Apparatus' Gabriel Hendifar announces Miami opening and unfurls London exhibition. Apparatus is preparing to expand its international presence with a new showroom in Miami, while cofounder Gabriel Hendifar prepares to unveil his first collection in five years, titled Act V: Afsaneh. The lighting and design firm plans to open its Miami location in February, following the launch of its first international showroom in London in [...] By Camila Colonel | 12 October 2026 Apparatus is preparing to expand its international presence with a new showroom in Miami, while cofounder Gabriel Hendifar prepares to unveil his first collection in five years, titled Act V: Afsaneh. The lighting and design firm plans to open its Miami location in February, following the launch of its first international showroom in London in 2023. Hendifar said the company is putting the finishing touches on the new space, which will serve a city with an increasingly vibrant arts and design community. "We've got a lot cooking. Miami's another great market for us and it's another place with a really beautifully, deeply ingrained community of artists and musicians. And sometimes you just need a little heat," Hendifar said in an interview. Gabriel Hendifar draws on family history for new collection. The designer's latest collection, Act V: Afsaneh, will be presented at Apparatus' Mayfair showroom in London. Through lighting and decorative objects, the collection explores resilience, the divine feminine, knowledge and the cycles of life, drawing on his family's journey to the United States during the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Named after Hendifar's mother, the collection places her influence and the musical traditions of his family at its centre. His mother sings and plays piano and, according to the designer, was the star of the family's musical life while he was growing up. "So much of my adult life at Apparatus has been about creating a certain kind of stage. And now really sort of putting her and my own lineage and the musicality in my family and that tradition at the center of this stage feels really fitting. It feels like a really full-circle moment," he said. Hendifar has also commissioned four family portraits for the London showroom. He said bringing his family into the space was important when Apparatus first opened in London, as the location on Mount Street represented a significant moment for the company. The collection is divided into four series: Esfand: The Seed, Gol: The Flower, Rahvi: The Serpent and Jahaan: The World. Each contributes to a broader narrative centred on femininity, nature and the passage of time. A study in materials and symbolism. The collection combines lacquer, brass, blown and cast glass, fibreglass, bronze and aluminium. The seed-inspired designs feature lacquered finishes in nature-inspired shades, including milk, honey, pomegranate, sky, dusk and night. Water-formed brass and blown glass trace the movement of the serpent, while amulets made from tiger's eye, black onyx, quartz, honey agate, red jasper and lapis lazuli introduce additional symbolic elements. The collection's story will also be explored through five short films produced in collaboration with New York's Martha Graham Dance Company, which is celebrating its centennial this year. The films are scheduled to be released on October 22. Founded in 2012, Apparatus has established an international presence through collections designed at its New York headquarters and manufactured at its dedicated Brooklyn factory. The upcoming Miami showroom and the launch of Act V: Afsaneh mark two important developments for the company, bringing together international growth and Hendifar's personal creative history.

A radiant focus on the Afsaneh lighting collection. This new series, the studio's first complete offering since 2019, primarily focuses on lighting options. From intricate pendants and chandeliers to elegant sconces, Act V showcases an array of designs, accompanied by tables and a unique incense holder. The collection prominently features blown glass, symbolizing the cycle of growth and enlightenment. "Life is shaped by cycles," Hendifar reflects. "Creation and destruction. The separation from self and the return. It's in these cycles that the collection finds its rhythm. The seed becomes the flower." Explore further the theme of myth-inspired design with Anna Ortiz's exploration of dreamlike jaguars and dual moons. A journey from seed to flower in the Afsaneh lighting collection. The collection introduces the Esfand sconces, named after seeds, with blown glass encompassed by lacquer settings in hues such as "milk, honey, and pomegranate." These elements are versatile, doubling as table vessels sans the glass components. The Gol pendants follow, named for flowers, featuring grand fiberglass domes split to unveil elongated, speckled glass orbs. These designs conclude in polished aluminum finishes, adding elegance. This reflects the series' commitment to blending art with utility. The serpentine complexity of Rahvi. Concluding the assembly is Rahvi, embodying the serpent's symbolism in a modular chandelier format, demonstrating knowledge accumulation. Crafted from water-formed brass and adorned with customizable glass orbs, Rahvi stands out with its configurability, offering personalization with rings cut with stones such as onyx and tiger's eye. Through these designs, the collection immortalizes Persian mythology design in a contemporary context. Apparatus combines ancient materials with avant-garde techniques, introducing a custom incense collaboration with Cinnamon Projects. Additionally, evocative short films made with the Martha Graham Dance Company complement the collection's launch. From ancient symbols to modern grottos. While previous collections drew from traditional Persian elements, Act V marks a narrative shift, embracing more figurative designs. Concurrently, Apparatus has been renovating its Los Angeles space as a "modernist grotto" and debuted in London. The stunning photography accompanying the collection is courtesy of Apparatus. Discover more about blending tradition and innovation in design with September Collective's Nywele Vase, inspired by Zulu heritage. Frequently asked questions. What is the focus of Act V: Afsaneh? What materials are used in the Afsaneh collection? What influences are behind the Afsaneh collection?