Credit: Otilia Dragan/Chronicle.lu

On the evening of Thursday 13 June 2024, local designers and artists launched new collections and products at the Design Hub in Luxembourg-Gare.

Ruth Lorang of ruth.atelier, a one-woman workshop offering evolutive furniture and various sustainable and socially conscious products, has launched her second product: Anouk. This is a baby changing table that can transform into a "classic commode". Although this product just came out, the design is five-years-old: the idea started when Ruth’s sister was pregnant with her firstborn, Anouk. This design was made to suit Ruth’s sister’s desires, making a changing table that could be kept for "a lifetime" and which could be safe and practical, child-friendly but still sleek and stylish. Using local materials (local wood and craftmanship) and being colourful, but not too much so, the piece easily "transforms" when the baby grows up. The first drawers are purposefully not too deep, so that baby clothes can easily be folded and "stand up", "Marie-Kondo-style", to quote Ruth.

Atelier Monell, by Anne Wies, also launched its series of products: colourful pom pom earrings in silver and various gold and silver, as well as brass rings, earrings and necklaces. Speaking to Chronicle.lu, Anne Wies noted that the name stems from her two grandmothers' names, Monique and Nellie, put together. She inherited a golden necklace which she had never worn in its original shape. She took it to a goldsmith who melted it and made earrings out of it, which she now wears very often. "It still feels like grandma’s necklace, but different." Her goal is to create timeless jewellery for every day, which also has "the special something".

The idea for jewellery-making stemmed from there, although she is an architect. She encourages her customers to bring her old jewellery or pieces they do not wear often, aiming to recycle and thereby create new pieces they can love.

Finally, ruth.atelier and Nadine Rocco collaborated to create "wonky", a handmade series of irregular, ceramic plates dishwasher, microwave and oven-friendly.

The local restaurant Mad About Peru, which adjoins the Design Hub, had various snacks and drinks on offer for the occasion.