studio lugo pairs horsehair with steel in anachron furniture series at milan design week

Studio Lugo’s Anachron reimagines Anatolia’s Craft Traditions

For the 2025 edition of Alcova in Milan Design Week, Studio Lugo presents the Anachron series, a new collection exhibited from April 7–15 at Villa Bagatti Valsecchi. Based in Istanbul, Studio Lugo draws upon Anatolia’s layered cultural and material history, a region that has long served as a point of convergence between Europe and Asia.

The Anachron series references agricultural practices and craft traditions originating in Anatolia, dating back to approximately 8,300 BC. The collection integrates influences from regional techniques in ceramics, metalworking, woodworking, embroidery, and quilt making. These references are embedded into modular furniture, such as seating objects, tables, decorative pieces, and lighting elements that explore spatial rhythm and tactile engagement. Designed elements include suspended wooden rods terminating in steel bells, creating ambient sound reminiscent of pastoral environments. Shifting daylight interacts with curated lighting to generate evolving shadows and visual conditions throughout the exhibition.

Anachron Furniture Series fuses Fabric, Horsehair, and Steel

The term Anachron is derived from ‘anachronism,’ indicating a disjunction in temporal context. This concept is expressed through the juxtaposition of historical motifs with contemporary material strategies and forms. Through Anachron, Istanbul-based Studio Lugo channels millennia of craft traditions into present-day objects. The collection emphasizes reinterpretation over replication, minimizing ornamental detail in favor of pared-down silhouettes and modular structures. Eleven made-to-order pieces form the basis of the presentation, where craft techniques are adapted for modern production.

Material selection plays a central role in shaping the identity of the collection. Kutnu fabric, traditionally woven in Gaziantep and once used in Ottoman garments and accessories, appears here for the first time as upholstery in collectible furniture. Hand-brushed horsehair is paired with stainless steel, establishing a dialogue between organic textures and industrial precision. The use of horsehair also references Anatolia’s equestrian history and traditions of herding. Roupala tree veneer, known for its intricate lacewood grain, adds visual depth to select furniture and lighting components. Stainless steel elements are used throughout the collection to signal a contemporary industrial aesthetic while remaining grounded in a craft-oriented approach.

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project info:

name: Anachron Series
designer: Studio Lugo | @studiolugo

creative director: Doruk Kubilay | @dorukkub

installation styling-accessory design: Ece Gülpek Sümer

photographers: Stefania Zanetti | @steynesthesia – Matteo Bellomo | @matteo.bellomo

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