During Milan Design Week 2023, Louis Vuitton presented eleven new Objets Nomades from names such as Atelier Oï, Raw Edges, Atelier Biagetti, Marcel Wanders, Zanellato/Bortotto. The Maison also launched the Cabinet of Curiosities by Marc Newson, an internationally renowned designer, who intervened in the redesign of the classic Louis Vuitton trunk.
Since its inception in 2012, the Objets Nomades collection of inventive and functional furniture and objects by Louis Vuitton has grown to more than 60 pieces under the aegis of a wide selection of renowned international designers. The eleven new Objets unveiled at this year’s Milan Design Week were displayed in a specially designed space in the historic Palazzo Serbelloni.
A partner of Objets Nomades since the foundation of the collection, Atelier Oï presented four new objects in Milan. Resulting in a leather and light sculpture 1.2 meters high, a chandelier is made up of 36 carefully twisted bicolor strips, totaling 145 meters in length. The Quetzal piece is a great decorative mobile and an elegant expression of the idea of flight thanks to its plumage of live leather “feathers”. The Piva Lamp pendant, an ode to the beauty of light and ever-changing color, is made up of 57 frosted glass bracelets interspersed with a series of folded bicolor leather “petals”. Ultimately, the origami bowls are practical, ingeniously simple objects of art, each made from a single piece of leather deftly bent and fitted together to create a changeable three-dimensional shape.
London designers Raw Edges’ latest objects are the sculptural and imposing Binda Armchair and Sofa, whose design is based on the curved lines of a tennis ball, possessing a surprisingly rounded angularity, accentuated by glossy leather exteriors and wraparound velvet seats.
The Flower Tower lamp by Atelier Biagetti is an inventive, brilliantly transparent column of fifteen flower-shaped glass bubbles, inspired by Louis Vuitton’s iconic Monogram, that seem to magically float when lit. Thanks to its three gently undulating halos of frosted glass, the Capeline lamp by Dutch designer Marcel Wanders creates a softly diffused pool of light. The Basket Table, by Italian designers Zanellato/Bortotto, features three horizontal bands of leather woven together on an attractive honeycomb-patterned metal base, all beautifully crowned by a reflective enameled lava stone top.
The Flower Carafe and Twist Glass by Studio Louis Vuitton have fluid shapes based on the monogram flower and are handcrafted by Venetian artisans, while the new Bookends, in marble and aluminum, are made to mix and match. Finally, Campana’s classic Cocoon hanging chair was presented in a new Disco Ball edition, with exterior and cushions covered in silver mirror mosaic, while the playful Bomboca sofa by Brazilian designers was transformed into a dazzling sculpture with a metal effect.
Palazzo Serbelloni also hosted another notable Louis Vuitton world premiere during Milan Design Week: Marc Newson’s intriguing and inventive Cabinet of Curiosities, which transformed a Louis Vuitton rigid travel trunk into an elegant presentation case. The latest collaboration between the House and the acclaimed Australian industrial designer, following their Pégase and Horizon luggage lines, the new specially designed trunk features a Monogram-covered exterior and is packaged with nineteen leather-wrapped metal cubes, including eight with doors and secret compartments for valuables.
When opened, the trunk – the first produced by Louis Vuitton to open 180 degrees – and cubes provide a perfect display case for books, art, and travel memorabilia.
The three cube sizes, which come in three colors, can be rearranged into over 1,000 different internal configurations, and make the trunk a highly customizable and portable curio cabinet. Beautifully crafted in a limited edition of 40 and finished with a metal plaque signed by the Maison and the designer, Marc Newson’s Cabinet of Curiosities is a testament to Maison’s heritage and savoir-faire and the designer’s love of smart style and functionality.
Alongside Marc Newson’s Objets Nomades and Cabinet of Curiosities, Palazzo Serbelloni also served as the stage for Marc Fornes’ nomad pavilion, a fascinating example of the New York French architect’s coral-like designs. Resembling a living entity that bubbled organically from the palazzo’s courtyard, the ultra-thin structure was comprised of over 1600 uniquely shaped frames and stamped anodized aluminum sheets, some as little as 1 millimeter thick. The specially crafted ultra-thin pavilion represents the latest vision of nomadic architecture to be presented by the Maison in Milan, following works by Charlotte Perriand (2015), Matti Suuronen (2017), George Candilis (2018), Shigeru Ban (2019) and the New House from last year.
During Milan Design Week, a series of events were held, including a live workshop with Atelier Oï and the launch of Louis Vuitton Skins, a new publication showcasing designs from Louis Vuitton stores.
