The creative design side of Instagram is its very own specific niche, but it’s where the realms of fashion and furniture collide. It’s where trends are born and take off, eventually filtering into the masses months or even years later. Even storied furniture icons such as Ligne Roset’s Togo sofa and Tobia Scarpa’s Soriana chair have accumulated newfound fame on the app, exposed to a new audience of fervent fans—mostly millennials—anxious to own a part of design history. But aside from the usual European male names that tend to be thrown around when talking about furniture design, a few fresh faces have broken through the noise to cement themselves as a new generation of designers to watch. One of those people is New York–based designer Eny Lee Parker, a 31-year-old designer whose distinct, playful creations you can’t help but notice. Although a relative newcomer, Parker’s work has generated big buzz within the design scene, spanning a slew of copycats and endorsements from industry tastemakers.
If you’re an avid user of social media, you’ve likely already come across a few of Parker’s most well-known pieces, one being the Oo Lamp—a two-globe terra-cotta lamp that model Elsa Hosk is particularly fond of.
As one could expect, Parker is a busy woman, managing a small team out of her Queens studio, where she does everything from conceptualizing new designs to packing and fulfilling orders. We caught up with the designer to talk about her unique creations, why she considers herself lucky, and what goes into building a bustling business.
