Editorial
Within the space of one day this February, the design world lost two amazing and iconic designers: German-born Karl Lagerfeld and Italian Alessandro Mendini.
Karl Lagerfeld was a true renaissance man – a fashion designer, photographer and interior designer – a visionary who saw way beyond his time. He was also a designer with an acute business sense and it was his vision that not only kept the house of Chanel alive but that took it to a global height that even Coco could never have imagined.
Lagerfeld was one of the first star designers to lend his support to Dubai’s Isola Moda fashion island in 2008. The project unfortunately never really realised its full potential.
While most people know him as the genius behind his own Karl Lagerfeld brand, as well as Fendi, Chanel and also Chloe, his endless energy also poured over into the world of interiors where he designed suites at the recently renovated Hôtel de Crillon, Paris; Monaco’s Hotel Metropole, Monte-Carlo; and the Sofitel in Singapore. He also designed the interiors of the Estates at Acqualina in Miami Beach, a major residential development in Florida.
‘ Karl Lagerfeld Architectures’ – an exhibition of his work of sculptural marble furniture, executed in collaboration with Lebanese architect Aline Asmar d’Amman, is running at the Carpenters Workshop Gallery in London until early March. Visit identity. ae for more details.
Born in Milan, Italy, Alessandro Mendini will always be remembered for his colourful and whimsical approach to design, including: his colourful reincarnation of one of the historic pieces of Italian contemporary furniture, the over-the-top Proust (1978) chair for Capellini; his colourful outdoor lights for Slide; his icon, ever-useful and smiling Anna G corkscrew collection for Alessi; and, most recently, his whimsical egg frying pan, also designed for Alessi. His designs for Philips, Swarovski and Swatch have similarly become iconic in their own right. Mendini was also a prolific writer and contributed to, and managed, leading Italian magazines including Cassabella, Domus and Modo.
His neo-modern and contemporary buildings – just like his furniture and accessories – generated a sense of well-being and happiness. They include the striking Groninger Museum’s yellow tower – a key part of what is considered to be one of the most amazing post-modern buildings of the late 20th century.
Mendini is quoted as saying: “Design must be irritating, it has to shake you, and push you to ask questions. If you give someone something that is not completely logical, you create tension. Design that is all about function has little value. The goal should always be to add a spark of magic. That’s why I give objects eyes, so they can look at us.”
Mendini is widely regarded as one of Italy’s greatest designers – he was one of the main figures in the 1970’s Alchimia Group – that promoted “methods for ideation and production that could blur the lines, mixing craftsmanship, industry, computer sciences, current and past techniques and materials.”
His love of colour, and the importance that he placed on its use, is something that is overlooked by many today who play it safe with more sober shades.
Both designers had distinctly different personalities and contributed to our everyday life in extremely different ways; but both will be dearly missed, and always sincerely appreciated, for the positive impact that they had on so many of us.
May Karl and Alessandro rest in peace…
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