Folio.YVR Issue #1: Design Rockstar Tom Dixon & Big Fat American Tour

British designer Tom Dixon’s FAT American Tour rolled into Vancouver, ahead of its performance, with a potential full house. 700 confirmed.

Fashioned after a rock ‘n’ roll tour motoring from coast-to-coast, FAT is unveiling key pieces from Dixon’s 2019 collection in a prequel to the official launch at Salone del Mobile.Milano in April.

Supporting act, Swedish company Teenage Engineering is renowned for its high-end pocket-sized synthesizers and its collaborations on products with clothing company Cheap Monday and blue-bagger IKEA.

As the sun sets over the new INFORM Contract in Railtown, the crowd has swelled and is chatting elbow-to-elbow. Dixon is entertaining the media before taking the stage, and when I ask about the ‘why’ of a touring production for furniture, Dixon takes it across the ocean and the perception of his industry.

He leans back in the black FAT lounge chair and says “I was thinking particularly for our shop in London, to try to get away from being a dusty old furniture showroom? the way you buy furniture is so slow; there isn’t a lot of life in a furniture shop, so I have invited a bunch of friends in and it was nice to have people create a party with four 6 pocket-sized synthesizers.”

“I wanted to bring a taste of what we do at our shop rather than having people coming into a dull lecture on my own talking about a chair.”

In the centre of the multi-level space, the members of Teenage Engineering crowd around soundboards in headphones and waist-cinched white painter’s overalls (looking very Breaking Bad), creating a continuous ambient discord which is bouncing off the concrete walls.

Each stop on the FAT American Tour will showcase the never-before-seen FAT furniture and OPAL lighting to professionals in architecture and interior design. Included in the mix are design fans and local friends for an experience that embodies everything Tom Dixon is known for bringing extraordinary objects and ideas into both the creative arena and home.

The new upholstery range FAT is designed to hug the body and allows for multiple sitting positions. Available as a dining chair, barstool and lounge chair, the extreme simplicity of the components is a testament to reductionism, while maintaining an instantly recognizable and faintly humorous silhouette. Quite a balancing act. FAT is made from molded foam with metal legs, launching in high gloss black lacquer and made to order upholstery.

OPAL is a family of translucent globes using our own custom recipe of tinted white Opalescent polycarbonate. Semi-translucent, they maintain an ethereal ghostliness in the daylight and at night, form a perfectly illuminated sphere. Coupled with our new dimmable Tom Dixon LED, the OPAL range emits a soft, diffused and flattering light

“I always liked the kind of science fiction interiors, like in Space Odyssey with all of its furniture from Olivier Mourgue, the French designer. I think there is a lack of optimism in the furnishings, a belief in the future, which was so evident in the 1960s.” – Tom Dixon

Author Profile

Helen Siwak, Luxury Lifestyle Observer: Helen Siwak is the founder of EcoLuxLuv Communications & Marketing Inc and publisher of Folio.YVR Luxury Lifestyle Magazine and PORTFOLIOY.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine. She is a prolific content creator, consultant, and marketing and media strategist within the ecoluxury lifestyle niche. Helen is the west coast correspondent to Canada’s top-read industry magazine Retail-Insider, holds a vast freelance portfolio, and consults with many of the world’s luxury heritage brands. Always seeking new opportunities and challenges, you can email her at [email protected].