Alémais HQ By YSG Studio
Designed by YSG Studio, Alémais’ Sydney HQ channels the fashion label’s world through colour, pattern and surrealism – the space unfolding as part studio, part fantasy.
Words HANDE RENSHAW Photos ANSON SMART Interior Design & Styling YSG STUDIO
‘We approached tonal drenching like designing new collection palettes, mingling sorbet shades with warm earthen tones,’ shares Yasmine Ghoniem, YSG Studio director.
Glass mosaic custom artwork by YSG from Ocean & Merchant, Moon Pendants custom YSG by Anomolous, curtains Griglia Yellow Check Linen from Petre’s Curtains & Blinds, banquette joinery Vivace Marmoleum in Honey Suckle from Forbo, Banquette Kuba Cay in Cantaloupe from Zinc Textile, fabricated by Rematerialised and iSpace Solutions, bolster cushion custom design by YSG, mixed throw cushions By Morrow Studio.
Sculpture (back) client own, Vase (front) Objects of Virtue collection by David Suckling, vase (back) Tall Dreamer Astrid Salomon from Studio Gardner.
Moon pendants custom YSG by Anomolous, Liquid Mirror from Elte Home Decor, roman blinds Simply Romans by Peter Meyer Blinds, Banquette Tutsi in Green by David Kaihoi from Schumacher, fabricated by Rematerialised, banquette joinery Vivace Marmoleum in Green Melody from Forbo, Tundra vintage coffee table by Vico Magistretti from 506070, armchair vintage Saporiti sourced by Secondi, rug Nut from YSGxTappeti Real Majik collection, sculpture (front) by Peter Cooley from Martin Brown Gallery, cork board custom design by YSG in Gingham Cork Tiles from Calypso Cork.
“Drawing upon Lesleigh’s Lebanese heritage and Fine Arts background, we wove tangible tales of faraway lands and ancient cultures, layering punchy patterns and balancing matte and sheen finishes.”
Chris’s office: Moon Pendants custom YSG by Anomolous, artwork Tiger and Snake in the Garden by Cannon Dill, 2020, 4801 Cream Lounge Chair by Joe Colombo from Studio Gardner, Pot Turkish Konya Vessel from Garden Life, Chris’s Desk Custom Design by YSG in Vivace Marmoleum in Asian Tiger and Sunny Days from Forbo, fabricated by iSpace Solutions, Artifort Suit Chair from Kezu, Vessel Objects of Virtue collection by David Suckling, meeting chair 121 dining chairs from Castorina & Co.
Moon Pendants custom YSG by Anomolous, artwork Tiger and Snake in the Garden by Cannon Dill, 2020, 4801 Cream Lounge Chair by Joe Colombo from Studio Gardner.
Lesleigh’s office: curtains in Griglia Yellow Check Linen by Petre’s Curtains & Blinds, Novo Rumo Lounge Chair from Vampt, Simply Romans by Peter Meyer Blinds Open Plan from Petre’s Curtains & Blinds, Vase (back), wall hanging by Christian Bonett 2024, Desk Chair Urgano by Vico Magistretti from Dedece, desk lamp vintage from Secondi, Vessel (on desk) vintage from Secondi, Capsicum Mug by Yang Qiu from The DEA Store, Vessel Custom Alemais x Lrnce collaboration.
Lesleigh’s desk custom design by YSG in Vivace Marmoleum in Green Melody from Forbo, fabricated by iSpace Solutions, Joinery Custom Design by YSG in Vivace Marmoleum in Green Melody from Forbo, fabricated by iSpace Solutions, joinery pull Eye Shaped Natural Shell drawer knob from Etsy, Pilastro Stool by Kartell from Space Furniture
Moon pendants custom YSG by Anomolous, joinery pull Golden Sun door handle from Etsy, joinery in Kalamata from Laminex, fabricated by iSpace Solutions, Knox Drawers from Cozoni.
Glass mosaic custom artwork by YSG from Ocean & Merchant.
Joinery in Dulux Wasabi, joinery knobs custom star (large & small) designed by YSG, made by Maiden.
Kitchen table Custom Design by YSG, made by Maiden, detailed by Creative Finishes Sydney, Twill Counter Chair in Rust Red from Design By Them, vase Big Wood Fired Bowl by Sophie Vaidie from Studio Gardner, Sycamore Bar Cabinet by Michael Ryan Architectsfrom 1st Dibbs, screens custom designed by YSG with Tuareg Rugs from Little Known Makers.
Snake fridge handle custom design by YSG, Made by Maiden, detailed by Creative Finishes Sydney, joinery in Dulux Wasabi.
Colour, mythology and surrealism shape Alémais’ Sydney headquarters by YSG Studio, where symbolism and playful detail reflect the fashion label’s expressive identity.
With collections defined by beautiful prints and intricate embellishments, Alémais has a strong visual identity that YSG Studio drew on when shaping its Sydney headquarters. The interior balances imagination with the practical needs of a working fashion studio, with spaces for designing, making, meeting and gathering.
The headquarters is set within the triangular floorplan of an existing warehouse, with the design and pattern-making teams gathered through the centre. A design lounge sits at the pointed end, while a semi-open kitchen, dining area and reception banquette shape the entrance. Founder and creative director Lesleigh Jermanus and her partner Chris Buchanan each have private offices at opposite ends.
YSG Studio worked with the existing brick walls and timber-beamed ceiling, softening the interior with warm cream tones before layering in pistachio, mint, plum and boysenberry. Lesleigh’s office takes on a gentler palette of lilac and rounded forms, while the main design hub is more graphic, with custom joinery filled with fabric samples, books and working materials.
Drawing on Lesleigh’s Lebanese heritage and Fine Arts background, YSG Studio introduced references to faraway lands and ancient cultures through punchy patterns and symbolic details..
Oversized fibreglass moon pendants in lavender, champagne, olive and aubergine hang above the desks in a loose constellation. Mythology and folklore also inform the more fantastical details throughout the interior. Near the entrance, a shimmering mosaic mural depicts half-human, half-animal figures among imagined fauna, setting the tone for what follows.
Golden stars punctuate cabinetry, eye motifs are worked into joinery, and serpents curl across furniture and fittings. In the kitchen, a hand-painted timber snake winds across the concealed refrigerator doors, its body forming a pair of handles.
The custom dining table continues the surreal thread, with an elliptical ash birch top hand-painted in pastel tones and a raised Lazy Susan forming an eye-like centre. Vintage armchairs and a timber drinks cabinet sit alongside custom pieces, giving the interior a more collected feel.
Practical details are worked in without losing that sense of character. Custom designed cork boards on castors move through the studio carrying fabrics, sketches and references, while drawer units and integrated joinery keep swatches, embellishments and books close to the design team.
Across the space, the practical and the playful sit side by side; fabric swatches, cork boards and working materials alongside moons, serpents, stars and hand-painted detail.
Interior Design & Styling: YSG Studio
Build: Cuzco Constructions
Photography: Anson Smart
