Moonlight: A Wallpaper* Collaboration and Pop-Up at XC273

Exploring color, material, and process through a limited edition of the Sublime series.

In 2024, RETRO THINC collaborated with Wallpaper* to introduce a special edition of the Sublime series.

Inspired by moonlight, the edition combined violet liquid with yellow wax, creating a palette that shifted continuously as light moved through the glass vessel. Depending on the moment, the lamp appeared warm or cool, familiar or unexpected.

Rather than treating the collaboration as a standalone product launch, we wanted to create a broader experience around the idea.

At the same time, we presented a pop-up installation at XC273 in Shanghai.

The space was designed not only to display finished lamps, but also to reveal some of the materials and components behind them.

Glass vessels, metal components, raw materials, and production elements were incorporated into the installation, allowing visitors to look beyond the finished object and gain a better understanding of how each lamp is made.

Throughout the space, mirrors, reflections, and translucent surfaces multiplied the movement of light and color. The limited edition lamps became part of a larger environment rather than isolated products on display.

For us, good design is rarely just about the final object.

It is also about the process, the materials, and the decisions that shape it.

The Moonlight edition offered an opportunity to share that process more openly.

Not simply showing what we make.

But showing how it comes to life.