On a journey back through time, to a place “without digital maps or an ultra-fast connection” – this is where Italian furniture house Tacchini took attendees of this year’s Milan Design Week to discover the brand’s latest range. Aptly titled New Collection 2021, the release features an assemblage of designer pieces, unveiled among the crumbling ruins of a Roman villa in Sirmione, Italy.
Equal parts romantic and mesmerising, the captivating campaign imagery created by Tacchini for the New Collection 2021 invites observers on an intimate and miraculous tour of discovery. “Crumbling walls and imagined rooms, blind arcades and colonnades reaching for the sky” form the spaces that surround and reveal the new products, creating a place where, the Tacchini team says, “design and architecture enter into an organic dialogue with the present and past”.
The bold release features furniture items that are intended for both residential and commercial pursuits. Including five families of designer pieces that each blend “essential lines, sinuous shapes and primitive volumes” with luxury materials and unrivalled craftsmanship. The brand-new creations include the Victoria range by David/Nicolas, Elephant by Karen Chekerdjian and Gordon Guillaumier’s Togrul series. There’s also iconic re-editions in Pigreco, signed by Tobia Scarpa, and the Orsola collection from Gastone Rinaldi.
Tacchini previews ‘New Collection 2021’ among Roman ruins in Italy
1. Orsola by Gastone Rinaldi
Roundness, comfort, tradition and innovation. These are the keywords of Orsola, pictured above, designed in 1970 by Gastone Rinaldi. The new edition, including a sofa, armchair and ottoman stays true to its original spirit but features new-generation coverings, supported by a rounded chrome metal frame that gives it an even softer and more inviting look. The sofa and armchairs are both handcrafted by master upholsterers, just like they were 50 years ago – using a combination of revisited and modern techniques.
2. Pigreco by Tobia Scarpa
Every feature of this chair (above) responds to a logic: conveying a “sense of space” to a traditionally static object. The triangle acts as a dynamic element and is reinforced by the two rear legs, which come closer together to give the seat stability without compromising the feeling of lightness that pervades the object. Tobia Scarpa’s graduation project at the University of Venice in 1959, this is the first product ever designed by the Italian architect. Tacchini’s exclusive re-edition of Pigreco in Canaletto walnut, walnut-stained ash and charcoal grey ash, with leather or fabric seat covering, bears the mark of the great architect.
3. Victoria by David/Nicolas
Lebanese design duo David Raffoul and Nicolas Moussallem of David/Nicolas are behind this modular system (above) comprising armchairs, corner sofas, chaise longues and ottomans that each offer luxurious comfort. A tubular supporting frame – available in polished chrome, matt black chrome and black lacquer – serves as the product’s base, providing a floating appearance and creating a sort of crown at the back. A series of small tables with mirrored tops completes the line; they can be combined with the other elements to create endless compositions.
4. Elephant by Karen Chekerdjian
Clean lines and primitive volumes are combined with fine cabinet-making in this iconic chair, pictured above, by Lebanese designer Karen Chekerdjian. Elephant’s base is made of turned solid wood, worked and polished to the touch. The frame is made of handcrafted leather, with a goose-down padded cushion. Available in tan leather or dark brown, it can be accompanied by an ottoman. Designed with longevity and sustainability in mind, it is suitable for any type of environment. Two ‘tusks’ extend harmoniously outwards while four legs anchor the chair to the ground, conveying a feeling of strength and power. “A comfortable and majestic elephant that is ready to welcome anyone who trusts him,” says the designer.
5. Togrul by Gordon Guillaumier
With Togrul, designer Gordon Guillaumier went “beyond the limits of matter” to create a table (above) suitable for homes and commercial spaces alike. Available in different sizes, the bases in rigid polyurethane are finished in clay, made from 100% raw earth and applied by hand by master craftspople. The marble top is available in a round version of varying finishes. Sinuous and organic, like an object shaped by nature; solid and unmovable like the monuments of ancient civilisations – Togrul’s sculptural base is described by Tacchini as “the perfect synthesis of energy and solidity”.
Equal parts romantic and mesmerising, the captivating campaign imagery for New Collection 2021 invites observers on an intimate and miraculous tour of discovery.
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