In recent years, the marriage of fashion and design has reached very high heights, and leather, which has always been a symbol of craftsmanship and luxury, is taking centre stage in the re-edition of iconic lamps. The latest collaborations between Bottega Veneta and Flos, and between the brand Marsèll and Frederik Fialin Studio, are crystal clear examples of how leather can transform lighting into a sensorial, as well as a visual, experience. And indeed, the lamps of these two partnerships are not mere objects of use, but true artworks that tell stories of tradition and innovation.
Marsèll dresses the Calypso Light
During the Everyday Exquisite exhibition in Berlin, Danish designer Frederik Fialin presented the reinterpretation of his Calypso Light lamp made with the leather footwear and accessories brand Marsèll. “Elevating leather to eye level with the public offers a new perspective on this material, which is less frequently seen in this context”, Fialin said at the presentation. From the marriage of the two brands, three new versions were born, combining formal rigour and softness. Calypso, originally characterised by a steel structure, has been declined in three floor lamps and two hanging lamps. But the real star of the collab is definitely the leather shade, which, as the brand explains, is the result of a simplification process. In other words, the only material to hold formal rigour and creative force together is leather.
Flos responds with Bottega Veneta
It sounds like a back-and-forth, but it is only design choosing leather. Bottega Veneta and Flos collaborated to give new life to a design piece, the Modello 600 table lamp, designed by Gino Sarfatti in 1966 for Flos. Here again, leather is the point of contact between two different worlds. The brand led by Matthieu Blazy reinterpreted the lamp by drawing on the codes of Bottega Veneta, from the famous leather weave to the choice of iconic colours. It must be said that this was not the first time leather had been used for a Flos lamp. Sarfatti had designed the Modello 600 with a flexible base made of lead shots covered in smooth leather. And it was precisely leather that gave the lamp its ease of support, also controlling the angle of illumination. Now, it returns with a re-done look.
Images from Bottega Veneta’s and Frederik Fialin’s websites
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