WOW and the Designers
The International Furniture Design Competition Asahikawa (IFDA), which began in 1990 with the aim of further developing Asahikawa furniture, is a furniture design festival held every three years and has now grown into a design competition that attracts attention from around the world. As of 2024, nearly 10,000 works have been submitted from 77 countries around the world.
Born from the passion of pioneers and the creativity of designers from around the world, IFDA has now established itself as a gateway to nurturing young talent.
The conflict between design and functionalityDesign and
Functionality Conflict
Of the works submitted to IFDA, over 50 have been produced as Asahikawa furniture, and WOW has also produced designer works such as "SORAHE", "half chair Op.1", and "PALAPELI".
We do not just faithfully reproduce designs, but also constantly consider "how comfortable is it to use?" Based on the belief that "furniture is only when it is used," we pursue functionality without compromising so that our products can be used for a long time.
In this context, the products introduced below, "SORAHE," "half chair Op.1," and "PALAPELI," can be said to be products that were created through repeated trial and error by the designers and creators.
SORAHESERIES
"SORAHE," which won the prestigious Gold Leaf Award at the IFDA in 2005, is one of the works that is dear to our heart.
After commercializing SORAHE, our understanding of the material's properties deepened and we accumulated molding techniques.
This know-how would later be put to use in the production of the "half chair Op.1."
half chair Op.1SERIES
"half chair Op.1" is a work by Jeong Woo-jin, who won the Gold Leaf Award at the IFDA in 2011. We were fortunate to have the opportunity to produce it.
For WOW, which aims to create furniture that fits people's lives, this wonderful piece was a fateful encounter, as it truly embodied the idea that "purpose and concept determine the direction of the design."
The "Op.2" has a slightly different feel to its predecessor, the "Op.1," in terms of size, shape, and fabric seat, allowing you to select the chair that best suits your specific needs.
PALAPELISERIES
This is a work by Mikko Halonen, a designer from Finland, the mecca of Scandinavian furniture. Halonen has collaborated with furniture manufacturers in Asahikawa to produce a number of products, and is a talented designer who has been selected for the IFDA several times. His 2017 IFDA entry, the chair "Korento," won the prestigious Gold Leaf Award.
IFDA serves as a meeting point between designers and manufacturers, which is how we met with Mr. Halonen. PALAPELI was one of the entries for IFDA 2014.
When manufacturers select candidates for commercialization, the names of designers are not revealed at that point. At that time, there were several other works besides PALAPELI that we intuitively felt were attractive. In fact, most of them were Halonen's works. I remember feeling a mysterious connection. Finnish furniture was created to make people spend the long, harsh winters in comfort and abundance. As Finland is also a snowy country, there may have been something that resonated with the spirit of WOW.
Noriyuki Ebina
Born in Biei, Hokkaido in 1958.
After graduating from the Department of Design, Faculty of Art and Engineering, Hokkaido Tokai University in 1982, he joined Kenmochi Design Institute. He then built his career at Studio Comtec and Interior Center Co., Ltd., and founded PRIME DESIGN OFFICE in 1992. He won the silver prize at the Asahikawa 96 International Furniture Competition, the highest achievement for a Japanese designer. WOW has produced AKKORD and REIN.
Takashi Kirimoto
Born in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture in 1973.
He completed his graduate studies at Musashino Art University in 1998, and moved to Milan, where he focused on furniture design. In 2005, he won the IFDA Gold Leaf for "SORAHE." He is currently involved in product development with both Italian and Japanese manufacturers.
Jung Woo-jin
Furniture designer born in Korea in 1976. After graduating from the Department of Architecture at Chung-Ang University, he studied design at prestigious universities in Sweden and Finland. He particularly studied furniture design in depth at Finland's Alto University, and presented the results of his research at the International Furniture Design Fair Asahikawa in 2011. His innovative work "half chair" was highly praised and won the highest award, the Gold Leaf.
Mikko Halonen
A designer based in Finland. He studied design at Lahti University of Applied Sciences and Aalto University, and mastered bentwood techniques at the Korhonen furniture factory.
He established his own studio in 2010 and works on a wide range of products, furniture, and spatial design. His "PALAPELI" was unfortunately not selected by IFDA, but WOW, attracted by its design, contacted him and made it into a product.
Kai Sato (FULLSWING)
Born in Tokyo in 1976.
After gaining experience in on-site supervision of houses and stores, he worked at an architectural firm. After gaining comprehensive experience from design to construction, he started working as FULLSWING in 2003. He mainly designs furniture and everyday items, but also designs custom furniture and spaces for houses, offices, stores, etc. He added "log" and "BOOK RACK" to the lineup of WOW's original products.
