ALPI and Stephen Burks Man Made Debut “The Lost Cloth Object” at Design Miami 2025
- camilarosiaz
- Nov 18
- 2 min read
For the 20th anniversary edition of Design Miami, ALPI presents The Lost Cloth Object, a Kuba-inspired capsule collection created in collaboration with Stephen Burks Man Made. Unveiled as part of Design Miami 2.0, held December 2–7, 2025, the installation transforms centuries-old textile traditions from the ancient Kuba Kingdom into contemporary wood design through ALPI’s pioneering reconstituted wood techniques.
Courtesy of ALPI
Under the fair’s curatorial theme Make. Believe., led by Curatorial Director Glenn Adamson, the project joins eight international studios to celebrate global craft legacies and material innovation. The installation highlights the synergy between ALPI’s precision in recomposed wood technology and Burks’s long-standing commitment to cultural research and handcraft.
The collection reimagines the geometric richness of Kuba raffia textiles—historically woven from raffia palm fibers—through ALPI’s Legacy collection, which revives the grain and tonal qualities of “lost” or endangered wood species such as wenge, teak, rosewood, zebrawood, and ebony. Developed through extensive research, the project culminated in an immersive workshop in Kinshasa, where the design team collaborated with contemporary Kuba artisans. Their experience appears in the short film In Search of Kuba, underscoring the cultural exchange that grounds the collection.
The resulting installation features a sculptural platform with patterned furnishings—including a rocking stool, rocking ottoman, and curved partition—that merge Kuba’s symbolic abstraction with the imaginative lineage of Italian design. Each object embodies a cross-cultural dialogue and a renewed interpretation of heritage expressed through contemporary craft.
Courtesy of ALPI
Glenn Adamson notes that “the infusion of pattern and the masterful handling of timber will be a powerful note in our installation,” capturing the essence of the collaboration.
The project reflects ALPI’s philosophy of inviting designers to explore wood beyond industrial boundaries, transforming material into narrative and form. It also expresses Burks’s guiding principle of expanding global craft traditions through partnerships that unite community, industry, and artistry.