We met him at Alcova, some of his colorful pieces were part of the Minigolf Extravaganza project that won over just about everyone. We are talking about designer Diego Faivre who makes his design items following the saying “time is money.” In other words, Faivre sets a production time within which to make his pieces, which he calls the Minute Manufacture process. His creations, often chairs, are handcrafted in his studio in Eindhoven, thus becoming unique pieces, true collectible design objects. But let’s talk about the Hippo Chair, the one that struck us most because of its fun look. Faivre made it in 2154 minutes, or almost 36 hours. It is low, wide, and completely pink, vaguely reminiscent of the shape of a hippo, which, in fact, gives the piece its name. Let’s find out more about the creative process.

All chairs by Diego Faivre

Diego Faivre’s studio is located on the outskirts of Eindhoven, where he works with nine other international designers. Here Diego has been experimenting since his university days, covering reclaimed chairs with a special clay paste he discovered during a residency in Shanghai. Starting from existing objects is something that greatly stimulates his practice, which has since evolved into a series of chairs made with time in mind. Not only the Hippo Chair but also many others have been created by the Dutch designer with this practice. Think of the Funky Stools, a group of colorful and fun chairs in pastel colors and organic shapes.

The latter feature reflects Diego’s practice in full, who defines his creative process as “instinctive, chaotic and frenetic,” but always keeping time in mind so that clients are aware of the life of each piece. Everything is then finished with a coat of glossy paint that gives the objects an almost ceramic look.

Hippo Chair

Funky Stools

Courtesy Diego Faivre