Garage Italia Customs Reinterprets Kartell at Barneys New York

February 21, 2018

Garage Italia Customs Reinterprets Kartell at Barneys New York ⇒ The Italian brand Kartell will be featured in a special temporary shop in the Décor & Accessories department of Barneys New York, the American chain of luxury department stores. The shop will host the brand’s most iconic products with an exhibit concept that will allow visitors to fully enjoy the Kartell experience.

⇒ Subscribe our Newsletter and be up-to-date with CovetED Magazine ⇐

Image Source: WMido

“It’s A Wrap” is a Barneys-exclusive collection of furniture resulting from a collaboration between some of the biggest names in design: Claudio Luti, president of the renowned Italian décor brand Kartell, and Lapo Elkann, the Italian entrepreneur who founded the automotive customization business Garage Italia Customs in 2015. The resulting 40-piece collection of one-of-a-kind pieces features chairs and tables wrapped in bright colours and patterns ranging from houndstooth and tartan plaids to racecar-inspired stripes and numbers.

Claudio Luti (left) and Lapo Elkann (right). Image Source: Barneys The Window – Barneys New York

A special corner will be reserved for the reinterpreted Kartell icons. The spotlight will be on some of the brand’s most successful items, such as the Glossy tables by Antonio Citterio, Componibili by Anna Castelli Ferrieri, the transparent icons by Philippe Starck – such as Uncle Jim, Louis Ghost, Ghost Buster, One More Please, Tip Top, Lou Lou Ghost – or the Invisible Side tables by Tokujin Yoshioka. All covered with the car wrapping technique in a special limited edition collection, with custom graphics inspired by the automotive and fashion sectors.

Image Source: Architectural Digest

Elkann introduced the use of innovative wrapping technology to transform Kartell classics with graphic elements in a process that Luti describes as “unconventional, uninhibited by trends, and genuinely creative”. Tom Kalenderian, Barneys EVP/DMM of Men’s and Chelsea Passage, is quick to agree, adding “Lapo is well known to be the leading man of style and cars. It’s no wonder that he infused his wit and great taste in wrapping these Kartell classics in his favourite pinstripe suiting or the houndstooth pattern of his cashmere blazers. And it wouldn’t be complete without the racing stripes Lapo grew up with, immersed in the automobile world”.

Image Source: dezignZoom

Image Source: Whitewall: Art

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. 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, now applied for the very first time to Kartell’s furnishing elements.

Image Source: Kartell

“Claudio Luti and Lapo Elkann are two of the greatest men of Italian design”, said Kalenderian. “The synergy between them is fascinating—both coming from storied backgrounds with a mix of fashion, marketing, and industrial design. They both bring great ideas to life in an innovative and exclusive way. The collection is a testament to the fact, that more than any other country in the world, industry in Italy is synonymous with style”.

Image Source: Kartell

Kartell’s icons and the reinterpretations by Lapo Elkann and Garage Italia Customs will also be featured in an exclusive setting in Barneys’ shop windows on Madison Avenue, on its 9th floor, thus providing two different opportunities for visibility.

Image Source: Barneys The Window – Barneys New York

♦♦ Feel free to share your thoughts about this article and come celebrate design with us! For more trends and information, follow and subscribe to CovetED Magazine! Follow us on our social networks: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Google Plus | LinkedIn ♦♦