The Shape-Shifter INSIDE HARRY NURIEV'S CROSBY UNIVERSE

Designer, provocateur, storyteller—Harry Nuriev has built a world where instinct reigns supreme and design refuses categorisation. From offcut sofas for Balenciaga to foam rooms that double as art installations, the Moscow-born, New York-based founder of Crosby Studios has become one of the most talked-about names in contemporary design. In this conversation with A+D, Nuriev unpacks his philosophy of Transformism, his collaborations with global brands, his impressions of India, and the outrageous projects that still make him wonder: did I really do that?

- By Ankita Rathod

There are designers who build spaces, and then there are those who build worlds. Harry Nuriev belongs firmly to the latter. Born in Stavropol, trained at the Moscow Architecture Institute, and now based in New York, Nuriev is the restless force behind Crosby Studios — a practice that has resisted categorisation since its inception in 2014. His universe is one where art bleeds into interiors, where furniture becomes sculpture, and where fashion collides with theatre.

Today, the Paris—New York practice has grown into a dynamic cultural platform with a global footprint. In 2025 alone, Crosby is set to unveil around 30 bold projects across fashion, hospitality, residences, product design, and contemporary art. The client list is stacked with powerhouses — Balenciaga, Gucci, Nike, Dover Street Market, Baccarat, Jimmy Choo, Valentino, H&M, even Delta Airlines — proof that Crosby has become the go-to collaborator wherever design and culture collide.

TRANSFORMISM: THE PHILOSOPHY OF FLUX

At the heart of Nuriev's work lies Transformism — a philosophy that refuses to sit still. Unlike design movements pinned to manifestos or eras, Transformism is fluid, restless, constantly mutating. From the outset, Crosby Studios was never confined to interiors or furniture; it was a laboratory where fashion, art, and architecture collided. A sofa might be stitched from discarded clothes, a café staged like theatre. The result is a body of work in constant motion — from early modular furniture experiments to sculptural installations and immersive interiors.