in focus - new tendency
Founder and Creative Director Manuel Goller of New Tendency talks inspirations, collaborations, and aspirations
Published On: 13/01/2023
Berlin has long been known as a mecca for creatives, craftspeople, and artists alike—a place where people come from all walks of life to collaborate, grow, and exchange ideas. It’s no wonder it is the home of one of Germany’s most coveted designers, New Tendency.
New Tendency is known for clean silhouettes and archetypal form, such as their Standard Sofa Single-Seater
Simple shapes, clean lines, and functionality—their Bauhaus roots are evident in each design. The collection consists of carefully handcrafted (in Germany) and well-thought-out contemporary furniture and accessories with a modern flare. Opting to use powder-coated steel as the primary component of most pieces, durability is a fundamental requirement for the brand.
Masa Table System - A new aesthetic for New Work: Masa stands for highly functional office furniture that is warm and elegant
Manuel Goller of New Tendency was kind enough to give us a bit of insight behind the unique and sought-after designer.
Can you please start by telling us a bit about New Tendency?
NEW TENDENCY grew out of a collective of designers and artists who met at Bauhaus University in Weimar, so from the very beginning, it was a cross-disciplinary project, a platform for exchange that somewhat defied definition.
Today, NEW TENDENCY has grown into a successful brand for furniture and accessories, but it is still the Bauhaus-inspired spirit of collaboration that drives it; the cross-referencing, the merging of different perspectives into something new and culturally relevant.
For me, the most inspiring thing about Bauhaus is not primarily the design language, but how it provided an infrastructure for collaboration and cross-disciplinary influence. In a really small town in the middle of Germany (which has a great cultural history but, even then, was no match for Berlin, New York, or London), Walter Gropius managed to bring together all of these great minds: designers, artists, dancers, and craftspeople. It was the composition of different people that created “the new." I think that’s the greatest inspiration: it’s not about individual authorship; it’s about many people working together in harmony.
New Tendency’s latest release is Ayo Stool by Berlin artists and architects Judith Haase and Pierre Jorge Gonzalez, a rare excursion into wooden materials by the brand known for its precisely composed and crafted steel furniture.
What method, practice, or technique is New Tendency using that you are most proud of?
We try not to subscribe to trends or to the hype of having to release new products all the time. Our collection has grown very carefully and slowly over the past ten years. We use materials and processes, such as steel, that are practically indestructible and the most recycled materials in the world. But it is very energy-intensive, and that comes with responsibility: I want our products to have the potential to become lifetime companions; this defines our standards for a very considered approach, for design that is timeless and open for interpretation, and for long-lasting quality.
I can’t wait for our products to get old enough to be passed down from one generation to the next! After all, we relate the most to objects we connect stories with—a piece you inherited from your grandmother or a piece you took with you every time you transitioned into a new phase of your life. It’s those personal stories that I am most interested in. I want our products to be long-lasting enough to allow these experiences, and I want our designs to be a projection surface for everyone’s own narrative.
Throne Chair - a substantial yet delicate armchair. Made from powder-coated industrial readymades, it is carefully welded together to reveal its significant graphical shape and minimalistic construction.
Do you have anything that you would like to share with the world about what you do and why you do it?
Instead of releasing new products all the time, our focus is on storytelling: NEW TENDENCY is a platform for creative expression, from a variety of angles and perspectives. Through collaborations with artists, designers, architects and curators, we launch ever new interpretations of our collection – be it through a special edition or a collectible item (like our collaboration with Matthew M. Williams, who wrapped our Meta Side Table in the signature 1017 ALYX 9SM belt), through a new contextualisation in photography or CGI (we’re lucky enough to collaborate with a fantastic network of visual artists, such as Jonas Lindstroem, Haw-Lin, Someform Studio, etc), or in the way that individuals place our objects in their homes and offices. Christian Boros owns our Meta Side Table in a mirror-polished stainless steel finish, catching the coloured reflections of an incredibly radiant artwork by Olafur Eliasson mounted beside the table, and Hans Ulrich Obrist used our Standard Sofa’s armrests to organise his notes during a panel discussion at Spazio Maiocchi during Salone del Mobile last year.
All of these collaborations, some sought out and others chance encounters, are an incredibly important part of our work. There is a genuine exchange that inspires and informs what happens next.
Hans-Ulrich Obrist during the panel “Office Goals” with Valerio Olgiati, hosted by Kaleidoscope Magazine at Spazio Maiocchi during Salone del Mobile 2021
Photo: @steynesthesia @ruiphotographer
Do you have any events, new releases, or announcements that you’d like to flag? If so, what are the details?
In early 2022, we opened the NEW TENDENCY (LAB) at the heart of Berlin’s district for contemporary art and design around Potsdamer Straße. It’s our work-in-gallery, and a space for cross-disciplinary creative work with architects and designers—a semi-public incubator, if you will, for those collaborations that are constantly redefining what NEW TENDENCY is.
To learn more about New Tendency, Manuel and the team invite you to drop by the (LAB) where you can check out their products or just have a cup of coffee and a chat. As Manuel says, “you never know what the next meeting will bring about!”
A huge thank you goes to Manuel Goller for taking the time to answer our questions. 🙂
This is NOT a paid promotion (this goes for any of our blog posts). toitoitoiluv is the luv child of toi toi toi creative studio that promotes design, objects, and creative experiences to help show off the creative community.
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To stay updated on new releases & special editions, check out New Tendency’s website and Instagram:
or visit them at the New Tendency (LAB):
Kurfürstenstraße 142, 10785 Berlin
Sources & Images:
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We luv to support makers of all kinds – particularly those committed to their craft, who want to make a difference in the world. Do you have a project you’d like to share with the world? Hit us up, we’d luv to hear from you: info@toitoitoiluv.com
