From Gehry’s 1969 Wiggle Chair to the more recent softwall and soft seating by Molo: the potential of corrugated cardboard has been unearthed time and time again. It’s light, strong, inexpensive and fairly easy to work with – but still an unlikely material, used for packing more than producing. Regardless, young designer Giles Miller has been exploring its various applications since his undergraduate days, creating pieces including a wardrobe, grandfather clock and a sidetable. 

Sofa. Designed by Giles Miller.

He’s received numerous press headlines for this work – and the launch of his own brand at the London Design Festival this year has further cemented his reputation. Miller appears to be on the fast-track to success.  Taking up residence at a pop-up shop in Kingsley Court, W1, he launched his series of new and re-launched products in addition to pulling together the work of other young designers, some fellow graduates of the Royal College of Art in London.  Their work, he feels “show a distinct quality through their material composition, considered concept and realization, or simply through their undeniable beauty as objects”  Included are designer Claire Lovett’s “decorative ceramic wall pieces with ‘peeling wallpaper’ layers, Abigail Borg’s vibrant floral wallpapers, and work by Julian Bond, Jon Harrison, Felix De Pass and Claire Ferreira. The result is a contemporary yet quirky space – his own brand of beautifully designed, interior products.

Fric floor lamp. Designed by Giles Miller.

Fric loor lamp. Designed by Giles Miller.

Mantle clock-c. Designed by Giles Miller.

Flute Sidetable. Designed by Giles Miller

Flute Sidetable. Designed by Giles Miller.

Flute Sidetable. Designed by Giles Miller.

Flute Sidetable. Designed by Giles Miller.

Pool Rocker II. Designed by Giles Miller.

Giles Miller’s collection.

In 2006, at age 22, Giles co-founded the young British design collective, Farm, and he continues to co-direct the group while developing his own collection.  Miller recently received his Masters from the Royal College of Art (RCA), where he studied product design under acclaimed designer Ron Arad (who has produced pieces for Moroso, pieces for Driade,  and design art showcased at Timothy Taylor gallery – among other things).  He spent his undergraduate days at Loughborough University and formed Farm, the rebellious British design collective, with three colleagues upon graduation in 2006 (when Miller was just 22). 

Disconcerted with the excess of “unviable products that only serve to consume resources and retire swiftly as landfill”, his experimentation with corrugated cardboard began in these undegraduate years.  Dovetusai has already picked up several pieces from his cardboard collection including a wardrobe, grandfather clock and sidetable.  His latest cardboard product is a Chesterfield sofa with a lattice structure, debuted in the Lighthouse Gallery in Glasgow.  Moving away from cardboard, he created the Naked Lego table from the ‘carved’ toy building blocks.  Miller has worked on product and interior commissions for clients including Based Upon, Make Poverty History and Stella McCartney – for whom he produced a wallcovering using his trademark (cardboard) fluting technique.

Hirsutio Vases by Giles Miller.
Stella McCartney Store, Paris 2009.
Wardrobe-C by Giles Miller for Skitsch.
Cardboard Selection

Giles Miller. 1:12 September 17-26, Kingly Court, Carnaby Street, London W1