With a discerning eye and acute attention to the smallest details, Issa plays with form and proportion. Minimalism meets maximal impact through unexpected shapes and materials in pieces that are functional and eye-catching.
Born to a Lebanese father, Issa spent part of his childhood in Lebanon before moving to Miami at 14. He has lived in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Milan, London, Beirut and Dubai, earning him eclectic cultural and professional experiences. Issa’s background as a multilingual global citizen has shaped his professional identity, and he uses design as method of conveying his perspectives.
“I studied architectural engineering at the University of Miami, but because of my DJing, I started out my career working in music production, which later transitioned into film and TV production,” explains Issa. “It wasn’t until after my father’s passing a few years ago that I decided to make the scary jump out of an established, stable and profitable career in media, into one in design, where I had to start from scratch – a huge risk in anyone’s book, but one I had to take since I strongly felt that this was my calling all along – something I knew deep down inside but kept postponing. I found myself gravitating towards interior design since I’m a very visual and detail-oriented person, and soon started adding my custom-designed furniture pieces in all the projects I took, which I found most gratifying and interesting. Soon, I completed my journey by making the decision to focus on furniture and product design only, and that’s the way it’s been for the last few years, and I must say, I couldn’t be any happier. It was a good call, and the moral of this story is to always follow your heart, and don’t let fear stop you from doing what you should be doing.
“I believe design is one of these talents that you either have or you don’t. Yes, you can improve it through practice and learning proper techniques, but what differentiates good designers from excellent ones is just pure, built-in talent. It has to do with your spatial imagination, your ability to create aesthetically-balanced imagery and designs. I have been interested in that since I was a child. My first drawings, my first Lego set were all about obsessively designing houses, it’s a safety/shelter thing maybe since we travelled a lot because of my father’s work?”.
As a citizen of the world who is passionate about furniture and product design, Issa is a born storyteller. Each piece he designs tells its own inspirational story. Issa focuses on intricate details, and uses pure lines to create his elegant designs.
His first collection features strong key pieces combining his bold design style with noble materials and original concepts showcasing pieces such as the Iconic brass chair, the O table, Ski chair, I lamps and other outstanding works.
He explains: “I’m a big believer in something I call harmonic design, which is all about using a harmonious combination of sizes, ratios, shapes and colours to achieve a universally-appealing design. I used that in combination with my love for storytelling to create pieces that touch people’s hearts and minds through what they see. The bold lines I used, in combination with elegant designs and well-crafted construction, helped me create high-end pieces that have a high sense of aesthetics and visual attraction, thus the name ‘Objects of Desire’.
Issa scouts the world for the most talented craftsmen and the best materials he can find to bring his designs to life. His furniture will be available in several outlets around the world including the Boon Gallery in Paris, D Beirut and outlets to come in Soho, New York, and the Miami Design District, as well as his global e-commerce platform.