Erdem Akan

Erdem Akan is one of the most energetic exponents of Turkish design, creating interiors, products and exhibition designs that combine “East” with “West”, and old with new, reflecting both his upbringing in Istanbul and his design education in Britain. “I love the purity of Scandinavian design, for example,” he says of his influences, “but in Istanbul, nothing is straight, not even the streets, so you’ll see both in my work.” Designing for Nude since its launch, Erdem has chosen to create products that fulfil his own needs as well as the brand’s particular mantra of contemporary simplicity. The Mr.& Mrs. water carafes, that appear to have cute human faces, came about when he realised there was no glassware in his own bedroom. Likewise the Blossom jewellery box which he created for his jazz singer wife, where a dainty tree appears to grow inside a bell jar. “These are things for modern living,” he says. “I’m not nostalgic or futuristic. I’m interested in the right now.”