kartell goes sottsass with a tribute to memphis during milan design week

kartell goes sottsass with a tribute to memphis during milan design week
image © adriano mauri / designboom

kartell pays tribute to ettore sottsass with a special presentation at its flagship store during milan design week 2015. ‘kartell meets sottsass’ celebrates the memphis collective — one of the italian designer’s, greatest adventures, showcased in a space designed by ferruccio laviani. designboom visited the exhibition in advance of its opening, to get a sneak preview of the atmosphere which once again brings sottsass and memphis together in a triumph of signs and color.

‘mademoiselle’ armchairs by philippe stark among vases designed by ettore sottsass
image © adriano mauri / designboom

the flagship store is ‘memphis clad’, starting with decals that frame the shops 10 windows — from floor to ceiling — that echo the designs of memphis fabrics. each show window displays a totem that are decorated in the same style, hosting a selection of sottsass’s vases and stools. eight vases, a tabouret and a lamp by sottsass are revealed for the first time on this occasion, while the fabrics of memphis — all which have been produced in post-futurist forms with pop of color- clearly derived from sottsass’ charateristic signature aesthetics designed by michele de lucchi, george sowden and nathalie du pasquier — upholster products from the kartell catalogue, such as the ‘mademoiselle’ by philippe starck, ‘foliage’ by patricia urquiola and ‘trix’ by piero lissoni. the laviani-designed scheme strongly echoes the vibrant colors, patterns and geometries and volumes signature of memphis, throughout the setting.

‘lombrico’ vase by ettore sottsass
image © adriano mauri / designboom

claudio luti, president of kartell, comments: ‘we are particularly proud this year to present some original objects that ettore sottsass designed for kartell in 2004 but that we have never produced. we have recovered them today wishing, with an event and with some special products, to celebrate a piece of design history… today as well technology enables us to realize sottsass’ designs with a quality and sophistication that would have been impossible ten years ago. this celebration and this new manufacturing commitment demonstrate once more how kartell goes beyond transitory styles and trends. with its design and its versatility it manages to cross eras and cultures, to give shape to the ideas of designers, turning them into lasting objects.’

‘colonna vase’ by ettore sottsass
image © adriano mauri / designboom

ferruccio laviani, architect and designer on designing the exhibition space:
‘managing to have prototyped sottsass’ objects and create a memphis event, along with customizing some of the products of the kartell catalogue, has enabled me to pay a small homage to ettore sottsass and barbera radici, who I had the great opportunity to work with in the past. undoubtedly that incredible experience, which I was lucky enough to be involved in, has undeniably marked my way of working, of seeing things, and what I am professionally doing today. a bit of them and of all the people who took part have remained part of me.’

‘mademoiselle’ chairs by philippe starck upholstered in memphis fabrics
image © adriano mauri / designboom

detail of the pop post-futuristic fabric
image © adriano mauri / designboom

‘bobina’ vase by ettore sottsass
image © adriano mauri / designboom

image © adriano mauri / designboom

view of ‘kartell goes sottsass’ exhibition space designed by ferruccio laviani
image © adriano mauri / designboom

patricia urquiola’s ‘clap’ chair covered in bold fabric developed by kartell in cooperation with memphis
image © adriano mauri / designboom

the colorful setting which pays full tribute to the iconic memphis collective
image © adriano mauri / designboom

ettore sottsass-designed lamp presented for the first time
image © adriano mauri / designboom

‘foliage’ sofa by patricia urquiola upholstered in fabrics expressing the creative declination of typical memphis patterns
image © adriano mauri / designboom