A Night to Steal Away With
Article
We were honoured to create a one-of-a-kind object for the launch of Bob Bob Ricard’s Red Room in Soho - a setting already legendary for its indulgence and excess. At the heart of the evening was a playful act of design: ceramic pie whistles made exclusively for the night, crafted
in collaboration with Porte Noire.
Rooted in wit and ceremony, the whistles were designed to be more than
decorative. They accompanied the restaurant’s famous pies, paired with flowing Porte Noire champagne, and the presence of founder Idris Elba himself - an unforgettable collision of food, drink, and culture.
Designing Objects of Desire
From the outset, the intent was mischief. These were not keepsakes to be gifted; they were designed to be stolen. Made to slip into pockets and handbags, the pie whistles were both beautiful and purposeful - small acts of design that extended the glamour of the Red Room beyond its walls.
Purposeful & Beautiful
Each whistle carried the elegance of craft, but also the spark of provocation. They turned the evening into a game of possession, inviting guests to claim a tangible fragment of memory. By design, every missing whistle was proof of success: the Red Room & Porte Noire living on in homes across London.
More Than a Moment
For Studio Minerva, this was more than an object - it was a strategy in story-making. We crafted a piece that blurred the lines between branding, theatre and guest experience.
The Return?
Sexy Fish’s cult chopstick rests - each cheekily stamped “Stolen from Sexy Fish” - have disappeared into handbags for years, with over half a million gone. To mark its 10th anniversary, the restaurant invites guests to return them in exchange for a cocktail. Sparking the question: theft or design triumph?
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