Over a decade ago, while scuba diving 20 metres beneath the ocean’s surface, designer Kris Van Puyvelde was mesmerised by the intricate beauty of the marine life around him. With no phone calls, emails or interruptions, his mind was free to wander. As he watched a pipe anemone emerge from its slender tube and sway with the current, inspiration struck for an unexpected parasol design.

Kris surfaced and immediately began sketching – the mechanism, the motion, the dynamics of form and function. But early prototypes failed, and the idea was shelved. It wasn’t until 2023, while clearing out his desk, that he stumbled upon those original drawings. A wave of nostalgia – and a spark of renewed clarity – led him back to the concept. With a designer’s precision and a diver’s patience, he refined the idea into its final form.