At just 22 years old, Subin Bae represents a fresh voice in Seoul’s emerging design scene. Subin has quickly distinguished herself through an innovative approach to furniture design that challenges traditional material expectations. Her “Wood Welding” series began as an experimental thesis project, applying metalworking techniques to wood in unexpected ways. Each piece in the collection features carefully charred intersections where poplar plywood meets, with the burnt edges preserved in resin coating. The resulting works showcase both technical precision and material innovation, establishing Subin as one of Korea’s most promising young designers.

Subin’s pursuit of material innovation has found a great home at SVRN’s new San Francisco location, where her Wood Welding Chair and Stool create a fresh dialogue with WGNB’s fluid interior design. Curated by Point of Contact, the pieces represent a thoughtful fusion of Korean heritage with contemporary luxury retail—their rigid geometries offering counterpoint to the store’s sweeping curves. The installation, which runs through February 2025, marks an expansion of SVRN’s creative vision beyond fashion into collectible design, finding new possibilities for cross-disciplinary retail environments and a path for global independent design.

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