Expanding on the much-awaited annual launch of new designs at the Salone del Mobile every April, Moooi recently released its Moooi Moments plan that will see the brand launch its collection in Milan, and, simultaneously, in over 20 cities around the world.
The group’s street fashion philosophy will also see a string of new releases year-round. In March Moooi presented Bernhard Dessecker’s Iconic Eyes lights at the Bavarian National Museum in Munich, while Space in South Each Asia will unveil works by designer Simone Bonanni, including the Hana armchair.
Simone Bonanni is no newcomer to the Moooi stable. The Italian-born designer worked in Marcel Wanders’ studio in Amsterdam as a product designer before opening his own office in Milan four years ago and he now collaborates with the group under his own steam. His studio is a melting pot of multidisciplinary design projects that result in both production and more limited editions. He describes his aesthetics as a consequence of a "deep understanding of the essence, context, function and meaning of a certain typology of objects.” Bonanni believes design should not only relate to personal taste, instead "constantly aiming to create a relationship between the artwork and its user.”
The Obon tables designed by Simone Bonanni for Moooi are inspired by the ancient beauty of terracotta. Photo c/o Moooi.
The latest release Hana armchair takes its cue from the form of a flower petal, it gently wraps around the body with soft cushions that live up to its namesake ‘flower’ in Japanese. The first iteration has a high back and footrest, the second is lower and reminiscent of a classic Louis chair. "Their generous, cute, subtle curves allow for hours of lounging to daydream, read a book and let imagination fly.” said Moooi.
The Hana armchair takes its cue from the flower petal, gently wrapping the body with soft cushions that live up to its namesake. Photo c/o Moooi.
“When designing a new object, I believe the aesthetic of it should be a consequence of a deep understanding of its essence, function and meaning.”
Simone Bonanni
Also designed by Simone for Moooi, the Obon tables are inspired by the ancient beauty of terracotta, exploring the earthiness of the material in a traditional way, Here, the industrial process has been disguised through a simple and honest design approach that lets the depth of the slab-like surface to be rendered lighter through a collaboration with ceramicists from the Veneto region of Italy. Each table has a tempered finish reminiscent of the glazed terracotta rooftops that colour the Italian landscape orange. The result is earthy and irregular, combining shape and volume with a primal quality that is both timeless and new.
The Moooi collection is available exclusively in South East Asia from Space – Australia – and Space – Asia.
