FEATURES: AKFD Studio’s Ayush Kasliwal’s Corset Chair brings together three important aspects of furniture design – the concept of innovation, recycling, as well as the sustainability factor involved in supporting local craftspeople. Kasliwal’s work is inspired by the designs of Japanese-American architect-woodworker George Nakashima, blending woodwork with hand-crafted techniques.

The high-backed chair, a simple frame made out of dark shisham wood, comprises airline safety belts webbed all over the back and the low seat in a criss-cross pattern, creating the appearance of a corset, a 19th-century garment, stretched tightly on a piece of wood. It is accompanied by a similarly constructed suspensory footrest.