NEW YORK, NY.- A unique set of upcycled furniture, a design collaboration between architect/designer Giancarlo Valle, fashion designer Marc Jacobs, and artist/illustrator Rob Wilson, will be offered by Phillips in its New York Design auction on 9 June. The project began in June 2020 when New Yorkers joined in nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice. As a sign of solidarity, design curator Dung Ngo commissioned Rob Wilson to paint a mural on the boarded storefront of Marc Jacobs’ shop Bookmarc, based on the poignant theme of “Unity Through Books.” As New York City begins to open again, the mural has been transformed—in order to make a contribution toward the advancement of equity for and inclusion of transgender and gender nonconforming people of color.

In May 2021, as New York City reopens, Ngo commissioned the architect/designer Giancarlo Valle to create unique furniture pieces from Rob Wilson’s mural plywood boards used in the Bookmarc windows. Composed of two benches and a pair of end tables, the suite of furniture pieces plays off Wilson’s graphic elements and continue the “upcycling” of the plywood boards.

The furniture pieces will be auctioned by Phillips in the New York Design sale on 9 June, with 100% of the proceeds benefitting RiseOut: the statewide LGBTQ advocacy initiative of New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. Alongside 50+ coalition partners, The Center advocates for and amplifies the voices of LGBTQ New Yorkers, aiming to center the needs of those most impacted by oppression and discrimination, particularly BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) and TGNCNB (Transgender, gender non-conforming, and nonbinary) people. The initiative works to dismantle barriers to social and restorative justice, economic opportunity, affirming health care and more.

This project is a collaboration between Rob Wilson (artist/illustrator), Giancarlo Valle (architect/designer), and CainCain Studio (fabricator), organized by Dung Ngo, along with the participation of the teams at Bookmarc, Marc Jacobs and Phillips, all of whom have donated their time and talent to bring this extraordinary and joyful collaboration to fruition.

Says Marc Jacobs about the project, “We’re excited to introduce these amazing pieces by Giancarlo Valle, who took the impactful artwork by Rob Wilson and reimagined them in a way that allows the message of equality to live on.”