The Lost Cloth Object by Stephen Burks Man Made – All photos by Federico Cedrone.

Design. ALPI, Italian manufacturer pioneering recomposed wood surfaces, teamed up with New York-based studio Stephen Burks Man Made to create The Lost Cloth Object, a striking capsule collection that brings together art, craft and design. Months of cultural and material research and a journey across continents led to its debut at Design Miami/, where the designers shared both the process and the stories embedded in each piece.

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At the heart of the installation is an organic platform displaying patterned furniture pieces. The composition nods to the bold abstraction of Kuba art while embracing the experimental spirit of Italian design. The Lost Cloth Object includes a rocking stool, a rocking ottoman, and a curved partition. Each element illustrates how diverse perspectives can shape a new language of making. Forms are soft yet graphic. Materials feel familiar yet radically transformed.

The project began far from the fairground spotlight. Studio founders Malika Leiper and Stephen Burks travelled to Kinshasa to meet artisans who safeguard centuries-old weaving traditions of the Kuba Kingdom in today’s Democratic Republic of Congo. Kuba textiles, crafted from raffia palm fibres, are celebrated for their geometric motifs and meticulous handwork. Their patterns carry symbolic meaning while reflecting community identity.

The designers sought to translate this cultural heritage into sustainable wood design. ALPI’s Legacy veneers offered the perfect medium. Rather than simply applying motifs to timber surfaces, the team reinterpreted the visual codes of Kuba cloths. They revitalised the grain, depth, and tonal richness of species once considered “lost” or endangered — including ebony, teak, wenge, rosewood, and zebrawood. Material history becomes part of a new future.

“We were not interested in mimicking the beautiful, prestigious cloths that exist in museums all over the world. On the contrary, we’re interested in a hybrid project that creates space for new expressions of Kuba,” says Stephen Burks.
“ALPI as a partner is very exciting to be working with, especially for their innovative approach,” adds Malika Leiper. “Through the combination of art, design and craft, we found new ways to express age-old ideas and continue them into the future.”

“The Lost Cloth Object represents a consideration of design as a cultural practice,” concludes Vittorio Alpi. “Its visual language interprets the material and reinvents it to tell a new story.” This project reminds us that design evolves through exchange. Materials hold memory. Craft adapts. And creative collaboration ensures that heritage continues to thrive in surprising, meaningful ways.

All photos are by Federico Cedrone.

The Lost Cloth Object by Stephen Burks Man Made – Photo by Federico Cedrone.