Jasmine Ylang Ylang, Handmade Soap by Umé Studio

AN ATTITUDE TOWARDS CRAFT UMÉ Studio is a design practice where traditional craft meets contemporary tastes in delicate yet purposeful objects for everyday living. Founded by Victor Lefebvre and Mei-Lan Tan, their studio is the final stop in their design process journey. They begin with months-long travels to artisan workshops in many corners of the globe to render century-old skills and techniques, collaborating with a network of artisans and designers dedicated to their craft. Keeping these traditions alive is essential to UMÉ—so is updating their forms and bringing these timeless techniques into the now to achieve authentic, distinctive designs. BEAUTY, FUNCTION, TECHNIQUE Victor and Mei-Lan formed UMÉ Studio after years of working together in architectural firms and a shared design ethos where technique leads to design, rather than design informing technique, as is the norm. GLOBAL VS LOCAL Victor and Mei-Lan so far have forged cultural connections and learned techniques in the USA, France, Japan, and Switzerland, and continue to deepen their ties to these countries as well as other locales in the world. ather than a singular brand, UMÉ Studio is a group of individuals pursuing their identity through craft around the world. The practice is at once global and local, with a focus on designing objects for the home that are for the everyday, meant to engage and incite curiosity, and connect people, their cultures and their histories.