Christopher Guy Harrison
Encyclopedia
Christopher Guy Harrison (born September 3, 1960) is a British luxury furniture designer who is well-known for fusing classicism
with modernism
in his designs. He is the founder and head designer of the international furnishings brand Christopher Guy. Originally known for a wide-range of decorative mirrors, the Christopher Guy brand grew into a collection of upholstery, chairs, dining tables, sofas, headboards and office furniture. Christopher's signature design includes the patented Chris-X (pronounced kris-krôs) leg design.
and raised in Spain
and France
. His international background allows him to fuse design influences from around the world, creating furniture that transcends national boundaries.
In 1993, Christopher formed Harrison & Gil. The company then expanded by offering a complete lifestyle and luxury furniture collection in 2005. It re-launched under the brand name Christopher Guy.
In 1999, Christopher designed and built a one million square foot workshop complex in Java
in order to accommodate the 1,400 carvers, woodcarvers and specialist finishers that craft his designs.
Today, Christopher resides in Singapore
where he has his headquarters and travels around the world particularly to Java
and Los Angeles
.
TV's mounted on the walls for interactive viewing, showcases his newest collection of the year.
His Chris-X leg design is patented across the USA, China and Europe. This signature design is seen throughout his collections and was inspired by the corseted waist-line of Scarlett O'hara in Gone with the Wind
and the crossed legs of a ballerina. “My aim was to design a chair that was simple, sophisticated and flexible enough to work with a variety of style categories,” said Christopher.
The World Market Center Las Vegas and Las Vegas Design Center recognized Christopher Guy as the 2011 Design Icon on 27 January 2011. The Design Icon award celebrates modern-day design legends and gives them a platform to share their stories and inspire others. Past Design Icon recipients include Juan Montoya, Vicente Wolf
, Roger Thomas, Vladimir Kagan
and Larry Laslo.
Films:
Classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
with modernism
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
in his designs. He is the founder and head designer of the international furnishings brand Christopher Guy. Originally known for a wide-range of decorative mirrors, the Christopher Guy brand grew into a collection of upholstery, chairs, dining tables, sofas, headboards and office furniture. Christopher's signature design includes the patented Chris-X (pronounced kris-krôs) leg design.
Biography
Christopher Guy Harrison was born in BritainUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and raised in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. His international background allows him to fuse design influences from around the world, creating furniture that transcends national boundaries.
In 1993, Christopher formed Harrison & Gil. The company then expanded by offering a complete lifestyle and luxury furniture collection in 2005. It re-launched under the brand name Christopher Guy.
In 1999, Christopher designed and built a one million square foot workshop complex in Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
in order to accommodate the 1,400 carvers, woodcarvers and specialist finishers that craft his designs.
Today, Christopher resides in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
where he has his headquarters and travels around the world particularly to Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
USA Flagship Design Lounge
In October 2009, Christopher Guy opened his 2400 square feet (223 m²) USA Flagship Design Lounge in Beverly Hills. The lounge, complete with plasmaPlasma display
A plasma display panel is a type of flat panel display common to large TV displays or larger. They are called "plasma" displays because the technology utilizes small cells containing electrically charged ionized gases, or what are in essence chambers more commonly known as fluorescent...
TV's mounted on the walls for interactive viewing, showcases his newest collection of the year.
Design Philosophy
Christopher Guy furniture designs reflect a contemporary mood with classic values.His Chris-X leg design is patented across the USA, China and Europe. This signature design is seen throughout his collections and was inspired by the corseted waist-line of Scarlett O'hara in Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind (film)
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
and the crossed legs of a ballerina. “My aim was to design a chair that was simple, sophisticated and flexible enough to work with a variety of style categories,” said Christopher.
Awards
The British Interior Design Association awarded Christopher Guy the Outstanding Design award in 2004.The World Market Center Las Vegas and Las Vegas Design Center recognized Christopher Guy as the 2011 Design Icon on 27 January 2011. The Design Icon award celebrates modern-day design legends and gives them a platform to share their stories and inspire others. Past Design Icon recipients include Juan Montoya, Vicente Wolf
Vicente Wolf
Vicente Wolf is an interior designer based in New York City and has been in the design industry for over 30 years. Wolf is the owner of Vicente Wolf Associates and VW Home , a high-end showroom in Manhattan. He is a passionate photographer, art collector and global traveler...
, Roger Thomas, Vladimir Kagan
Vladimir Kagan
Vladimir Kagan, , furniture designer. Emigrated to the United States in 1938. Graduated from the School of Industrial Art in 1946, where he was an architecture major. Studied architecture at Columbia University. Opened his first shop in New York in 1949...
and Larry Laslo.
Past Projects
Hotels:- Divan Asia Hotel, Turkey
- St. Clemente Palace, Venice
- The Trump Plaza, New York
- The Savoy, London
- The Beverly Wilshire, California
- The Ritz-Carlton properties
- The Bellegio, Las Vegas
- The Venetian, Las Vegas
- Encore, Las Vegas
Films:
- 2010, The Resident
- 2009, The Hangover
- 2006, Casino RoyaleCasino Royale (2006 film)Casino Royale is the twenty-first film in the James Bond film series and the first to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond...
- 2006, The Devil Wears PradaThe Devil Wears Prada (film)The Devil Wears Prada is a 2006 comedy-drama film, a loose screen adaptation of Lauren Weisberger's 2003 novel of the same name. It stars Anne Hathaway as Andrea Sachs, a recent college graduate who goes to New York City and gets a job as a co-assistant to powerful and demanding fashion magazine...
- 2007, Stardust
- 2007, SleuthSleuth-Theatre and film:*Sleuth , a 1970 play by Anthony Shaffer*Sleuth , a film adaptation of the Anthony Shaffer play, directed by Joseph L...
- 2007, Room 1408
- 2007, Ocean’s Thirteen