Axor, the designer brand from Hansgrohe, is launching its tenth bath mixer, shower and accessory collection and its first in collaboration with the internationally renowned French designer Jean-Marie Massaud. Making its New York debut this weekend at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), the new Axor Massaud collection embodies the designer's organic approach to product design and his celebration of the simplicity and beauty of nature.

"For Jean-Marie, the feelings and needs of the individual are always the focus in his work," observes Axor brand manager Philippe Grohe, who worked closely with Massaud on the new collection. "His fascination with modern man's quest for an elemental connection to what is essential and natural is mirrored in Axor Massaud -- a symbiosis between nature, man and the space in which he lives."


In the Axor Massaud collection, organic lines inspired by nature are brought into harmony with geometric forms of modern design. Cleverly concealed among the curved forms, straight edges and mesmerizing flow of water is the same state-of-the-art technology and high degree of functionality found in every Axor product.


The signature piece of the new collection is the unique lav mixer, featuring an asymmetrical and expansive shelf-like surface, measuring nearly 16 inches wide. A delicate sheet of water cascades almost magically from the edge of the "shelf" into a white, molded-mineral washbowl that is also part of the collection. The slim base of the lav mixer bends upwards into a slight curve, reminiscent of a tall blade of grass. This item has already received the highly acclaimed International Forum (IF) Product Design Award, presented after its European debut in 2006.


Complete offering: Axor Massaud encompasses an abundance of fully coordinated components and accessories -- 60 items in all, and all featuring a polished chrome finish. These include lav and bidet mixers; tub spouts and fillers; showerheads, handshowers, bodysprays and controls; and an assortment of accessories, including towel bars, toilet paper holder, toilet brush, even a candleholder, a cosmetic box and a flower vase.