The long histories of textiles and woodwork go hand in hand, with technique, materiality, and human touch inseparable from the final object. The Lost Cloth Project is a capsule collection created through a collaboration between Italian surfaces manufacturer ALPI and acclaimed design studio Stephen Burks Man Made, led by Stephen Burks and Malika Leiper, celebrating the ancient bond between wood and weaving. Translating traditional Kuba raffia textiles into intricate wood inlay, the collection draws from centuries-old patterns originating in the Kuba Kingdom in today’s Democratic Republic of the Congo. Unveiled at Design Miami this year, the mini-collection fuses cultural research, craft, and contemporary expression through ALPI’s innovative approach to recomposed wood.

For the duo, hand production is not a nostalgic gesture but a vehicle for innovation – a direct response to the commodification and planned obsolescence of modern design. Inspired by Kuba cloth, traditionally woven from raffia palm leaves and adorned with abstract geometric motifs, the designers translate these intricate patterns into a new material language.

The resulting wood-inlaid pieces – two ottomans and a sculptural partition – celebrate the individuality and improvisational nature of Kuba textile design, realized entirely in veneers from ALPI’s Legacy Collection. Comprising so-called “lost” woods such as ebony, Honduran mahogany, teak, rosewood, wenge, and zebrawood, the collection draws attention to species that are no longer readily available – or in some cases no longer permitted – to be commercially harvested.

In this way, the materiality and message of the capsule collection are deeply aligned. ALPI’s pioneering reconstituted wood technology, made by taking apart and reassembling real wood to create a material that is both authentic and reproducible, allows ancestral patterns to be translated rather than merely referenced. This approach mirrors Stephen Burks Man Made’s longstanding practice of working within spaces of craft and community, bridging past and present through culturally open design.

As Vittorio Alpi – founder Pietro Alpi’s grandson, now leading the company – reflects: “The encounter with Stephen and the way he was inspired by the traditional craft of Kuba cloth led to an epiphany. I saw an intimate connection to our Legacy collection – both are expressions of cultural heritage at risk of disappearing. When Stephen proposed The Lost Cloth Object, it felt like a moment of magical creativity.”

Intricate layering of these “lost” woods, combined with the detailed geometry of Kuba weaving, creates a captivating luster that allows distinct grain patterns to shine. Finished in satin to preserve the natural luminosity of the material, the pieces invite the wood itself to speak – each surface telling a story of transformation, continuity, and care. Positioned within ALPI’s ongoing series of cultural design initiatives, The Lost Cloth Object reminds us that not all progress is new, and not everything old is truly lost.

To learn more about the Lost Cloth Project by Stephen Burks Man Made with ALPI, please visit stephenburksmanmade.com.

Photography by Federico Cedrone.

Growing up in NYC has given Aria a unique perspective into art + design, constantly striving for new projects to get immersed in. An avid baker, crocheter, and pasta maker, handwork and personal touch is central to what she loves about the built environment. Outside of the city, she enjoys hiking, biking, and learning about space.