After achieving huge success on the football field, Michael Bennett is on a path to doing the same in the world of design. Influenced by African and diasporan cultures, he founded Studio Kër, which produces sculptural furnishings that are meant to challenge traditional Western notions of living. It’s apt that Studio Kër’s first collection focuses on the home. Even its name, Kër – which refers to the traditional family living arrangements and sense of togetherness within Wolof culture, the largest ethnic group in Senegal – exudes a deep reverence for this fundamental and universal typology. Bennett and Blot have reimagined domestic mainstays, such as tables and seating, while imbuing them with poignant references to Black history. The ‘Gumbo’ lounge chair draws from the ubiquity, democracy and versatility of DC Simpson’s 1946 stacking polypropylene ‘Monobloc’ chair.

Michael Bennett, Super Bowl Star-Turned-Furniture-Designer