Still Life Drama: Puffalo and Fable baroque by Ross Didier.

Ross Didier goes baroque for his latest photoshoot, channelling the ornate Still Life paintings of the 1600s. Celebrating two of the designer’s most iconic collections — the Puffalo and Fable — the stylised exercise sought to bring the concept of furniture back into the practical.

The contemporary baroque staging feels familiar yet surreal, evoking imaginary conversations and theatrical drama. Much like how the still life paintings of the past depicted ‘slices of life’, Didier selected the collections based on their domestic nature, the still life setting acting as a vessel for memories of lazy afternoons on the weekend and a life led more analogue.

It’s a project well within Didier’s wheelhouse, with the designer creating scenography for his furniture pieces that extend their narrative. “The longer I design and make furniture, the more I realise that the emotional connection to the space furniture inhabits, and the experiences this generates, is more important than the pieces themselves,” he explains.

“It has been an in-depth project, over an extended period, without any time constraints and without any clear agenda,” Didier continues. “I like creating the mood for my pieces to exist, and I’m trying to enlighten the creative spirit behind my designs.”

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Ross Didier on Playing with Shapes and Design Storytelling.

After two decades in business, Didier has stayed true to the concept from its debut, continuing to blur the lines between sculptural aesthetics and designed function in an always surprising and playful way.

The Melbourne designer’s world is one where art meets design, craft blends with engineering, and utilitarianism embraces luxury. These contrasting ideas sit at ease in this new campaign, with Didier’s signature sophisticated silhouettes feeling at home against the ornamentation of the backdrop.

With a background in both Fine-Art sculpture and Industrial Design, Didier always saw furniture design as a natural fit, considering it the closest commercial connection to sculpture. He sharpened his design chops in London’s theatre scene, an experience that has shaped his aesthetic since. “Following my graduation, I travelled and lived in London — working back of house theatre in London and building sets and constructed props, and all sorts of fascinating objects,” Didier continues.

Featuring voluptuous shapes, the modular lounge range celebrates the horizontal life and exemplifies a laid-back style with cool bohemian chic. “Like the love child of Moncler and Jaguar’s E-Type, the Puffalo just begs you to lounge,” Didier says.

Fable, on the other hand, is inspired by modern-day mythology, a celebration of cottage craft in sophisticated forms. The collection demonstrates the convergence of timber craftsmanship and skilled machinery, with warm oak expertly plied into crisp, clear lines.

Ross Didier's Apparel Collection Captures the Essence of Haute Couture.

The Australian designer has created a visual signature through voluptuous forms and layered shapes as he invites us into an enveloping, sensory experience of formal luxury.

“The more I design and make furniture, the more I realise that the emotional connection to the space furniture inhabits, and the experiences this generates, is more important than the pieces themselves.” — Ross Didier

Shot locally by Mike Baker and with art direction by Clare Scanlon and Ross Didier, the shoot was an adventurous one. Produce was sourced from the local Preston market, and the team worked with real chickens (and a professional chicken handler) to create an authentic renaissance feel.

“One cheeky bastard was running around the studio,” Didier shares. The photography by Baker was intentionally painterly, enhancing the natural texture of the plastered walls and tiled floors.

If a photo tells a thousand words, this shoot might as well be a whole monologue. It’s not every day a designer takes time to get back to the original spirit of a piece and a world built in the process.

For more information on Ross Didier’s Puffalo and Fable collections, click here and here. 

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[Images courtesy of Ross Didier. Art direction by Clare Scanlon and Ross Didier. Photography by Mike Baker.]