Christian Astuguevieille

An intricate blend of materials, design and art, the work of Christian Astuguevieille challenges conventional thinking. With furniture and accessory pieces revolving around his "Imaginary Civilization", its traditions, and rites. The pieces of work from this Frenchman are thought to be "dream detonators", and are meant to challenge the use of all of our senses and especially our sense of touch.

Astuguevieille's influence is far reaching. He has helped to establish the Children's Atelier at the Pompidou Center in Paris while continuing to exhibit sculpture and paintings around the world. In the past 3 decades, he has acted as the creative director for Commes de Garçons Parfums, as well as developed fragrances, cosmetics and accessories for Molinard, Rochas and Nina Ricci. In 1989 he began making his first painted cotton cord and natural hemp rope covered pieces shown in a Paris gallery which are now coveted the world over. They are sold exclusively in the United States at HOLLY HUNT and her partner showrooms. Meant to be interactive rather than traditionally utilitarian, Astuguevieille lends new perspectives to the world of interior design.

Alison Berger

Alison Berger is an artist whose medium is light and whose material is glass. Whether designing light fixtures, objects, furnishings or large-scale sculptures, she uses age-old glass blowing techniques to create glass forms that transcend time and capture light.

Born in 1963 in Dallas, Texas, Alison Berger trained as an architect. She received a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and continued her studies at Columbia University School of Architecture. After working as an architect for many years, first with Bausman-Gill and Associates and then with Frank Gehry, Berger began to devote herself to glass design full time in 1995.

Having studied glass blowing for more than 25 years and apprenticed with sculptor Dale Chihuly, Berger uses a time proven, and time consuming, process to create her art. Each piece is hand blown, annealed for two or three days, and then hand finished and, in some cases, hand etched.

Berger's innovative work is part of the permanent collection of the Corning Museum, has been shown at the Museum of Modern Art, and has been exhibited as part of the Cooper-Hewitt Museum's National Design Triennial. Berger was commissioned by Comme des Garçons to design an architectural installation as a backdrop for her glass objects at the company's Tokyo Showroom and was the first American artist ever hired to create a line for Hermés. Alison Berger is also the recipient of Elle Décor's International Design awards Lighting Designer of the Year. Her work is extensively exhibited and published throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.

Solis Betancourt

With an ultimate goal of creating pieces that integrate architecture and interiors, Solis Betancourt works to achieve function, proportion and harmony through his designs. Betancourt grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico and attended Cornell University, where he received a degree in architecture before founding his Washington D.C. based interior design firm in 1989.

With a great enthusiasm for twentieth-century architecture and a keen appreciation for industrial materials, Betancourt pays homage to his time with Skidmore, Owings and Merril in both the Washington and New York offices. He then worked with interior designer John Saladino who served as his mentor before Betancourt fully entered the world of interior design. In 1995, Jose Solis Betancourt began a lighting collection with HOLLY HUNT. Betancourt's inspiration stays rooted in the classics, maintaining symmetry and balance as fundamentals of his distinguished designs.

John Hutton (1947 - 2006)

Attributing his passion for design to the Scottish tradition of great designers and architects, John Hutton created a brand that is elegant, tailored, and focused on true comfort. Hutton was raised in West Islip New York and stayed there to raise his family.

A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan, Hutton worked for the better part of his career as the Design Director for Donghia. During the course of that 20-year period, he produced more than 200 designs and accrued several important awards for his work. In 1998 John Hutton International was launched and became known predominantly for designs that were simple in structure and beautifully proportioned with a continued emphasis on making people comfortable.

Shortly thereafter Hutton designed his first collection for HOLLY HUNT. His influential designs are now part of collections at the Brooklyn Museum and Houston Museum of Fine Arts.

Christian Liaigre

Known for reviving modern design worldwide, Christian Liaigre heralds his style as a way of life that is meant to be a simple, peaceful place to live. Born in western France, Liaigre studied at the Paris Academy of Fine and Decorative Arts and taught drawing technique at the Academy Charpentier, before returning to the countryside where he spent a decade devoting himself to horse breeding. Those years of contemplation influenced his work based on indigenous materials, such as wood weathered by the sea and fine leathers worked according to the traditions of saddle making.

In 1987 Liaigre started his own label and went on to garner international acclaim with his designs for the Mercer Hotel in New York, offices for Valentino Couture in Paris, and Selfridges department store in London, as well as private residences for many, such as Calvin Klein, Karl Lagerfeld and Rupert Murdoch.

Having entered into an exclusive agreement with HOLLY HUNT in 1993 for North America, Liaigre continues to inspire the design world with his clean and classic Asia-tinged minimalist pieces, executed in dark woods, rich leathers and angular metals. Each piece flawlessly incorporates simple yet intricate detailing and perfect proportion that marks it as an original Liaigre piece meant to remain classic for eras to come.

Kevin Reilly

Made famous for his innovative creations incorporating electrical light into wax candles, Kevin Reilly set a standard for lighting that is both rustic, romantic and chic. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, this self-taught artist and designer has been producing custom furniture and light fixtures for architects and designers for the past decade. In 2001, the collaboration between Reilly and HOLLY HUNT began.

Reilly's team works in a truly collaborative effort, taking great pride in their work. Production begins and ends in his workshop, starting with sheets of steel that are fabricated and finished into excellently crafted fixtures. Reilly's iconic candle motifs are constructed of specifically formulated wax and set to give the same ambient and soft glow of candlelight. Individually handcrafted, Kevin Reilly lighting has become a mainstay in the industry.