Hunt in 2016), articulated his ambition to push Holly Hunt's design boundaries, infusing products with a softer, more curvilinear aesthetic while maintaining impeccable proportions. This new direction is a testament to the collaborative vision of Kornak and Eitel, who both draw inspiration from their formative mentors, Holly Hunt and Vladimir Kagan, respectively.
The collection's standout pieces exemplify this blend of tradition and innovation. The 'Yoel' stool, with its distinctive mushroom-like lacquered form and upholstered seat, and the 'Wayne' bench alongside the 'Selina' slipper chair, featuring gracefully curved upholstered seats that embrace their carved solid wood bases, all demonstrate playful, almost futuristic silhouettes. The 'Oliver' side table, cast in bronze with a softly dimpled surface reminiscent of rainfall, further highlights the collection's unique materiality and artistic flair. The creation process marries advanced digital modeling with meticulous hand craftsmanship, as seen in the 'Dent' cabinet, where a digitally conceived textured wood pattern is precision-cut and then hand-finished. This dedication ensures that each piece not only meets Holly Hunt's rigorous standards for clean lines and attention to detail but also pushes the boundaries of contemporary furniture design.
The collection also marks an exploration into richer color applications, moving beyond the brand's signature muted neutrals to incorporate expressive contrasts. This expansion of the brand's visual vocabulary is designed to captivate new audiences while respecting the sophisticated tastes of its loyal clientele. Following its debut in Los Angeles, the 'Onward' collection will be progressively rolled out across Holly Hunt's 14 showrooms in the U.S., including prominent locations like New York, Miami, and Chicago, as well as its flagship showroom in Mayfair, London. Both Kornak and Eitel hinted at future innovations, suggesting that the 'Onward' collection is just the beginning of a dynamic new era for the brand.
The launch of Holly Hunt's 'Onward' collection underscores a crucial insight for any established brand: true longevity is not about stagnation, but about thoughtful evolution. In an ever-changing market, the ability to reinterpret one's core identity with fresh perspectives, without sacrificing the essence that defines it, is paramount. This collection demonstrates how embracing innovation—through new forms, colors, and technologies—can breathe new life into a brand, keeping it relevant and exciting for both long-standing patrons and new generations of consumers. It's a powerful reminder that growth and preservation can, and indeed should, coexist harmoniously.