VISION
The vision of Eric Brand’s Masters & Mentors Program is based on the philosophy that great design collaboration should be taught and shared.
After more than 20 years in business, Eric Brand has had the honor of working with some of the most esteemed architects and interior designers in the world. Whether executing a designer’s vision to exact specifications or embarking on an exciting collaboration, the resulting designs have manifested into an incomparable blend of innovative concepts and manufacturing expertise. These designs have become staples in some of the most luxurious residential and hospitality projects worldwide.
To pay the ultimate tribute to these prominent designers, Eric Brand has launched the Masters & Mentors Limited Edition Series. Exquisite material sourcing, superior design, and skilled execution are at the core of Eric Brand. Accordingly, Eric seeks to enlist designers who are at the top of their field and invite them to participate in this unique design partnership.
Eric Brand offers the master designers a palate of exotic materials featuring unique manufacturing technique and finishing. The designers are then asked to dream and conceptualize limited edition products utilizing these materials and processes. The intent is to create memorable, iconic products through the alignment of collaboration, creativity and execution.
The first installment is a special limited edition collection by Roger Thomas. Limited to 12 pieces per style, each item is numbered and signed by Roger Thomas himself.
All profits from the series will be entrusted into a mentorship program for design students who can benefit from a mentorship with either the Eric Brand company, the master designer, or both.
DEVELOPMENT
Founder/Mentor
ERIC BRAND
Born in Texas, Eric Brand has grown from a small furniture company to now having an internationally renowned presence. Over the last 20 years, Eric Brand’s designs have been featured in hundreds of magazines and publications worldwide. Credited for redefining luxury and transforming the world of high-end furnishings, he has been responsible for creating architectural interiors for clients such as Chanel, Coach, and Donna Karan.
Represented in the leading showrooms across the country, Eric Brand’s residential and hospitality lines are nationally and internationally recognized for his multimedia approach to design and fabrication, and for his use of exotic materials. Eric Brand manufactures and has offices in the United States, China, and the Philippines.
The Orange Box.
Fill the orange box with extraordinary materials that dazzle the eye, yearning to merge together harmoniously. Pass that box to a person with talent. vision, and passion; a person with a deep sense of place, purpose and humanity.
The materials in the orange box vary. There are natural materials with the opalescence of the moon that emit more negative ions than the most pristine forest. Polished materials with virtually no imperfections, seeming impossible. Precious materials as thin as a micron, sedimentary materials embedded with clusters of brilliance, cast materials that evoke the spirit of handwork.
I am very proud to introduce the Eric Brand Masters & Mentors Limited Edition Series program with Roger Thomas as our first master.
I clearly recall the very first time I met Roger Thomas in Las Vegas. I left with a sense that I had just encountered a man with amazing vision, and one who embodies historical knowledge, passion, collaborative spirit, and incredible humility. Over the last decade I have had the honor of working with Roger on various projects. Without exception, he is always in the moment and brilliantly brings out the best in those with whom he works and the project on the table.
For the balance of my career, I hope to engage more masters, collaborating with them to create heirloom product, mentor more rising stars, and give back to the industry that has been so generous to me.
Eric
MASTER
Master/Mentor
ROGER THOMAS
Roger Thomas, 2016 Inductee into the Interior Design Hall of Fame, is principal of The Roger Thomas Collection Inc., which offers products by the five-time member of the AD100 list of leading designers published by Architectural Digest magazine. Thomas is executive vice president of design for Wynn Design and Development, overseeing design for Wynn Hotels and Resorts in the United States and China. The Collection’s home furnishings, textiles, accessories, jewelry and other items are made under license by seventeen leading manufacturers in the U.S. and Europe.
The most important lesson of nearly four decades dedicated to creating dramatic and memorable interiors is that quality of craftsmanship and of design are both of paramount importance and rarely achieved........in my experience, Eric Brand achieves both without fail.
It is also a constant that quality of product is only present with passion in the products creator and in the products craftsmen and makers.
Eric and I share these convictions.
Craftsmanship and great design are both a result of learning at the hands of a careful and inspired teacher and mentorship is the most successful model of this crucial exchange. This is another tangency of Eric’s philosophy and mine.
When Eric first suggested the Masters & Mentors Program I leapt at the opportunity for two reasons.
First, I love to teach and I believe it is not only an obligation to pass along ones craft but also the most enriching experience.
Second, I had every confidence that like all of Eric’s products and designs, the program would be crafted with care, with intelligence and with passion and that the result would be one we could both be proud of.
From the first joyous moment of surprised delight in opening my “Orange Box”, to the last farewell as our Mentee, Marcus left our Studio and our care, and in turn, left behind his gift of vision, enthusiasm and gratitude, I have found every moment of Masters & Mentors to be the most fulfilling experience of my career.
Roger
PRODUCT
MENTEE
Mentee
MARCUS FERRIERA
Born and raised on Maui, Hawaii, I have been surrounded by natural beauty my whole life, but have lacked great design. When I came to California College of the Arts, and first experienced a woodshop, a natural talent for working and building with my hands sparked my pursuit of furniture design. I discovered that with my own skill I can make highly functioning works of art. My practice evolved from creating pieces suited for my own needs, to satisfying the growing needs of others, and furthermore creating pieces that change the standard idea of furniture.
Reflection
I’m still reeling from the amazing experience of this inaugural Masters & Mentors Program. Thrust into a diverse world of design upon an adventure to places I had never been, Eric Brand set forth to offer me the opportunity of a lifetime. This summer I studied under definitive masters. But my experience was a sum of more than just the excellent tutelage of Eric Brand and Roger Thomas, both amazingly talented, thoughtful, and focused designers. I was looked after and cared for by a team of people who truly enjoyed their jobs and the people they worked with, in both San Francisco and Las Vegas.
I reminisce on the quote, “It takes a Village” (in this case two, one a bit larger than the other); it truly counts for all the knowledge bestowed on me this summer. The interactions I had with numerous and varying people I met culminated in an experience all its own. Beyond learning the process that goes into fabrication of design, and ideas of two very different businesses, I learned the value of camaraderie and humor with those you work with closely, I learned the value of speaking up and letting your voice be heard when it needs to be, whilst every other moment you’re either working hard to learn a new skill or listening in to absorb any and every bit of knowledge. I met people who were interested in my dreams, goals, and future.
I cannot express enough gratitude to the program, my mentors, and all the wonderful people in those “villages” who truly cared for me and my dreams. Eventually one day, I hope that I can offer my knowledge as a Master & Mentor and further bestow the gift of knowledge and opportunity granted to me.