KAIA MANIFESTO
WHAT WE BELIEVE IN...
KAIA COMBINES THE APPLICATION OF ART, CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE AND CRAFTSMANSHIP WITH THE VISION TO EXPLORE THINGS TO THEIR VERY ESSENCE. OUR OBJECTS SPEAK THEIR OWN LANGUAGE: FUNCTIONAL BEAUTY, SIMPLICITY, TIMELESSNESS, PURITY, ELEGANCE OFTEN WROUGHT IN GEOMETRIC PERFECTION. ALL OUR PRODUCTS ARE SKILLFULLY HANDCRAFTED BY ARTISANS OF A TRADITIONAL AND FAMILY-OWNED WORKSHOP IN GERMANY. WE WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR SUPPLIERS UTILISING OUR DIFFERENT SKILLSETS TO EXPLORE THE WIDEST POSSIBLE RANGE OF MATERIALS, ALWAYS WITH THE AIM OF PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF CONVENTIONAL CRAFTSMANSHIP AND DESIGN. WE CONCENTRATE ON EVERY LITTLE DETAIL TO ENSURE THAT OUR UNIQUE AND ELEGANT PRODUCTS ARE OF HIGHEST QUALITY. ALL COMPONENTS, BEING GLASS, MARBLE OR METAL GO THROUGH A THOROUGH QUALITY CONTROL PROCESS BEFORE BEING ASSEMBLED AND WIRED IN OUR WORKSHOP NEAR MUNICH.
OUR TEAM
KAIA’S SMALL BUT MULTINATIONAL TEAM OF TALENTED AND PASSIONATE INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK TOGETHER ACROSS EUROPE. SINCE 2013, KAIA HAS BEEN HEADQUARTERED IN LONDON. INITIALLY, THE WORKSHOP WAS SITUATED IN AUSTRIA, JUDENAU, AND IN 2021, IT RELOCATED TO GERMANY, MUNICH, WHERE BOTH THE OFFICE AND ATELIER ARE NOW LOCATED.
MANUELA SZEWALD
CREATIVE & MANAGING DIRECTOR
“BEING PASSIONATE ABOUT ART, BEAUTIFUL OBJECTS AND ARCHITECTURE IS SOMETHING I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN. I LOVE WORKING WITH INNOVATIVE AND SKILLED INDIVIDUALS AND CREATE SOMETHING APPEALING AND ELEGANT, WHICH IS NEW IN ITS SHAPE OR MATERIAL COMPOSITION.
AT UNIVERSITY I STUDIED LAW AND WORKED IN A LAW FIRM IN MUNICH, LATER AS A TAX LAWYER IN A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION IN FRANKFURT AND LONDON. IN 2010, WHILST REFURBISHING MY FAMILY’S HOLIDAY HOME, A HAMLET OF 300 YEARS OLD FARMHOUSES, I REDISCOVERED MY LOVE AND PROFOUND PASSION FOR INTERIOR AND BEAUTIFUL DESIGN AND THE PRESERVING OF TRADITIONAL CRAFTSMANSHIP. I REALISED THE PATH I HAD SUCCESSFULLY TAKEN FOR WORK WAS NOT FULFILLING FOR ME AND I FELT EMPTY DOING IT. CONSEQUENTLY, IN DECEMBER 2013 I JOINED AND INTRODUCED MYSELF TO THE INSPIRING DESIGN WORLD OF KAIA, OPENING A REFRESHING AND NEW PERSPECTIVE IN MY LIFE.
IN SUMMER 2016, I PARTED FROM 13 YEARS OF LONDON CITY LIFE AND MOVED WITH MY FAMILY TO THE BAVARIAN COUNTRYSIDE. LIVING WITH NATURE AND OUR BELOVED ANIMALS MADE ME REALISE THE IMPORTANCE OF HARMONY AND FINDING A BALANCE BETWEEN NATURE, LIFE AND MYSELF. I STRONGLY BELIEVE IN SUSTAINABILITY, THE PRESERVING OF TRADITION AND CONTRIBUTING IN LITTLE CHANGES TO MAKE AN IMPACT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS IN BOTH MY PRIVATE AND BUSINESS LIFE.”
OUR COLLABORATIONS
WE LOVE COLLABORATING WITH EUROPEAN ARTISTS, DESIGNERS AND BRANDS WHO SHARE OUR PASSION. TOGETHER WE MASTER THE CHALLENGES OF CREATING SPECIAL EDITIONS AS WELL AS OUR COLLECTION LINE OBJECTS.
