What are the keys to good design? Is it skill, intuition, practice or some combination of the three? One team that might have the answer is one the world’s leading design firms, Fulcher Design International. In LUXlife’s 2021’s Leaders in Luxury Awards, the firm was named as Most Outstanding Interdisciplinary Design Management Organisation, 2021. We take a closer look at this extraordinary firm and some of its projects to discover how they achieved such a remarkable feat.
Design plays a major part in all of our lives, from the way in which a room is laid out to the style and fittings that are part of the way we live. Design is a key aspect when considering art, and there is perhaps no more demanding sector of art than that of film and television production. The team at Fulcher Design have played roles across the spectrum of design, offering their exceptional knowledge to industries and individuals around the world.
For more than twenty years, Fulcher Design has been a major player in the architectural, luxury retail, transportation and movie industries, building on the skills developed in each to offer a truly multidisciplinary practice. Few can argue with the remarkable range of services on offer from this amazing team, ranging from property design through to the development and construction of race cars.
The art of good design lies at the heart of the business, with its founder Jean-Hans Fulcher offering clients a seasoned operator who knows the detail that must go into every project. A graduate from Pratt Institute with Honors in Industrial Design and a major in Car Design, he was able to take advantage of the Engineering, Architecture, and Art school all being on one campus. In a world where specialism is a highly valued commodity, the breadth of his background has laid the groundwork for Fulcher Design to reach into every industry and succeed, with skills being easily transferred between each unique project.
Fulcher Design was formed in 2001, offering a base from which Jean-Hans could build and develop his career. In just two years, he was invited to team up with a Boutique Retail Marketing & manufacturer where he assisted with the practical elements of brand development. As a design and project manager, he was able to bring the skills of Fulcher Design to the attention of luxury brands such as Chanel, Cartier, Dom Perignon, Tanqueray 10, Cynthia Rowley, Coach, Tommy Hilfiger and the Lincoln Mercury Mark 8 Project, to name but a few.
Alongside this work, Fulcher Design has applied its various skills to work for licensed brands in other areas too. The team have produced designs for various companies that need high quality toys, including Saban Entertainment Makers (Power Rangers), Toymax (creators of Creepy Crawlers Toys), Ragdoll Productions (Teletubbies) and Marvel (sellers of Spider-man and Batman). Alongside these renowned toy manufacturers, Jean-Hans has been able to get involved with the car industry too, working alongside Ford and Chevrolet to produce products for their customers as well.
While trained in architecture and design, it is cars that remain the passion of Jean-Hans. Throughout his early years, he had engaged with local coach builders and fabricators, taking technical classes on the automotive technology and gaining hands-on experience in coach building and welding. These skills in machine shops were what opened the door to the toy market, with its need for skilled designers who knew about the fabrication of injection molding, but it also opened the door for the racecar industry.
Over the last few years, Fulcher Design has been involved in the design and development of various dragsters for some of the world’s most prestigious customers. One of these was the Prince of Quatar, for his team Al-Anabi. These projects add to the incredible variety of work that Jean-Hans has undertaken over the years and showcases his incredible passion for good, practical design as well as the range of what he can do.
The international flavour of the work that Fulcher Design does has not changed at all over the years. People will come to this firm from around the world for a taste of what true luxury treatment is like. In 2019, Fulcher Design was proud to act as wedding planner and set designer for a couple from India. The project was based on the prestigious “world yacht” in New York City. The Fulcher Design team were responsible for decoration of the yacht entrance and interior as well as the design of the cake. Throughout the project, the team made sure that gifts and amenities for family and guests were in keeping with Hindu and cultural values. There are very few firms that have the capacity to cater for such a unique event, but the team at Fulcher Design take it in their stride. They know that these sorts of events allow them to reach entirely new audiences in very little time.
One of the most exciting ventures for Fulcher Design, and for Jean-Hans personally, has come in the form of working as a production designer for movie sets and plays. These projects have their own unique challenges, and quite apart from demonstrating the breadth of ability which he can offer, showcases his incredible eye for luxury detailing. As with all design work, every space is unique but much of the work in this field involved not just good design, but clear and effective storytelling. Jean-Hans has found his work critically acclaimed, and he has been proud to win awards in this field over the years. One of Jean-Hans’ proudest moments was being employed as a set dresser of the Hollywood film “Word Trade Center”, directed by Oliver Stone and starring Nicolas Cage. To be employed on such a high profile production is a testament to his many talents.
More recently, Fulcher Design has been involved in many different projects, each with its own unique focus as one would expect from a multidisciplinary firm. The most recent has been the partnership with, and redesign of, a luxury showroom which not only has a fresh new look but will now offer the bespoke fittings that set a Fulcher Design apart from the competition. Just a block away from the firm’s design office, it will house the best quality products made from the finest materials. The showroom’s specialism is marble, imported from Italy because of its incredible quality. This makes it the perfect match for any kitchen, bathroom or interior. To ensure that the ultimate standards of luxury are maintained, Jean-Hans acts as the consulting engineer who engages directly with high end accounts and customers.
Alongside this new endeavor, Jean-Hans has been acting as the consulting Architect, designer and project manager for a historic renovation of a mansion in Northern New York. His impressive skillset and range of talents have made him the ideal choice for a project that has such a wide array of work. To complete this project, he has teamed up with a developer who has just completed a renovation project on the Governor’s mansion in the region. Through collaborating with people who are renowned for creating the best possible end goal, Fulcher Design can maintain its own reputation for high standards. The project is naturally very complex, with the aim of restoring the building to original standards while adding splashes of modern luxury meaning that the team often have to balance between the preservation and perpetuation of this historic property.
These new projects, of course, stand alongside some of Fulcher Design’s other points of interest. Currently, Jean-Hans is employed as Retail Concessions Design consultant for the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. In this capacity, he and his team have developed programs at JFK IAT, Terminal A & B & Delta Elite, and built a luxury Showroom at Newark Airport. FDI also designed and built the first Retail Concessions for the New York Air-Train at Jamaica & Station at the time the Largest Capital Transportation project in New York.
This expertise was parlayed into the establishment of the National Transportation Innovative Alliance, or NTIA. Founded by Jean-Hans, this team of experts in aircrafts, rail, buses and racecars can be consulted for lectures and feasibility studies, as well as advocating on issues on transportation and retail development. Beyond the world of design, this allows Fulcher Design to be at the forefront of what numerous industries in the design sector have to offer.
Many people bring their own unique talents to the table when it comes to design, but there are very few companies that can boast such an impressive reputation in the field. When it comes to being a multidisciplinary group, offering clients the ultimate in luxury in every facet of design, Fulcher Design comes out on top at all times. This is due, in no small part, to the example set by its incredible leader Jean-Hans Fulcher. His skill and ability, his drive for learning and his passion for teaching others, has ensured that his firm continues to look steadfastly forward at all times. From humble beginnings, he has achieved the remarkable and seems set to do so for the foreseeable future.
For further information, please contact Jean-Hans Fulcher or visit bespokeorigins.com
