When last we checked in with globetrotting chef, TV star and philanthropist Marcus Samuelsson, he was keeping fit on the pitch in Wine Spectator’s April 30 2023, Wine and Wellness issue (and on Wine Spectator’s Straight Talk podcast). You’ll not be surprised to learn that the man behind Harlem’s Red Rooster has been doing more than just playing footie since then. He’s also been making furniture.
In July, Samuelsson launched his first furniture and houseware collection, in partnership with Williams Sonoma’s West Elm home retailer. The collection includes 32 products, ranging from tableware to lighting to chairs and cabinetry, and aims to honor his Ethiopian heritage, Swedish upbringing and longtime hometown of New York.
”I'm super excited about the partnership,” Samuelsson told Wine Spectator. “I've been part of the design process of creating our restaurants, whether it's Red Rooster or Hav & Mar. And it's always been that idea, when you're a chef, and you then become a restaurant owner, you're designing. You’re constantly designing, and thinking, what if?”
“West Elm came to me, and I was like, wow, this is great, because I come from such a design-centric part of the world in terms of being raised in Sweden and growing up with a really specific point of view in terms of minimalistic design, but I also have the African side, which is prints, and more colorful. It's been a really interesting journey over the last two years, and I learned a lot.”
The West Elm project also brought Samuelsson home to Smögen, the small seaside town where he grew up on Sweden’s southwest coast, for an international promotional campaign. But Samuelsson insisted on a very local vibe.
“[Smögen is] very personal. It’s the birthplace of my father; it's where we grew up. Every summer we were there, every school break we were there. It's a very, very personal part of my life, and I've been very careful in terms of bringing media there—this is a fishing village. My grandfather was a fishing man. I love when [my kids] go there because it offers something so different than New York City. We went in the offseason, and I met up with my uncles and my aunties and I wanted it to be very authentic and family-driven.”
In fact, Samuelsson hired his cousin to produce the campaign. “She lives there all year. She knows which fishing hut you can get into, and which one you can't get into. She knows the place and all these people, so I was like, alright, you're the producer.”
Samuelsson also shared the menu he cooked up for his Smögen family. “We grilled mackerel. What grows there is wild chives, potatoes, fennel, and you fish shrimp and mackerel. Seafood-forward, tons of salad, some fresh fruit and kept it real simple,” he said, suggesting beer or apple cider to pair.
The West Elm X Marcus Samuelsson collection is available exclusively from West Elm, and the chef tells us he’s particularly fond of the bar cabinet, dining chairs and pasta bowls. “I hope [the collection] can inspire others to look into another side of their creativity.”
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