by Phillip D. Johnson
Nature is a special place, where dreams meet reality and reality can transfigure itself into a sign or symbol, or a pure expression of culture.”
Nature as Giorgio Armani observes it is “eternal, infinite and powerful, seemingly simple yet always producing different paths through which to reconcile desire and fantasy.” The new Armani/Casa Collection was born from this enchanted observation and it is expressed in the use of unusual eco-friendly materials to protect the environment: striped banana tree finishes (gathered after the crops are cut) and tamo, the Japanese ash wood whose grain seems to reproduce the movements of sand in Zen gardens.
They are striking materials for furniture that features pure lines and simple shapes. Like the Gabriel Wardrobe that was inspired by old trunks: it is made in tamo with internal lighting and brown soft leather-covered trim, reminiscent of the wooden construction of vintage travelling containers. The elegant Daybed, which stems from the previous Engadin model, covered with soft leathers and fabrics from the Armani/Casa Exclusive Textiles by Rubelli line. The sophisticated Glam Dressing Table is delicate and feminine, with pale gold metal finish, offered in three different precious versions.
A series of tables has been developed in the same vein, that in their slight proportions become prized pieces of elegant furniture. The round Giove Table has an exquisite Mexican onyx surface in warm orange tones. In vintage brown oak, the simple and light Great Table offers an extremely thin top (a 1cm sheet), while the Gilbert Table has its top in striped banana tree framed in canaletto walnut, with an orange lacquer structure or one of canaletto walnut. The Galassia Stackable Tables are made with carbonized coconut shells that create a play on light and shadow, or are covered in sea penshells; both versions are clever examples of local artisan craftsmanship transformed into luxurious design.
There are extremely simple elements that tell tales of distant worlds, rich in tradition – like Nepalese carpets and kilims, woven with an ancient artisan skill that generates sophisticated abstract patterns in beautiful, natural shades.
At the Armani/Teatro in Via Bergognone, printed plexiglas platforms appear to float on dark bases in a museum-style display. They are illuminated with strong and direct cones of light that frame the furniture and objects on show, emphasizing the architecture of each piece.
Art and artisan craftsmanship are a closely interwoven duality in Armani/Casa’s vision of interior decoration. Thus, decorative pieces have been entrusted to the experience of Murano glassworks for flamed glass vases. This glasswork stands as a symbol of the collection, with its vortex of colours, colour being the dominating theme of the Armani/Casa presentation.
A zest for objets retrouvés, which represents a strong return to the world of artisan craftsmanship, is expressed in Flecked Vases, which appear to have a worn patina, a golden layer, and in lanterns, candles featuring Giorgio Armani’s signature, and in modular marble candle holder bases and lacquered boxes.
A series of gifts enriches the collection, offering unusual and interesting objects like a magnifying glass housed in a leather pouch to be worn around the neck, and a useful accessory for straining tea. Of interest too is special tableware, where there is a gold-plated silver box for tea, marked with the seal of a rock under its lid a recurring theme throughout the collection.
The aesthetic project–ARMANI/CASA EXCLUSIVE TEXTILES BY RUBELLI–that Giorgio Armani has been developing with the historical fabric company since 2009 for furniture presses forward with this collection, offering a range of earthy colours, interrupted by a bright orange, and where images of nature – orchids and stems – exude a vaguely nineteenth century physicality to create an evocative stylized gesture. Silk and wool give consistency and brightness to texture, which fades from a red gold into colder hues. The offer is completed by velvet, which accentuates the fabric collection’s appearance of exquisiteness.
Armani/ Casa Miami (10 NE 39th Street) launched in 2012 as the brand’s third and largest location in the United States. The 4,000-square-foot showroom in the Design District has a unifying principle of essentiality and sophisticated elegance. The brand’s distinctive style incorporates a harmonious combination of different inspirations and design codes that include a predilection for the style of the Thirties and Forties and the cultures of the Far East as a recurrent theme. For the 2013-2014 collection, the brand expresses its appreciation for nature through unusual eco-friendly materials that protect the environment, which Giorgio Armani views as eternal, infinite and powerful.
Armani/ Casa Miami is continuously evolving, developing into a comprehensive collection of furniture, accessories, rugs, lamps and textiles, and now offers innovative concepts for kitchen and bath spaces. Allowing for the creation of many stylistic atmospheres, Armani/ Casa Miami brings Giorgio Armani’s concept for ideal living into South Florida’s homes. http://www.armanicasa.com
PHOTO GALLERY
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Armani/Casa Miami
2013/2014 Armani/Casa Collection
