Second Look: Modern by Design

Old-world workmanship inspires Sieger’s range of products.

text by: Joanne Furio

April 1, 2009

Having spent a portion of his life living in an 18th-century castle on a German estate (see "Whitewashed Castle," page 41), Michael Sieger has seen firsthand the timelessness of fine workmanship. "You can learn a lot from what those craftsmen did," he explains. "It really made me aware of high quality. The doors, and even the locks, still work."

An accomplished industrial designer for the past 25 years, Michael, along with his brother and partner, Christian, runs Sieger Design—a firm that creates bespoke china for Arzberg, and kitchen and bath fixtures for Duravit and Alape. In 2006, the brothers launched a second company, Sieger, in the United States. The label utilizes the finest materials and the cleverness of contemporary Italian design for its entire collection of goods, which range from high-end menswear and accessories to handmade stationery and porcelain tabletop items. (The company enlisted Fürstenberg, a 260-year-old company that once made china for German royalty, to produce its porcelain.)

"We try to combine Italian creativity with the preciseness of German design," Michael says of his creations, noting that the menswear fabrics are from Italy, which is famed for its textiles. "The brand is a luxury brand because of the quality," he says. "In the end, quality—like those castle doors—will last."

Sieger, +49.5426.94920, www.sieger.org