An ‘intimacy of materiality’ is how Paula Gerbase describes her approach to design, which has encompassed her own labels – the London-based 1205 and the more recent eponymous label Gerbase – as well as a six-year-long stint at British shoemaker John Lobb. In each of these roles, Gerbase has focussed on the way that materials feel on the body: whether her featherweight plissé skins for Gerbase, or the perfect leather hiking boot, designed to stretch to its wearer’s proportions as they walk.
Now, she embraces a largely new medium, that of metalwork, recently instated as the creative director of historic Danish silversmith Georg Jensen which was founded over a century ago in in 1904. The wide-ranging role will see Gerbase – who was born in Brazil but grew up in Switzerland – shape the overall vision for the house, not only overseeing design across various categories (from desk accessories and home scents to jewellery), but also leading collaborations and ‘digital and physical brand experiences.’
