The Design 100

Umbra president and co-founder Les Mandelbaum wanted the exterior of the brand's new concept store to illustrate the company's innovative and playful approach to design. And so he—along with co-founder and VP of design Paul Rowan—asked Kohn Shnier architects to wrap the 7,000-sq.-ft. (650 sq m) building in translucent pink cladding. Inside, Umbra fans can find the brand's entire range of innovative home and tabletop products, including the new Table Tools line of cutlery from the U+ collection. In addition to an events space, the store has a functioning design area where customers can watch members of Umbra's design team at work every day. Umbra, which has collaborated with designers like Karim Rashid, also works with emerging talent at schools such as Pratt Institute in New York City and the Ontario College of Art and Design.