Taking on button tufting, giving it a new spin, revolutionizing the concept, Patricia Urquiola has designed a range of products which appear to be liquid in shape as if they are melting over their frame to create soft, comforting, almost casual lines where the fabric or leather are fixed to the shell using press studs. The pieces appear to have a shawl draped over their shoulders, and the seat has various overlapping cushions: an almost obsessive attention to the design of its covering, layering leathers and other materials, colours, and fabric types. A sort of luxury patchwork which, when worn, gives the piece a nomadic, global spirit.
Designer
by Patricia Urquiola, 2008
Patricia Urquiola was born in Oviedo (Spain), and she lives and works in Milan. She studied Architecture at the Technical University of Madrid and at the Polytechnic University of Milan, where she graduated in 1989 under Achille Castiglioni. She was assistant lecturer for Achille Castiglioni; she worked with Vico Magistretti; and she was also Head of Design for Lissoni Associati. In 2001 she opened her own studio, working in the fields of product design, interiors and architecture. Her most recent designs include: The “Museo del Gioiello” jewellery museum in Vicenza, the Hotel Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona, the Hotel Das Stue in Berlin, the Spa of the Hotel Four Seasons in Milan; retail and display designs for Gianvito Rossi, BMW, Cassina, Ferragamo, Flos, Missoni, Molteni, Officine Panerai, H&M, Santoni and Pitti Uomo Firenze. She has created products for numerous major companies in Italy and abroad, including: Agape, Alessi, Axor-Hansgrohe, Baccarat, Boffi, Budri, De Padova, Driade, Flos, Gan, Georg Jensen, Glas Italia, Haworth, Kartell, Kvadrat, Listone Giordano, Louis Vuitton, Moroso, Mutina, Rosenthal and Verywood. Some of her products are exhibited in the great museums of art and design, including the MoMa in New York, the Musée des Arts décoratifs in Paris, the Museum of Design in Zurich, the Vitra Design Museum in Basel, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Stedelijk in Amsterdam, and the Triennale in Milan. She has won numerous international accolades, including: The Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes from the Spanish government; the order of Isabella the Catholic, presented to her by His Majesty King Juan Carlos I of Spain; “Designer of the decade” for the magazines Home and Häuser; “Designer of the Year” for the magazines Wallpaper, AD Spain, Elle Decor International and Architektur und Wohnen.