Vicky Ni

Vic Ni is a New-York based designer whose practice is rooted in urban observation and material exploration. Born and raised in the city, her work draws from the industrial vernacular of the built environment. Through a detail driven, tactile approach, she reframes everyday elements as sites of design potential, transforming the overlooked into objects of purpose and presence. By working with materials that bear visible traces of use- scratches, rust, and incorporating hardware typically relegated to the background, she invites viewers to reconsider what is typically discarded or ignored, lending new significance to the forgotten.

Place/Holder is a collection that reimagines containers through the lens of New York City’s urban landscape. Blending refined materials like wood and leather with raw, industrial components such as antique casement window latches or pipes, the collection explores the intersection of utility and design. Construction techniques like plastering are applied strategically throughout the collection to echo the tactile surfaces of weathered walls and patched city surfaces. Intentional pops of color disrupt the otherwise muted, gritty palette- mirroring the bold hues of fire hydrants, exposed pipelines, and utility markings that punctuate the city’s concrete sprawl.