Safilo @ Salone Internazionale del Mobile, Milan

10/04/2013
 The Salone Internazionale del Mobile opened yesterday in Milan: it’s the global benchmark for the Home Furnishing Sector, that combines design, architecture, furniture and fashion.

Safilo hold a special installation designed by the architect Michele De Lucchi.

Salone del Mobile in Milan, 9-14 April 2013

Safilo will be taking part in the 'Interiors' section of the Salone del Mobile (furniture fair) in Milan for the first time with a special project under the direction of the architect Michele De Lucchi. The theme for 2013 is “HYBRID Architecture and Design”.

Safilo is a brand that started up in the ‘30s and has always been a leading manufacturer of eyeglasses. For Safilo, De Lucchi has designed a structure in natural pinewood with openings (in the style of one of his houses created with a chain saw, and whose concept is inspired by plaster casts), with external plaster bas-reliefs. These depict faces, hands and noses, and have been specially created by the Milanese workshop of Fumagalli and Dossi which still makes casts using traditional techniques. Each cast bears a pair of glasses, creating a contrasting unsettling effect that makes you think of something contemporary, through which you can discover what lies hidden inside the structure.

The central theme of the project is inevitably THE EYES: first, the outside observer who looks into the eyes of the statues to find the technological heart that lies behind them and, then in the opposite direction, the eyes of the plaster bas-reliefs turned towards the observer. So, this is a two-way observation, played out by tradition and craftsmanship on one side, and modernity and technology on the other.

The heart of the project is also the heart of the production of Safilo glasses: in fact, a video produced in collaboration with the film-maker Mario Greco recounts the technology of the whole production process, from the initial design to the finished product, by means of a series of kaleidoscopic images projected onto a monitor.

“I tried to find the features, special characteristics and strengths of Italian culture in this specific moment. It is a subject that repeats itself but, each time, demands different answers. At the moment, the answer concerns the possibility of bringing together classical and Renaissance architecture, and technology: which is basically the essence of Safilo, its philosophy and its way of doing things” (Michele De Lucchi).

The installation can be seen from 8 to 21 April in the courtyard of the University of Milan: it is 5.25 metres long, 1.95 metres wide and 3.80 metres high.

Founded in 1934, the Safilo brand name represents an historic milestone for the Group on an international level. It combines expertise, know-how and values its tradition of technological innovation in the creation of eyeglass frames for men, women and children, where quality, functionality and comfort go hand in hand with good design.

Through this special project, that is proof of the importance that the Safilo Group puts on this brand, which has always been synonymous with the highest quality all over the world, Safilo is offering the general public its new image. This image is aimed at a more contemporary and stronger look, without forgetting or losing those values that have made the Safilo name famous over the years: quality, comfort, reliability, durability and technological innovation.

The Safilo collections use technology to its maximum: the best example is the latest revolutionary lens-mounting system “Avantek” - invented by the American company of the same name - which eliminates the need to drill the lens and therefore any possible distortion of the image: a new design concept for rimless frames.

The Safilo Group is worldwide leader in the premium eyewear sector for sunglasses, optical frames and sports eyewear. With an international presence through 30 owned subsidiaries in primary markets – in America, Europe and Asia – and exclusive distributors, Safilo produces and distributes its house brands – Safilo, Carrera, Polaroid, Smith Optics, Oxydo – and the licensed brands Alexander McQueen, Banana Republic, Bobbi Brown (starting from 2014), BOSS, BOSS Orange, Bottega Veneta, Céline, Dior, Fossil, Gucci, HUGO, J.Lo by Jennifer Lopez, Jimmy Choo, Juicy Couture, Kate Spade, Liz Claiborne, Marc Jacobs, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Max Mara, Max&Co., Pierre Cardin, Saint Laurent, Saks Fifth Avenue and Tommy Hilfiger. For further information www.safilo.com

Last update: 11/04/2013, 12:28