KARTELL
BARNEYS NEW YORK
Kartell is one of the most renowned design companies worldwide.
The Italian brand was founded in 1949 by Giulio Castelli and
is currently managed by Claudio Luti. Now, Kartell is being
featured in a special temporary shop in the Décor & Accessories
department of Barneys New York, the acclaimed American chain
of luxury department stores. In the unique shop, the emphasis
and spotlight were given to some of the most iconic and timeless
Kartell products as well as many of the reinterpretations made
throughout the years. These will include, just to name a few,
the Glossy tables by Antonio Citterio, the legendary Componibili
design by Anna Castelli Ferrieri, the Invisible side tables by
Tokujin Yoshioka, and the monumental Ghost chairs by Philippe
Starck, which suffered a race-car treatment with numbered labels
or veer more toward haberdashery with houndstooth and tartans.
Kartell’s innovative spirit, constantly seeking new influences, goes
hand in hand with the out-of-the-box thinking of Garage Italia
Customs, the creative hub established by Lapo Elkann. Essentially,
it is a limited edition collection that features customizable classics
from Kartell with motifs and colours inspired by the automotive
world and countless unique patterns from the fashion industry.
This is placed in a very exclusive space right in the shop windows
on Madison Avenue, guaranteeing plenty of visibility. Once
again, the brand injects new life into its must-have items through
unexpected interpretations and variations, in this case, thanks
to a special wrapping technique used to cover surfaces with
special films, and now applied for the very first time to Kartell’s
furnishing elements. Altogether, this exhibition at Barneys shop
is an unexpected union of sleek modern elements with textured
and traditional ones, this startling marriage not only has its own
urbane appeal but it’s also very fashion conscious.
