Andres Luer Solorza

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Andres Luer Solorza ("ALS") for their original perspective and innovative approach to design as well as their creative lifestyle, we are very pleased to share our interview with our distinguished readers.

DL: Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

ALS : I come from a family of artists therefore museum and decoration were recurrent while growing up. After school I knew exactly what to study, Industrial design. Having learned at early age the basics of woodworking an electricity circuits Industrial design was more like a continuation for me. I started my university in Santiago and after 2 years I felt the need to migrate to a greater place, was there that I arrive in Italy and continue my studies in Florence. To pay for my tuition I worked as an apprentice for two extraordinary furniture makers from which I've learned a lot. After graduation I started collaborating with studios in Florence until my migration guts started telling me to leave again. China was the next stop and a new era of Interior Design opened up. Shanghai and Beijing were at that point the best places to be, vibrating cities with and a endless apetite for design. Eight years of top residential and commercial projects were the experience it was missing to complement with my crafty side. In 2019 in Seattle which is where I'm based now, I opened my own workshop, giving birth to the first ever products under my name.

DL: What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?

ALS : It's something internal, stronger than myself. At this point of my life I can't help but deal with this natural burst of ideas that gather in my head every day and let me tell you, beside feeling great it makes you feel alive. I think is the feeling every creative mind shares, no matter is what you makes is tangible, a sound or poetry, the pure fact of conceiving something is unparalleled.

DL: Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?

ALS : This is funny, well anyone who was forced to be a designer, probably have had little resistance after have figured out how fun it is!

DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

ALS : I want to spend more time researching, in the past few years my interest for lighting fixtures has grown, I see great potential on using fivers on them, not just as a lampshade. I'm working on some products that highlight their qualities along with some cutting edge technology.

DL: What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?

ALS : there is one particular thing that I believe is foundational, is the size of the creative compartment in your brain. It can be fed only by experience, travel, knowing people, reading, watching, the more you do, the bigger the database from which solution and new ideas are gonna come.

DL: What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?

ALS : Those are labels the public will give you. Some clients are gonna think you are great, some reviews or critics are gonna think you are average. Now, to be the best, you have to commit and show up with products that make sense, and is it here were only best ones are.

DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

ALS : First and foremost, any design that stood the test of time is great, by definition. Todays society forgets at a pace that is almost rude. By the time is was writing this there was a war going on in Europe, today, after 4 weeks of conflicts there were no news. So, if your design is great, your grandchildren's are gonna know.

DL: What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?

ALS : Good design can only be executed by the best, simply because we have that knowledge from which every time come up with something that makes sense. Well all that knowledge was an investment, an investment that have a price tag. So only serious committed enterprises, companies, governments and people understand this value and they pay for it.

DL: What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?

ALS : The time factor I would leave it aside, does not apply here, since if I could design to the people I admire the most, I would dedicate all my time. In regards of to whom design for, well there would be nothing more challenging than design for today greatest minds, not new reach kind of people, but best in their field with great understanding about life. Richard Branson, Elon Musk, George Harrison, Mik Jagger to name a few.

DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?

ALS : An affordable fully modular tiny house.

DL: What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?

ALS : Accumulate as much knowledge and experiences as I can, so then you can perform the rabbit from the hat trick flawlessly.

DL: Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?

ALS : The visionary Henry. Dreyfuss, here we have a man ahead of his time. John Lautner with his daring concrete houses, perfect source of inspiration. Alphonse Mucha and his timeless decors. Charles Eames, Raymond Loewy among others.

DL: What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?

ALS : The iconic juicer from Philip Stark remain the best exercise of forced design adopted by the public.

DL: What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?

ALS : I reckon two, one is an Interior. What makes it great is the level of satisfaction from the owner, the perfect execution from the contractor and the sense of completion I had. The second one is a product. Orbita lamp which brings something new to a pretty crowded field as the lighting business.