Yoko Choy chats to German designer Sebastian Herkner, who established his studio in Offenbach in his native country after he graduated in 2007 from the city’s University of Art and Design. The city is commonly noted for two main things: its weather forecasting centre and its historic leather industry. But now, it is home to one of the design industry’s most sought-after young studios, too. 

Seeing the dismantling of a once-thriving culture of craftsmanship, in which many of his friends’ parents had worked, was a major factor in determining Sebastian’s artistic direction. In an era when new materials and technologies are the Holy Grail for designers, he took a totally different tack, reaching back in time and opting for traditional materials as the medium for his first major commercial product. Shown in Milan’s SaloneSatellite for young designers in 2009, his Bell Table – with, counterintuitively, a brass top and glass bottom – gained good reviews but it took him some time to find a producer. When he did, his career took off. He continues to focus on craftsmanship from around the world, visiting and learning from experienced artisans from South America to the Far East and adapting their materials and expertise for the contemporary market. Since then, the studio has produced big hits for international brands such as Agape, & Tradition, Cappellini, ClassiCon, Fritz Hansen, Ligne Roset, Moroso, Wittmann, Zanotta, to name just a few.