T4 by Holloway Li for Uma

For this year’s London Design Festival, renowned design studio Holloway Li will reveal their debut furniture series in collaboration with Uma, a furniture brand producing objects that push the boundaries of fabrication. On display at The Market Building in Clerkenwell, Uma and Holloway Li will present T4, a first of its kind modular furniture collection. The playful design of the lightweight T4 composite modular sofa invites us to take a step back to the future and retrace the brash optimism of Cool Britannia and 90s television iconography. From Big Brother’s Diary Room aesthetic to the golden era of the chat show sofa, the new collection plays homage to the visual language of colourful onscreen scenography that dominated before the turn of the millenium. Drawing equal inspiration from the manufacturer’s production history, the T4’s signature curved edge takes its cues from the moulded composites used in the automotive industry and more specifically the interior fit outs of the original London buses. The playful curvature also nods to the nostalgia of 90s decor; from Lava Lamps to Inflatable Chairs, transporting us back to the youthful energy of the era. The T4’s modular character gives the freedom to create various combinations, from single seats to corner sofas and much larger seating arrangements. Each piece is made from durable fibreglass, carefully finished by hand in Uma’s factory and upholstered in a selection of locally sourced fabrics. The debut collection comes in four original colourways: Melon Yellow, Blush Pink, Overground Orange and Cream Soda , with further items to be unveiled in 2023. Born out of over 30 years of experience at Polkima Moulded Composites, Uma is a furniture brand producing objects for living environments. Uma pushes the boundaries of fabrication and works collaboratively with designers to develop and produce high quality, long lasting pieces. Steph Gallia, Founder of Uma, comments “Our factory in Izmir provides an extraordinary testing ground for designers where their ideas can be realised. We are delighted to announce our very first designer collaboration with Holloway Li, who we have worked adventurously with on projects over the past five years. Their playful and future-facing aesthetic and our technical know-how has seen us together produce lightweight banquettes with a stoney finish for the hotel rooms of Bermonds Locke, and the brightly coloured red and amber resin panels that currently stand tall in the shopfront of The Market Building.” Holloway Li was founded by creative Interior Architect duo Alex Holloway and Na Li. The studio’s built work covers a diverse catalogue covering retail spaces, hospitality, and select private homes. Recently completed projects include WunderLocke, a brand new edition of edyn’s apartment hotel concept Locke, a rooftop extension for the boutique hotel The Hoxton and The Market Building, an experimental retail concept and showroom for bathroom brand Coalbrook. Alex Holloway and Na Li, co-founders of Holloway Li, add “It’s been a pleasure to collaborate with Uma on realising our first stand-alone modular furniture collection. As a studio, we’re always looking to film and television to tell new stories through design. In creating the series, we wanted to reference our childhood memories of the optimism of the 90s Big Brother era and the colourful brash scenography that dominated our screens growing up; transporting this joyful nostalgia into our homes ’ Visitors are invited to discover the T4 series at The Market Building in Clerkenwell, London, from Monday 19th September to 25th September. To find out more, visit: www.hollowayli.com | www.umaobjects.com Opening Hours Monday 19th September - Sunday 25th September: 10am - 6pm Press Preview - Tuesday 20th September: 5pm - 8pm. RSVP only.