COLOURS AND MATERIALS
My colour palette is usually made up of natural colours centred around beiges and greys, as well as black, white and navy. Of course I do use some brights and patterns, but these tend to work as highlights and details. Actually India gave me a taste for new colours and allowed me to play of light.
For example, the walls’ paneling is in technical fabric which is both refined and easy to maintain. The children’s room is in peacock blue, the master bedroom in bronze, and platinum and sage green have been used in the two other double bedrooms. The bathrooms follow suit and are in veined marble in a freshly hued grey. I have also used a refined fan- tasy brown marble, and Brazilian green labradorite, ( mined in India), which gives each bathroom that is teamed with its own bedroom, a unique personality.
As far as materials are concerned I am attracted to natural ones even if these are almost always treated with very sophisticated techniques in order to make them more functional. I search constantly for new inspiration and innovative combinations of finishing, working on the surface of each piece of furniture to see what sensations it can evoke.
For example, one of the latest types of craftsmanship I have been drawn to is straw marquetry, an exclusively French technique used in the 1920s and 1930s that fell out of favour
because of the technique was labour intensive and detailed. Here, single strands of straw are patiently flattened and smoothed out with a small hand - held hammer, and then cut individually to the exact size required to create a given pattern.
FASHION’S INFLUENCE
In my ongoing work with new projects, I position myself like a pioneer of design. However, in doing so, I always remain true to my cult of elegance and refinement. So what happens is that I add new materials and fabrics, and new manufacturing techniques, which make my designs truly avant- garde and contemporary but the overall impression remains that of classic elegance so that both the clothing and furniture always reflect the inimitable Armani style.
It is interesting to note that architect Mies van der Rohe when speaking of his work spoke of ‘ skin and bones’ architecture, as if he were building a human body. I think there are some parallels: in both cases one imagines a three- dimensional form, although clearly in the case of clothing, one has to remember an additional factor-- movement. One has to imagine how these styles can drape in addition to understanding how they interact with the body’s forms. Aside from that, when I think of fashion, I think about creating beautiful and elegant clothes that must also be practical and comfortable. My home collection was conceived on the same principles: beauty and elegance teamed with comfort and practicality.
What I try to do with my concepts is to respect the history of the country while drawing on my sense of aesthetics. It’s a difficult balancing act, but that is exactly my challenge.