FENDI AND CRISTINA CELESTINO PRESENT THE HAPPY ROOM AT DESIGN MIAMI

AN ARTICLE TAKEN FROM OUR CURRENT ISSUE CRASH 78:  THE ART ISSUE, WRITTEN BY APOLLINE FRIMONT

The House of Fendi has gained distinction for its passionate commitment to interior design. For its seventh year in partnership with the prestigious Design Miami event, the Roman luxury house will present its most fascinating collection to date, designed by the incredible Cristina Celestino. “True luxury is about surrounding yourself with elegantly conceived objects and taking some time just for you.” For the 2016 edition of Design Miami, Milan-based architect Cristina Celestino partners with Fendi to showcase a collection of exceptional furniture that integrates the traditional know-how of the Roman luxury house. Called The Happy Room, the project conveys “a certain sense of lightness and desire,” in the words of the designer. Featuring a refined style, rounded shapes, and soft tones, the star pieces in The Happy Room include a sofa covered in mustard color Rubelli velvet, a five-shutter screen with panels in fur, and low tables with Roman Travertine marble top and inlays in Mandarin Onyx, pink Onyx, green Saint-Denis, and red Lepanto marble. An expert in the history of architecture and Italian design (she mentions Carlo Scarpa, Caccia Dominioni, and Sergio Asti as influences), Cristina Celestino flexed all the muscle of her graphic and intelligent style to give Fendi a line of stunningly elegant and original pieces that hearken back to classic Italian design of the 1950s, while referencing the history of Fendi through iconic elements like the distinctive arch of the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, which is found on the wall of this enchanting room. “I was drawn to the color images of Villa Planchart,” tells the designer, “so I researched the project led by Giò Ponti in the 1950s: an Italian casa in Caracas, which embodies all the modern architecture of the era, with a smart use of polychrome Italian marbles, as well as a modern and refined blend of colors and materials, recalling the Gambone ceramics and stained glass mosaics of Italy.” This innovative artistic collaboration also gave rise to Etere, a special fur treatment under resin that produces an almost frosted appearance. Contemporary volumes unite with the House’s signature furs to create Fendi’s first Traveling VIP Room, dedicated to feminine elegance and designed to host clients worldwide. “I follow my intuition to continue finding new and varied references and styles,” explains Celestino. “Even though I am drawn to certain subjects and a feminine style in particular, I do not place any limits on my creative process.” The designer shares that same approach with the House of Fendi, which has once again renewed its passionate commitment to the world of design.

Fendi x Cristina Celestino, The Happy Room from November 30 through December 4, 2016.

www.designmiami.com