New York 2014: Canadian design brand Umbra has launched its Umbra Shift platform at ICFF in New York, with a range of products that includes the Hanger Chair by London designer Philippe Malouin.

Philippe Malouin originally designed the Hanger Chair while studying at Design Academy Eindhoven, and first exhibited it in 2008 as part of a series of space saving objects that also included an inflatable dining table.

"Folding chairs tend to lie around the house, stacked in a corner, or in an unused room," said Malouin. "When space is an issue, as is the case for most city dwellers, an object such as a folding chair will clutter up the precious available space."

"The Hanger Chair is a folding chair based on one of the ultimate storage systems: the modest hanger. By morphing the function of the hanger with that of the folding chair, a new hybrid is born: a Hanger Chair – that has a function, even when not in use, to store our clothes in an orderly fashion," he said.

The Hanger Chair prototype subsequently formed part of the 2011 Dezeen office design by Post-Office, Malouin's architecture and interior design studio.

Umbra Shift was established to enable Toronto-based business Umbra Studio to experiment with new ideas and work with contemporary designers.

Alongside the Hanger Chair, the first collection includes Malouin's Brick Lamp, Asymmetrical Candle Holders by Lukas Peet and the Cup Lamp by Paul Loebach. Umbra Shift has been displaying the range at New York's ICFF exhibition, which concludes today.