A shared approach to design brought together London-based Cypriot designer Michael Anastassiades and Shihara's Yuta Ishihara. After being introduced by a mutual acquaintance, they began traveling, exchanging studio visits, and building a connection through ongoing creative dialogue.

“I see Michael's aesthetic in how he works with materials and draws lines,” says Ishihara. “He strips away excess, incorporates function into form, and expresses beauty through minimal shapes. I really relate to that way of thinking.”

In traditional jewelry, elements like clasps have remained mostly unchanged throughout history. Ishihara challenged that by focusing on the structure itself, founding Shihara to integrate construction and design as one. Anastassiades' work reflects a similar philosophy, combining essential function with a modern and architectural sense of beauty.

Though Michael Anastassiades designs across a wide range of fields including product, interior, and environmental design, his true expertise lies in lighting.

“I thought it was inevitable that the word ‘pendant’ had two meanings: lighting and jewelry. Jewelry hanging from a chain around the neck makes the wearer beautiful, while lighting suspended from the ceiling illuminates a space beautifully. When it comes to manipulating scale and proportion in relation to the human body, there is no difference between furniture, lighting, and jewelry. That's why collaborating with SHIHARA was very organic.” says Anastassiades.

Jewelry and objects maintain a balance through the relationship of simple elements. To achieve this, precision that combines both industrial production and fine craftsmanship is essential. Anastassiades sees a creative synergy in the collaboration with Shihara, born from a deep mutual understanding, and says, “Bringing the quality of handcraft into the objects we design is important.” Michael Anastassiades and Shihara bring their pieces to life through meticulous work at a micro scale and refined artisanal skill.

Michael Anastassiades+Shihara. The “plus” represents a long-term relationship grounded in mutual respect and shared ideas. It reflects an evolving creative dialogue that continues to deepen over time.

First introduced in 2022, the Construction Lines series draws inspiration from the dashed and broken lines used as reference marks in architectural and technical drawings. The necklaces, earrings, and bracelets are composed of yellow gold pipes in three fixed lengths: 10, 20, and 40 millimeters. These pipes are arranged in two different patterns that resemble a ball chain. While typical chain necklaces are made with small links that follow the contours of the body, this collection creates irregular rhythms and unexpected forms across the body.

 

Introduced alongside the Construction Lines in 2022, these jewelry-related objects explore the relationship between form and function. The collection includes a brass hand mirror coated in yellow gold, inspired by historical cultural artifacts, and a tray made from Japanese wood finished with traditional Japanese white lacquer. Each piece combines a timeless silhouette with materials that gain beauty as they age.

Created to accompany Shihara's fragrance collection “Elevations”, developed by British perfumer Lyn Harris for the brand, this diffuser brings scent, light, and structure into harmony. A candle is placed in the recessed center of the base and lit before the lid is gently set in place. A few drops of fragrance oil go onto the center of the lid. As the metal warms, the scent slowly fills the space and soft light flickers through the opening. Though simple in form, the design reflects a balance of structure and intention.

Pendant lights suspended from the ceiling and earrings worn on the body both respond to gravity and structure, shaping their relationship with space and form. In the MC Collection, Anastassiades' signature lighting work “Mobile Chandelier” is scaled down and reinterpreted as jewelry. Curved lines of yellow gold and geometric pearls are composed like counterweights, following the principles of balance to create a quiet, harmonious structure.

The Splash collection is inspired by the forms found in Michael Anastassiades's products. Ripple, defined by its continuous concave silhouette, and Dew, which features a petal-like cross-section combining circular and right-angled geometries, are developed through a process that examines forms shared across lighting and furniture from multiple perspectives—revealing latent shapes through variations in cross-sections and angles.