R+Y Augousti's Secret Weapon - Jean-Marc Fray Antiques

R+Y Augousti’s Secret Weapon

November 11, 2022

In 1985 Cypress-born design student Yiouri Agousti met Ria Macasae, a Philippine native senior designer working in London at the John Stefandis studio. Their artistic backgrounds brought them together as lovers and innovators. When Ria introduced Yiouri to the Philippines, their connection grew deeper. Inspired by the natural materials, local artisans, and sheer creativity woven throughout the country, the two embarked on a design business. In 19889 R+Y Augousti was born as a husband and wife duo. Inspired by the materials and techniques native to the Phillipines, the two created a furniture empire reviving the artisanal techniques of shagreen and other exotic materials that were predominant in the Art Deco period of the 1930s.

Aesthetically, R+Y Augousti is best described as a combination of a strong 1930s art deco presence in sculptural, warped metals. But their secret weapon? Shagreen.

This exotic leather made from rays is the most prominent material found in their work. Tables are supported by bronze-patina brass sculpted in a way that is reminiscent of tree branches. Trays are crafted with inlays of various materials such as brass, shagreen, and shellfish. Their Sylvie Chair, one of their earliest creations, is rooted in a curved seat fully made out of shagreen. It is a marriage of art and design.