This UX Designer Is Re-creating Iconic Design Pieces for Your Selfies

When Paris first went into lockdown from COVID-19 in spring 2020, the Paris-based UI/UX designer Kristina Vilyams decided to start making some of her favorite design pieces—like the Ettore Sottsass Ultrafragola mirror—in the form of Instagram filters. “People were self-isolated in their own apartments and did not have the ability to go outside,” she says. “Everyone was just bored with the same interiors and backgrounds on their photos. I just wanted to help the people transform their home content on Instagram.”

Since then, Kristina’s filters have been utilized in selfies all over the app. There’s a pink foam mirror filter that looks incredibly realistic, inspired by the DIY trend that has taken Instagram by storm. “First of all, I choose the items that I love,” she says. “Of course, I also think my choice is influenced by current trends. During the quarantine, it was popular to do the DIY foam mirror. It was a huge Instagram trend. So I got the idea to create a filter with a foam mirror.” The filter was created in collaboration with Ouhlala Le Shop, the up-and-coming digital gift shop.

The Ettore Sottsass Ultrafragola mirror is probably her most popular filter. She created a few different versions inspired by Sottsass’s iconic work, in light-up pink, matte pink, and yellow. Another design-centric filter that’s perfectly prime for selfies? The small rectangular mirror on a pink background dubbed Glow, which was inspired by the Glossier store in Los Angeles.

Kristina takes inspiration from her day-to-day work as a designer. “The place where art meets tech is what I always want to do,” she says. “Also, I am addicted to fashion, vintage clothes, and furniture.” But she’s a design obsessive at heart: “I really like the colorful kitsch and garish [pieces] by Ettore Sottsass and the Memphis Group, fueled by influences from Pop Art and Art Deco.” She also loves the Danish designer Verner Panton’s futuristic designs and use of plastic and vibrant colors; Marcel Breuer and other Bauhaus designers with their simple designs and industrial materials; plus Faye Toogood, Michel Ducaroy, Studio Mignone, and the French design company Moustache.

Kristina’s filters also go beyond mirrors, making it possible to have some of your favorite design items in your house. The Panton Chair, an S-shaped plastic chair created by Verner Panton in the 1960s, can be sized and placed anywhere in your surroundings through Kristina’s filter. The pink Roly Poly armchair, designed by Faye Toogood and manufactured by Driade, is also an option, as is the signature Ettore Sottsass Pilastro Stool in a plum hue.

Still, the Ultrafragola filter has a special place in our hearts. “Mirror selfies are one of the classic types of photography,” says Kristina of its popularity. “It’s quick and easy, and it’s always gotten a great response from users on social networks. Usually in our daily lives, we have access to a limited number of mirrors in our apartment or in a fitting room. With mirror filters, you can always change the look of your bedroom without leaving it, thereby giving a new life to your Instagram feed.”

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

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