It’s already Christmas for Porro, above all in the showroom Porro Duriniquindici in Milan. The warm, enveloping atmosphere full of typical decorations for the holiday season has spread through the two levels of the display space on Via Durini, bringing a new image to the collections on view. They are also the result of some novel collaborations for the company. Porro’s products have been covered in the fabrics of the Japonaise collection of Backhausen; the spaces glow thanks to the original atmospheric lamps by Ambientec; and the golden settings that catch the eye are green creations by the plant artist Satohi Kawamoto.
The experience in the Porro Duriniquindici space is not only about the magic of Christmas, but also an encounter between cultures, Orient and Occident, in a game of enticing references and inspirations. Starting with the name of the setting, “In the Mood for,” directly inspired by the famous film “In the Mood for Love” by the Chinese director Wong Kar-wai.
The upholstered furnishings by Porro, with their discreet, linear design, are enlivened by the fabrics of Backhausen, an Austrian company founded in 1849. The Kite sofa and armchair, the Nebbia chair, and even the large composition of System take on different expressive effects through the fabrics of the Japonaise line (covering cushions and seats): a tactile tribute to Japanese culture and lifestyle, reinterpreted by the masters of the Vienna Secession. One outstanding model is Koi, based on an original drawing by Koloman Moser, showing a Japanese carp, a symbol of beauty with its bright colors, and of perseverance for its way of swimming upstream – a message of good fortune.
The creations of Ambientec, a Japanese lighting design company founded by Yoshinori Kuno, are small luminous masterpieces, including the lamps Turn, Turn+, Hymn and Xtal, which combine the fine craftsmanship of jewelry with optical science in essential, poetic forms. The brand’s know-how is based on the experience of its founder in the sector of professional lighting for underwater photography, now shifted into interiors to create products that are wireless, waterproof and outfitted with exclusive LED technology.
The lamps of Ambientec add splendor to the striking site-specific creation of the plant artist Satoshi Kawamoto, a weave of flowers, plants and leaves in amazing forms, suggesting fantastic and mysterious worlds, in direct contact with the pure material impact of Porro’s products, such as the Left bench and the large Ryoba table.
