Mobilia Journal Issue Two: March 2024

ISSUE TWO

THE PATRICIA URQUIOLA ISSUE

MARCH 2024

PATRICIA URQUIOLA DESIGNS WITH EMPATHY • REMEMBERING TO HAVE FUN: PATRIZIA MOROSO SHEDS A LIGHT ON THE POWER OF CONNECTING, CURIOSITY AND CARVING OUT TIME FOR EXPERIMENTATION • A HARMONIOUS CONNECTION BETWEEN THE PAST AND PRESENT AT SIX SENSES ROME • WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE: THE CREATIVE VISION OF PATRICIA URQUIOLA COMES ALIVE THROUGH DESIGNS WITH ANIMAL MAGNETISM THAT BOUNCE, FROLIC AND SLINK • WEAVING WONDER WITH CC-TAPIS’ FABRIZIO CANTONI • PLUS: 10 YEARS OF MOBILIA’S DESIGN CIRCUS

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04 NEWS: A NOTE FROM MOBILIA 06 NOW: PATRICIA URQUIOLA: DESIGNING WITH EMPATHY BY ROSA BERTOLI

COVER ARTWORK: PANOPLIE WALL AND FLOORING SYSTEM, DESIGNED BY PATRICIA URQUIOLA FOR CC-TAPIS. PHOTOGRAPHY BY CLAUDIA ZALLA; SET DESIGN AND STYLING BY GRETA CEVENINI. ART DIRECTION: SAM FAZZARI

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DESIGNER: BEC STAWELL WILSON

THEN: THE LEGACY OF WOMEN IN DESIGN BY VIVIANE STAPPMANNS

EDITOR: SARAH LANGLEY

14 PERSPECTIVE: BRINGING THE FUTURE FORWARD BY PATRICIA URQUIOLA 16 PRODUCT: MONCLOUD SOFA: REIMAGINING COMFORT

BY ROSAMUND BRENNAN 20 CONVERSATION: PATRIZIA MOROSO: REMEMBERING TO HAVE FUN

BY BRONWYN MARSHALL 22 PROJECT: GENIUS LOCI AT SIX SENSES ROME BY REBECCA GROSS 30 EDITORIAL: WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE FROM VOGUE LIVING 36 CONVERSATION: FABRIZIO CANTONI: WEAVING WONDER BY ROSAMUND BRENNAN 42 PRODUCT: SEATING BY PATRICIA URQUIOLA 50

ROSA BERTOLI IS AN ITALIANBORN, LONDON-BASED WRITER AND HAS BEEN THE DESIGN EDITOR OF WALLPAPER* SINCE 2014.

VIVIANE STAPPMANNS IS A CURATOR, RESEARCHER AND TEACHER. HER EXHIBITION AT THE VITRA DESIGN MUSEUM HERE WE ARE! WOMEN IN DESIGN 1900-TODAY PROVIDED A FRESH LOOK AT THE STORY OF MODERN DESIGN. PATRICIA URQUIOLA HAS BEEN THE ART DIRECTOR OF CASSINA SINCE 2015 AND IS ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL DESIGNERS OF THE CONTEMPORARY ERA. REBECCA GROSS SPECIALISES IN WRITING ABOUT ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN AND HISTORY FOR AUSTRALIAN PUBLICATIONS AND INDUSTRY. ROSAMUND BRENNAN IS AN AUSTRALIAN JOURNALIST DRIVEN

BY AN ENDLESS CURIOSITY FOR CREATIVITY AND CULTURE. BRONWYN MARSHALL IS A WRITER, ARCHITECT, DESIGNER AND EDUCATOR WHOSE WORK HAS APPEARED IN PUBLICATIONS INCLUDING DOMUS, ARCHDAILY AND THE LOCAL PROJECT. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE TRADITIONAL OWNERS AND CUSTODIANS OF THE LANDS ON WHICH WE LIVE AND WORK, AND WE PAY OUR RESPECT TO ELDERS PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE.

PERSPECTIVE: DESIGN CIRCUS: INSPIRING NEW POSSIBILITIES

BY ROSAMUND BRENNAN

POSTCARDS: FROM PATRICIA URQUIOLA

CROSSWORD SOLUTIONS ACROSS: 1 OASIA 5 BILBAO 7 VUITTON 8 WOOLLEN 11 MAGISTRETTI 12 HAND 13 VENUS 15 INDUSTRIAL 20 GOGAN 22 ITALY 23 HOTEL 24 ENEKO 25 SIX

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CROSSWORD SOLUTIONS DOWN: 2 SWING CHAIR 3 ARTISAN 4 GENTRY 5 BMW 6 ABLOH 7 VIMINI 9 ORIENTAL 10 NGV 13 VIRGIL 14 OVERLAY 16 SLINKIE 17 YACHT 18 POWER 19 GLASS 21 VICO

PLAY: ROOM FOR GAMES

JOIN THE DOTS: FJORD ARMCHAIR

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Top-Bottom: Patricia Urquiola by Piergiorgio Sorgetti; Patrizia Moroso

by Alessandro Paderni; Fabrizio Cantoni by Simon171.

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CONTENTS AND CONTRIBUTORS

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A Note From Mobilia

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LA MEL A R A A SC

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Mobilia Journal is the culmination of a long story, and the beginning of a new one; it’s a place to share the conversations, perspectives and insights gathered through our work with the world’s brightest design and creative minds.

News From Mobilia

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IN LLET U B OM WRO O H S

Sestiere vase, designed by Patricia Urquiola for the Cassina Details Collection (2022).

A bit about me. I love beautiful things—art, design, fashion, architecture, interiors—they’ve always moved me.

In my formative years, while other kids were engrossed in sports, I found solace in art classes and exploring galleries.

My penchant for aesthetics extended to my personal space— I'd frequently rearrange my bedroom layout and parade my ‘new space’ to the rest of my family.

At the age of 16, my story with Sam, the founding director of Mobilia, commenced. Under his guidance, I delved into a new realm of creativity: the art of creation itself. Spending my school holidays at Mobilia's furniture-making factory, I absorbed the craft from Tony, Sam’s father. Under Tony’s patient tutelage, I learned the language of furniture making.

Burl veneer, book matching and dovetail joints were terms that became my lexicon—not common to other 16 year olds.

Little did I know, those formative years would shape my path in ways unimaginable.

What did these experiences teach me? The beauty in creation, a deep respect for artisans, attention to detail, and how the process of something that commences as a design can transform into something real to be enjoyed and utilised.

In 2008, I took a bold leap, deviating from my intended career path after completing my university degree, to breathe new life into Mobilia. Our vision extended beyond bespoke furniture pieces; we aspired to curate spaces that transcended expectations. With the opening of our first physical store, we showcased not only Mobilia’s handmade pieces but also explored international brands, broadening our offering.

I began scrolling what was quite an infantile Google back then and would collate screenshots of furniture that appealed to me. It wasn’t long before I noted the trend of a repeated name as the credited designer, Patricia Urquiola.

Her work immediately captivated me with her use of colour and ability to draw inspiration from everyday objects and her surroundings to produce impeccably designed yet functional pieces.

I remember my first visit to the Salone del Mobile in Milan—the overwhelming scale of the fair, coupled with the intense jet lag all fell away when we arrived at the Kettal stand, where there she was, Patricia Urquiola, this enigma of a woman whose talent knew no bounds. Back then, she was already a superstar, flanked by other design fans scrambling for a photo and a moment of her time. I instinctively chose to hold back—I was happy just to see her that close and listen to her comments around the Vieques collection that Kettal was launching.

Over the years, as Mobilia flourished, I continued to draw inspiration from Urquiola’s work, admiring her commitment to sustainability and her groundbreaking designs. Moreover, given I was a young woman navigating a male-dominated industry, Urquiola's journey served as a beacon of empowerment for me. Her boldness to establish her studio alongside her husband, Alberto Zontone, within Italy’s design realm defied stereotypes and motivated me to explore new horizons. Urquiola’s tenacious energy and ability to approach each project like it is her first has seen her continually push the envelope, striving to do better and lifting those around her.

Navigating a male-dominated industry as a woman can be challenging and daunting, often finding ourselves in a

constant battle to assert our presence and voice. If we assert ourselves too strongly, we risk being labelled as aggressive; if we adopt a softer approach, we risk being overlooked entirely. However, Patricia Urquiola has fundamentally altered this narrative. Reflecting on a time when esteemed figures like Charlotte Perriand struggled to receive due credit for her work, it's remarkable to witness the paradigm shift today. When asked to name the most influential designer of our era, it's no longer exclusively male-dominated territory; women like Urquiola have rightfully claimed their place at the forefront of design innovation.

I am proud to share this edition of the Mobilia Journal.

It serves as a tribute to some of the significant works by Patricia Urquiola. We delve into her profound influence on other esteemed industry leaders, such as Patrizia Moroso, whose visionary contributions have revolutionised our relationship with our furniture interiors.

Additionally, we have the pleasure of hearing from the remarkable Fabrizio Cantoni of CC-Tapis. With his keen design sensibility and impeccable business acumen, Fabrizio has propelled his company to remarkable heights in just a few short years, all while maintaining unwavering integrity toward the original vision of his brand.

Reflecting on my own career, it is truly a full-circle moment to have Patricia Urquiola as this year’s special guest for Mobilia’s Design Circus. To think of the trepidation I felt before saying hello to her all those years ago, and now to be part of sharing her wisdom with an Australian audience, all whilst raising funds for charity is moving.

Two takeaways from Urquiola that resonate deeply with me are to enjoy the process and to have a great team.

My partner Sam, the undisputed visionary of our company, has always kept the journey enjoyable and has supported me in everything I have done. Also, our incredible team, made up of diverse individuals, whether it's Jacobo Garcia Chapa’s relentless determination, Michael Fazzari’s technical prowess, or Diane Skapetis’ remarkable warmth—we are united by a singular mission to enrich the Australian community with the distinctive culture of Mobilia.

To the great Australian design enthusiasts who have supported us along the way, the open arms we received from the east coast community, and the continued loyalty from our Perth peers, thank you for your commitment to authentic design and understanding how it is essential to our environment.

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Rows sideboard, designed by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso (2023).

Photography: Alessandro Paderni.

No Vanitas mirror, designed by Patricia Urquiola for the Cassina Details Collection (2023). Photography: Luca Merli.

VL50 Awards Presented by Mobilia Mobilia partnered with prestigious lifestyle publication Vogue Living to present the inaugural VL50 Awards, a celebration of the top talent in the design industry, both emerging and established. Among the star-studded crowd at the Art Gallery of New South Wales was the international design icon Patricia Urquiola, who attended the ceremony as guest of honour. The Awards recognised the country’s leading interior designers, architects, product designers, landscape architects, artists and creatives across ten major categories. For Mobilia, supporting the initiative provided a way to give back to the design community it feels so proud to be part of.

The VL50 award winners will feature in the May/June edition of Vogue Living, which will be on sale from 18 April.

10 Years of Design Circus

This issue is dedicated to the two most influential women in my life: my mother, Nadia, and Sam's mother, Carmel.

They have consistently exemplified that true success comes from staying authentic to oneself and embodying kindness and humility.

Panoplie wall and flooring system, designed by Patricia Urquiola for CC-Tapis (2023). Photography: Claudia Zalla.

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Mobilia’s first Design Circus took place when Valenciabased creative studio CuldeSac, which counts the likes of Aston Martin, Tiffany & Co and Nike among its clients, was commissioned to design an exhibition in Perth showcasing furniture icons in a new light. Following the success of the inaugural 2014 event, Mobilia continued to expand on the Design Circus concept, with a focus on enriching the local design community while supporting charities through hosting large-scale talks, workshops and industry events.

Some of the biggest names in design internationally have attended as special guests, including Patrizia Moroso, Jaime

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Hayon, Doshi Levien and Michael Anastassiades. This year, Mobilia proudly presents Patricia Urquiola as the guest speaker for two sold-out talks at the National Gallery of Victoria and the State Theatre Centre of Western Australia.

Read more about Design Circus in Rosamund Brennan’s feature on page 50.

A New Vocabulary: CC-Tapis’ Panoplie System Drawing on Patricia Urquiola’s unparalleled affinity for materials, colour and texture, Panoplie is a wall and floor covering system designed for Italian rug maker CC-Tapis.

Appropriate for use in residential and commercial projects, the system of hand-tufted rugs uses a combination of wool and Econyl, an innovative nylon yarn made from synthetic waste. Creatives and professionals can revel in this new vocabulary of motifs ranging from micro textures to decorative patterns to suit any space.

Discover the Panoplie system designed by Patricia Urquiola for CC-Tapis at mobilia.com.au.

Artistic Expression: Moroso’s Rows Collection Clean lines merge with artistic detailing in Patricia Urquiola’s latest collaboration with Moroso, Rows. The range comprises a series of storage units and two rectangular tables, characterised by a curved milled edge taking inspiration from a still life painting by French writer and painter Amédée

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Ozenfant. The storage units feature an oak veneer finish applied using a membrane press, preserving the continuity of the grain and giving the furniture an artisanal feel without concealing the industrial production method. Meanwhile, the tables highlight the contrast between the graphic effect of the surfaces and the linear form, with table tops available in wood, back-painted glass or marble.

Discover the Rows collection designed by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso at mobilia.com.au.

Celebrating Venetian Tradition: Cassina’s Sestiere and No Vanitas Patricia Urquiola releases two new accessories for Cassina, drawing on the centuries-old Murano glass tradition. Urquiola works directly with artisan craftspeople and combines contemporary design with time-honoured techniques to bring these pieces to life. The Sestiere vases feature a mouthblown glass ball enveloped by a contrasting net of Murano glass cords applied by hand to the vase’s exterior, creating a pleasingly imperfect effect. Urquiola also uses this distinctive cord detail in No Vanitas, an unconventional mirror with a cast-glass murrina as its focal point rather than the spectator’s reflection.

Discover Sestiere and No Vanitas, designed by Patricia Urquiola for Cassina at mobilia.com.au.

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Patricia Urquiola: Designing with Empathy LI ERTO B A ROS NOW

Pacific modular sofa (2021), Gogan coffee table (2020) and Ruff armchair (2020), all designed by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso. Photography: Alessandro Paderni.

A unique understanding of the past and an intuitive eye towards the future shape Patricia Urquiola’s design vision

In contemporary design, Patricia Urquiola is an unstoppable force. A brief conversation with her is enough to uncover a world of cultural references that spans from contemporary philosophy to the masters of modern design, from botany and fashion to the most cutting-edge innovations in manufacturing, circularity and materials. She leads her eponymous Milanese studio, which she founded with partner Alberto Zontone in 2001, through which she has created some of the most relevant products, furniture designs and interiors of today, developing a portfolio that ranges from sofas and lighting to tiles, rugs, bathroom fixtures, fashion collections and more. Her interiors for hotels and private residences are imbued with a graceful sensibility, and merge spatial functionality and interaction with a welcoming sense of ease.

Also serving as art director of Cassina since 2015, her work often involves curating some of design history’s most iconic collections—through the Italian company’s I Maestri collection of works by masters such as Charlotte Perriand, Gio Ponti and, soon, Ray and Charles Eames—as well as developing collections with today’s leading creative minds, something she does with a special attention to the impact design manufacturing has on the environment, and a constant push to innovation.

“Time is circular, there is no breakage. Everything is interlinked; past, present, future,” she says. “The difficult part is to perceive what is going to feel contemporary in the future, when the product is introduced to the market, to an audience that becomes more fragmented and evolved every day—and hopefully give the object a long-lasting life. It is a problem of smelling the future, and not being afraid of reinterpreting something from the past with a new technology or material, using something that was never done before, or that did not exist. Or mixing the two worlds.”

Urquiola’s career trajectory has seen her work alongside some of the most venerated designers of the past century.

Born in Oviedo, Spain, Urquiola first studied architecture and design at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, before moving to Milan to attend the Politecnico, under Achille Castiglioni’s mentorship. After her studies, she assisted Castiglioni as a lecturer for a short period of time, later also working at Edizioni de Padova, with Maddalena de Padova and Vico Magistretti, and finally serving as head of Milanese studio Lissoni Associati from 1996. Her mentors’ touch is tangible in her work—she credits Castiglioni for teaching her how to consider people’s interactions in her spaces, while Magistretti and De Padova instilled in young Urquiola an early experimental approach to design and technology.

Despite the key role these designers had on her work, her advice for the next generation of creatives would be “not to listen to advice too much. If you can, choose your masters and try to be close to them, not to be like them, but to find yourself.”

Travel has had an essential role throughout Urquiola’s

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life and career, and travelling has been a natural element of her work. Her interior projects range from the Haworth HQ in Michigan to the Il Sereno Hotel on Lake Como, from the Igniv Restaurants in Bangkok and Zurich to a private island resort in the Maldives. “I have started travelling out of my comfort zone, leaving my homeland of Asturias, to go study architecture in Madrid, and then Milan,” she recalls. “So I was twice a minority, a woman architect, a Spanish in Milan, but I never felt it was a problem because, as always, when you are sharing two sides, they both lose strength.” I started travelling with my mind to the holiday homes on the coast of Asturias, facing the ocean, and in Ibiza, living among artists and creatives from all over the world. But I travel every day, even in my neighbourhood, looking at things with a different eye; not only what’s beautiful, but also ugly, dismissed things, and perceive their hidden allure. Travelling for work makes me understand in a more profound way the places I visit.

Every time is different, I cannot say I know the places I've been to, because places are like people, constantly evolving.”

Her first time in Australia coincided with a Moroso launch in Melbourne, where she travelled with the company’s creative director, Patrizia Moroso. The pair share a unique creative bond and friendship, with Urquiola having worked closely with Moroso on furniture for the brand since 2007.

“At the end of the business trip, we decided to visit Uluru,” she recalls. As a fan of movie director Wim Wenders, she had been captivated by the visual power of the movie Until the End of the World and felt compelled to visit the location that formed the backdrop for the science fiction drama.

“I felt the energy of the country,” she says of her inaugural trip. “I met interesting people with whom I could naturally feel close and instinctively understand, I could see it is a country with interesting women, with energy and culture that want to emerge, like I do. The greatness of the country and the distance, physical and by time zone from my home, allowed me to see myself from afar, it gave me the chance to think and observe in a different way. I also like a different point of view, looking at Europe, North America and Asia from an independent perspective.”

That first trip was also the inspiration for Urquiola’s design of a house in Udine, Italy, for Moroso and her family, a building connected with nature and filled with the colourful, multicultural world shared by the two creatives.

The inspiration, explains Urquiola, “came from the rust red ramps of Uluru, as a reinterpretation. And colours, even if not used literally, were referenced as a sign of energy. I said to Patrizia ‘in the house I am designing for you, you will enter through a desert-red ramp,’ and that became real.”

In 2020, Urquiola was given carte blanche to create an installation for the main hall at Melbourne’s NGV, to sit under Leonard French’s cut glass ceiling. Her Recycled Woollen Island was an interactive space that offered visitors a moment to pause and contemplate the space. “I thought of reproducing a domestic space with an object that’s on

Patricia Urquiola by Piergiorgio Sorgetti.

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Trampoline table and chair, designed by Patricia Urquiola for the Cassina Outdoor Collection (2023). Photography: Francesco Dolfo.

Trampoline table, designed by Patricia Urquiola for the Cassina Outdoor Collection (2023). Photography: Luca Merli.

“My belief is that we should do the best we can to be evolutive.

Not only designing better products and spaces, but also better behaviours. The earth doesn’t need us to sustain her, we need to evolve to survive. Communication is the first tool to try to achieve that, as it is material research, technology, energy and how to give importance to objects: if you have empathy with an object, you will protect it and give it multiple lives.”

the floor of every house, like a sock,” she explains. “The inspiration for it came to me quite easily. I have always been interested in sneakers and socks and how much I can possibly experiment with them and the concept of comfort, both physical and mental.” The project involved many recurring elements of Urquiola’s oeuvre: human interaction, playfulness, ergonomics and bold graphics all contributed to the installation’s distinctive approach. It also conveyed a message of giving value to used material through upcycling: ‘a new life, a new beauty.’

It is a concept that’s close to Urquiola’s heart, and a recurring feature of her work. Her designs are often informed by the latest innovations and sustainable practices. “Bioplastics made of seaweed, plants, vegetables, bacteria, and by-products from organic matter to create new sophisticated materials, which will regenerate within their life cycles” are among the innovations and materials that currently excite her the most, and where she’d like to focus her design efforts in the future. “Materials that at the end of their circles can become compost, like myceliumbased composites or self-repairing concrete inspired by coral structures are already showing impressive results, and I believe we will explore their specific properties even more.”

After several decades in design, her energy for innovation and curiosity for what’s next is unparalleled, she is unique among her generation and calibre of designers in her constant efforts to break the boundaries of design and manufacturing. She credits this to a natural instinct. “I have two daughters. I work with young designers and architects

in the studio, I feel that they will face huge challenges,” she says. “My belief is that we should do the best we can to be evolutive, without being punished. Not only designing better products and spaces, but also better behaviours. The earth doesn’t need us to sustain her, we need to evolve to survive.

Communication is the first tool to try to achieve that, as it is material research, technology, energy and how to give importance to objects: if you have empathy with an object, you will protect it and give it multiple lives.”

This is also a legacy of her design training. “I often reflect on Castiglioni's words: ’What you have to learn is not only to be curious, pay attention, have rigour, but to understand that we design behaviours.’ For me, this is a reminder that design goes beyond mere aesthetics; it shapes how we interact with our surroundings and consequently with emotions,” she explains. “It's about creating environments that foster wellbeing and evolve with us. Just as we change and adapt, so too should the spaces we inhabit. It's a profound concept that requires careful consideration and constant adjustment in our design practice. There are many products and objects around you to choose from, and maybe today it is not so important which is the most ergonomic, but the one that is more empathic with you, that one you can relate to.”

Ruff armchair, designed by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso (2020).

Photography: Alessandro Paderni.

Loveland sofa and Rows sideboard, both designed by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso (2023). Photography: Alessandro Paderni.

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Hayama console table, designed by Patricia Urquiola for Cassina (2019-2023). Photography: Francesco Dolfo.

Patricia Urquiola with her Venus Power collection designed for CC-Tapis. Photography: Simon171.

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The Legacy of Women in Design S ANN M P P STA ANE VIVI

Far from being historical footnotes, women designers through the past century have created a legacy of smart, sociallyminded design that continues, and is even more prescient, today.

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In 1927, 24-year old architect Charlotte Perriand (1903-1999), approached Swiss architect and designer Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (1887-1965), better known under his pseudonym Le Corbusier, to apply for work at his studio in Paris. The visit was brief: he is said to have dismissed her with a gruff “We don’t embroider cushions here.” Just a month later, Le Corbusier found himself at Perriand’s 1927 Salon d’Automne exhibition Bar Sous le Toit, her seminal first foray into the realm of curved, tubular chrome that is so well-known today. He immediately hired her to run his furniture design business. As such history powerfully illustrates, in design, stereotypes can be pervasive—but they don’t need to prevail.

In the narrative of modernist design, women are repeatedly cast in domestic roles while a handful of celebrated and interconnected hero figures are revered as leads. Gropius, Breuer, Johnson, Le Corbusier, Beyer, Nelson or Loewy—they visited and worked at the same prestigious schools, were connected through friendships, feuds and loose ties with other members of their exclusive all-boys clubs. This is not a revelation. What is lesser known is that since the 1970s, singular and collective efforts by feminist scholars—mostly from art and architecture, rather than industrial design—have worked to redress the balance. In

recent decades, many prolific and influential women have been rediscovered, their working biographies painstakingly reconstructed, their archives preserved, and their stories told to large audiences via exhibitions and publications. Among them are the likes of Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi (19141992), the Bauhaus Women, and the so-called “Damsels in Design”—a group of designers who worked at General Motors in the 1950s after management realised many car purchases were instigated by women. However, looking at women in design reveals more than simply lost and obscured names. Revisiting and assessing the contributions and achievements of female practitioners can also equip us with tools to construct a new understanding of a more diverse, inclusive practice of design for the future. Here are three quick lessons with which to begin.

Lesson One: Our systems of value are out of date Throughout design history, just as today, a prestigious education and potent network has been a guarantee of success. For anyone who doubts the truth of this, I recommend perusing the participant lists of get-togethers such as the International Congresses of Modern Architecture

Saint Sulpice 1927, Projet publication © Archives Charlotte Perriand.

Charlotte Perriand in the country, 1934. Photography by Pierre Jeanneret. © Archives Charlotte Perriand.

Cassina’s authentic reconstruction of the Refuge Tonneau, designed

by Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret in 1938.

(CIAM), founded by 28 architects in Switzerland in 1928, or the International Design Conference in Aspen, inaugurated in 1950 in the eponymous resort town in Colorado. Both reveal that the agenda-setters of that time were intimately connected, looked out for each other when it came to arranging for work, teaching gigs at Harvard or publishing one another. Such exclusive networks, to this day, will be a powerful door opener.

But it is precisely this attitude that gives us blinkers.

Take, for instance, Eileen Gray (1878-1976). Although privileged and wealthy, Irish-born Gray battled gender stereotypes throughout her career. She opened her first gallery in Paris under a male pseudonym, Jean Desert, in 1922, and later became renowned for two iconic buildings and their interiors she designed—one for her partner, another entirely for herself—at France’s Côte d’Azur. Gray’s flexible, thoroughly modern work stands out because her design and architecture skills were not formally acquired— she had trained as a lacquer artist. Yet the chrome, steel tube and glass furniture she exhibited in 1925 was in every respect as modern as that of her well-connected, formally trained colleagues Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer, who produced similar designs that same year.

Gray spent her last decades living a relatively secluded life and only found recognition shortly before passing away, aged 98, in 1976. Today, Gray’s designs are among the most revered at auctions, and her work has been the subject of retrospectives at several prestigious institutions, but the system that first let her fade into obscurity still exists. As this article is being published, designers of any gender might lose out on recognition because they don’t know the right people, come from the wrong country, went to the wrong school or none at all. It’s time to let go of systems of value that are based on institutional networks and connections.

Lesson Two: Design was always social In today’s post-capitalist society, many designers— especially those just embarking on their career path—are looking to set up practices in service of the greater good.

For too long, design has been the bedfellow of greedy and ecologically questionable businesses. But for the past decade or so, the practice of and discourse around social design has been taught and discussed at a number of universities. But it is important to note that this is not a new kind of design.

A long line of role models can be found among female

practitioners, many of whom were never before discussed in a design context, yet who provide a path forward toward a different design practice.

One of these protagonists is Jane Addams (1860–1935), who in 1889 joined forces with a college friend, Ellen Gates Starr (1859–1940), to establish a community centre in one of the most poverty-stricken areas of Chicago. Modelled on the British settlement houses, Hull House catered to the needs of a swiftly growing immigrant population by offering literature, history and art classes as well as crafts workshops. Addams’ approach might today be thought of as transformation design. Together with her allies, she painstakingly mapped the origins, social strata, profession and needs of the community members around Hull House, to then tailor the programme accordingly and introduce participatory approaches to the workshops conducted at the institution. Further South in Boston, Louise Brigham (1875–1956) designed simple pieces of furniture built from standard wooden packing crates. A complete suite of her socalled “box furniture” cost no more than four dollars— half an average weekly wage in those days. Her how-to manual, Box Furniture, was published in 1909, long before Gerrit Rietveld in the 1930s and Enzo Mari in the 1970s brought design status to DIY. Brigham’s book went through several editions and was translated into many languages, but she, too, is almost forgotten today.

The aforementioned Charlotte Perriand initially set out to create low-cost solutions for the less privileged members of society (this is what had drawn her to work with Le Corbusier, who at the time was working on his master plans for redesigning or inventing entire cities). Some of Perriand’s most lauded designs today were initially designed for modest budgets, like her Antony bookcase, which she worked on with atelier Jean Prouvé to furnish student housing in Paris. Not only the formal work but also the processes and intentions of women like Addams, Brigham or Perriand—as well as other yet-to-be-rediscovered social reformers or designers, I imagine—should be considered as we seek to redefine the future practices of design.

Lesson Three: Consider collectivities and syntheses Across design history, the biographies of many female designers reveal a recurring theme—a penchant to do things differently, to interrogate, and in some instances turn existing conventions entirely on their head.

The London architectural collective Matrix, for instance, was founded in 1977 to address the relationship between gender and the built environment. Combining both a practice of research and one of building, the group of women worked within a democratic, self-governed and hierarchyfree framework and produced its designs in community consultation processes. Both participatory design processes, as well as collective work structures, are being rediscovered today. Now that many companies are realising that Fordist structures of hierarchy may be a thing of the past, we need to look no further than Matrix when searching for inspiration to redesign work culture. Meanwhile, outfits like the Turner Prize-winning collective Assemble are already practising the multi-disciplinary, community-oriented approach that Matrix first pioneered.

There is also a lesson in the way many women have had to shape their career paths. At Vitra Design Museum, in the course of research for the exhibition Here We Are! Women in Design 1900–Today, our team spent a year pouring over the biographies of more than 150 women designers across history. It was surprising to find how many of them had to pivot or, in some cases, entirely pause their careers for long periods. Naturally, many of these interruptions were due to changes in family circumstances, such as in the case of Hungarian-born Eva Zeisel (1906–2011), whose 70-year career as a ceramicist also included being one of the first women to receive a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York (in 1946). Yet in the middle of her career, she had stopped working in design for years to instead support her husband on sociology projects—to then continue her prolific career, actively working until she passed away at 104.

In a recent conversation, Patricia Urquiola (b. 1996), one of the most admired furniture designers today, reminded me that we should celebrate these examples. Herself a highly versatile designer who oscillates between designing objects and spaces and creative direction, Urquiola pointed out that women's trajectories show us we needn't be bound to one career path. “I want to reserve the right to do something very different if I wish to do so,” she told me. She suggests that for centuries, women’s lived experience consisted of juggling many different tasks and wearing many hats—and that flexibility, for her, far from a hindrance, is the key to a successful career. It may just be the reason we see many more women succeed in future design practice, which will require more interdisciplinary, cross-boundary thinking.

Salon d’Automne 1929, Charlotte Perriand on 4 Chaise longue à reglage continu, designed by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand © Archives Charlotte Perriand.

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Bringing the Future Forward VE

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Patricia Urquiola’s “Recycled Woollen Island” installation at the National Gallery of Victoria, 2020. Photography: Coco and Maximilian. The installation consists of large-scale socks that are actual seating modules, which can be changed, moved and adapted freely by the public to get comfortable and admire the stained-glass artwork Leonard French on the ceiling of the hall.

Community-mindedness, circular thinking and courageous creativity will bring the future to the now, writes Patricia Urquiola, one of the most influential minds in contemporary design.

Patricia Urquiola by Valentina Sommariva. Supplied: Financial Times. Pictured with the Nuvola Rossa bookcase, designed by Vico Magistretti for Cassina (1977), and; Visioni rug, designed by Patricia Urquiola for CC-Tapis (2016).

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Photography: Tom Ross/Courtesy of the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.

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For me, thinking about the future of design means experimenting already in the present. For me, the real luxury is being able to control time instead of being controlled by it.

And for me, time is future.

I always like that beautiful text Time and the Quantum: Erasing the Past and Impacting the Future (2005) by physicist Yakir Aharonov, who rewrote quantum equations so that the future is determined not only by information flowing from the past to the present, but also from the future to the present. This concept really fascinates me and is reflected in my way of working too.

When I start a new project, I always draw on my sphere of memories and sensations; but every nostalgic link with the past lasts only for a moment, a very short fraction of time, which marks the transition from the past to the present and from the future to the present.

I love this short circuit of times, these channels of my bidirectional thought. I like experimenting, making mistakes and then trying again. The process is never linear, but a metamorphosis: in the act of creating and redoing, transforming and evolving, the future already affects my present. I become part of these transitions, these same suspended fractions of time, from the past to the future, and from the future to the present.

In this way only, I believe we can shape the future.

Sometimes, when I experiment with a new material or a new technique, a new direction opens up during the research giving life to an unexpected product, far from what we had envisioned at the beginning. This is the future for me: an attitude of openness, of sharing, the surprise coming from experimentation.

It happens frequently in my work as Cassina’s art director. Together as a company, we want to make Cassina’s immense heritage evolve through the present and possibly the future. Our aim is not only to celebrate our immense archive and long history, but also to make design icons live a continuous evolution. As a start, we reinterpret iconic pieces by using today’s best technology and with a conscious approach to the environment. This is a journey that we have been carrying out strongly for a long time, not only on reeditions, but also with new collections; of course. From the Soriana model reissued with circular materials to my Sengu sofa, both featuring recycled fibre padding. I consider art direction an accumulation of experiences that make myself and the company grow and evolve together.

Working with Cassina and many other companies doing great research like Andreu World, Haworth and GAN rugs, just to name a few, it makes clear how much the future of design should go through circularity. In a certain way, we

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have to learn how to produce in reverse. This means thinking about the end of the product’s life cycle when we are starting the project. In this direction, we must re-establish an authentic beauty in which even the inaccuracies, the defects are enhanced, derived, for example, from a smart reuse of materials. We must make good for the best of the environment and us all.

In this regard, the pandemic made all of us, designers and architects, jump forward. We had to look inside and around us more attentively, we realised we needed to renovate the whole ecological thought. As philosopher Timothy Morton well explains, ecology concerns not only the environment; it is everything surrounding us, our culture, our sensibility. I believe this is a strong thought that is here to stay.

We are finally thinking beyond the individual and going towards a sense of community. Melbourne has witnessed this with their annual Design Week. By no coincidence, it reminds me of the beautiful site-specific installation I designed for the National Gallery of Victoria, showcased during the Triennial. It was called Recycled Woollen Island and consisted of a large-scale, floor-based installation of 16 super-sized “socks” made in recycled felt and PET. I approached the installation as a designer more than as an artist and so all pieces are thought to serve the community of visitors. They could move the socks, play with them and enjoy the Great Hall stained glass ceiling by artist Leonard French. This was a project developed during lockdown and it saw my studio collaborate with GAN rugs in Spain and with manufacturers in India. So, for this global-scale project, difficulties were even more major than before—but we made it happen.

This exemplifies how solid partnerships can become even stronger through challenge. I have been learning how to be more courageous and more patient. I have been joining this ongoing laboratory of research and investigation. My work has been changing accordingly and of course it will be permeated by the uncertainty of the future, this “shade” that we believe the future will be holding. I can say that the best projects are indeed born from this shadowy area. Decisions that long needed to be made have been accelerated. I believe we will keep on acting in this way, making the future become the present.

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Moncloud Sofa: Reimagining Comfort NAN

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Moncloud system, designed by Patricia Urquiola for Cassina (2023).

Photography: Luca Merli.

Described as ‘the future in a sofa’, the Moncloud exemplifies Cassina’s forward-thinking, circular approach—offering sublime levels of comfort and style, while marking a major sustainable design milestone for the industry.

In the ‘60s, avant-garde design company C&B (Cassina and Busnelli) was established to reimagine the modern sofa.

Using polyurethane foam, they pioneered designs that were quite literally “out of the box”, with sinuous, free-flowing shapes which stood apart from the rigid styles of the era.

Now, more than 60 years later, Cassina is once at again at the forefront of design innovation—developing groundbreaking, environmentally-conscious methods of sofa design and production which maximise comfort while using recycled materials.

Truly ahead of the curve in both style and materiality, the Moncloud Sofa by Cassina artistic director Patricia Urquiola features very minimal polyurethane foam, instead using recycled PET wadding that gently folds around its skeleton, forming its soft, inviting curves that recall an enveloping cocoon. Importantly, circularity is at the forefront of the sofa’s design—with zero glued parts so it can be easily taken apart and given new life.

“The Moncloud sofa has changed our outlook on traditional sofa production,” says Cassina Chief Executive Officer Luca Fuso. “Right from the very start when we began working on the design concept with Patricia, we decided not to use the typical polyurethane mould, thus facilitating the recycling of the product’s elements at the end of its life cycle.”

To better enable the recycling of the sofa’s elements, its miniscule amount of foam is made of CIRCULARREFOAM®, a polyurethane made with a percentage of recycled polyols which can easily be separated from the other materials.

Cassina’s focus on circularity is championed by CassinaLAB, a dedicated sustainability incubator in partnership with the brand’s Research and Development Centre and the Poli.Design consortium at the Politecnico di Milano. Spearheaded by Urquiola and launched in 2020, the LAB aims to optimise the use of circular materials in Cassina products, both new and the classics, while exploring new ways to benefit customer wellbeing.

“CassinaLAB is an approach, a journey, in continuous expansion, to rethink the future of design,” says Luca Fuso.

“We have recently adopted an innovative tool that optimises design and production by mapping key indicators, such as the circularity rate and disassembly index, in order to guide us in our choices right from the beginning.”

Of course, as with all of Urquiola’s designs, the Moncloud’s sustainable features do not come at the expense of its comfort and aesthetic beauty. Its inviting silhouette recalls the Latin concept of otium, where finding a moment of deep rest, tranquillity and idleness away from the activities of public life is a necessary part of one’s productivity. Put simply, its supple, cloud-like shell is the perfect soft landing at the end of a long day.

The Moncloud’s refined seating system includes a sleek, understated wooden base supporting a contoured form that appears to float like a halo, offering a feeling of elevation and airiness. Like a soft, billowing veil, the fabric upholstery delicately drapes around the sofa’s volumes, creating a special folded detail that enhances the beauty of its profile.

Versatile by design, the Moncloud offers modules that leave room for different layouts and compositions that can be tailored to suit your home.

Innovative, future-focused design is certainly nothing new for Cassina, and together with Urquiola’s focus on sustainability, they are crafting a new sensibility for ethical design practices and stimulating important conversations around the design industry’s footprint: how things are made, used and reused. And, in turn, asserting a new understanding of the beauty of design which emphasises its intrinsic value.

“Cassina has always been a pioneer in its field, right from the 1960s when once young talents like Mario Bellini and Gaetano Pesce would come to the Research and Development Centre to experiment with materials and bring their groundbreaking ideas to life,” says Luca Fuso.

“It’s really important for us to always keep stimulating change in our sector and, at the same time, never lose sight of our values and commitment to production excellence, quality and innovation.”

Cassina setting featuring Soft Corners ottoman designed by Linde Freya Tangelder (2022), Utrecht armchair designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld (1935), Table Monta designed by Charlotte Perriand (1970), Constantin side table designed by Studio Simon (1971) and Moncloud sofa designed

by Patricia Urquiola (2023). Photography: Francesco Dolfo.

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Moncloud system, designed by Patricia Urquiola for Cassina (2023). Photography: Francesco Dolfo.

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What excites you about recognising talent and supporting young designers?

Patrizia Moroso: Remembering To Have Fun

I like working with people from the beginning of their careers. It's a beautiful thing. The first planting of the seed— the germination of the plant—is the most energetic part of that plant’s journey. Growing with the sun, it gets bigger and bigger. When you’re able to be part of that growth, to see it— it really is a gift. I see and understand immediately when I am in front of a talent. I have been able to witness so many ‘starts’ with people, and I am so thankful.

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You’ve visited Australia a number of times now, once for an appearance at Mobilia’s Design Circus and another time on a work trip with Patricia Urquiola. What’s your perspective on Australian design?

Your visit with Patricia Urquiola inspired the design of your home in Udine. What was it about Australia that struck a chord with you?

I visited some 20 years ago, and although I’m sure many things have changed, some things struck us and stayed with us since then. So much so that on our return, Patricia designed the house I live in now, entirely inspired by that trip. We were especially drawn to the landscape—the colours, the history, the oldness of place, and the beginnings of the history of humanity. It was like being immersed in another planet. Patricia is very passionate about Australia as a country—about its potential and the total power of the place. We share this important memory together, a memory I wanted to have with me in my home.

I am always impressed and interested in the design that comes out of Australia. I remember a lot about craftsmanship and smaller designers we visited. Because the design industry isn’t as expansive as it is in Europe, there were companies that were making furniture that made the most of the resources at hand. At the end of the day, if you can't connect internationally, then you have to connect locally instead. Although Australia can seem very far away, it's also not uncommon to see Australian designers in Italy all year around. The distance doesn’t seem to be an issue.

Founder and creative director of Moroso, Patrizia Moroso, sheds light on the power of connecting, curiosity and carving out time for experimentation.

Patrizia Moroso by Alessandro Paderni.

Over a morning coffee in the outskirts of Milan, Patrizia Moroso muses on what it takes to continue to design with passion and that inimitable Italian fervour that has fuelled Moroso over the years. She acknowledges how fortunate she has been to have grown up truly immersed within such rich design culture, and the ease of access to manufacturers, craftspeople and designers. All of which has felt like a unique incubator for endless possibility. Having helped launch Patricia Urquiola as a young designer into the world, she recounts the earlier days and some of the pivotal moments the two have shared through their travels—and the beauty that has come out of continually making time for fun.

Your working relationship with Patricia Urquiola stretches way back to 1998 with the Fjord armchair being one of the first designs you worked on together.

What impact has your collaboration had on Moroso?

When we started our collaboration, it wasn’t on something typical—it was something new. It was a very special armchair, like a broken object, and was so different from anything commercial that was being made—but we pushed it, and it was a very successful project for both of us. It was a different way of designing, and it was clear that Patricia was a special designer. I helped launch her, and she helped push and grow my company. It was, and is, a beautiful relationship.

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It sounds like you have quite an incredible synergy with Patricia. What makes your collaboration and way of working together so well-aligned?

From the very beginning, the collaboration, and our connection, was immediate and instinctive. Her talent was very clear from our initial meeting. We connected when she was a young designer and very soon it became a friendship. Even though we live four hours apart, we are always in contact. Although she is always so busy, we have a strong relationship. We also always try to make time for experimental projects. We make room for the craziness, because we don’t want to leave that part of creativity out of the process. It’s so important.

What do you think the ingredient has been to your connection and success together?

For us, working together is about sharing a passion for what we do. If it is only work, it won’t last. When the relationship is strong, then the partnership lasts a long time.

I love that she became a superstar. But what remains for me is what was there from the beginning—two women who were planning to start a revolution.

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Do you have any other advice about remaining passionate and inspired?

You have to always find ways to have fun and keep a positive outlook—these things are so very important.

Sometimes you start a collection, and there can be problem after problem, and then the relationship ends. But you have to be open to doing something different, and the designer needs to be open to the process of how things can actually be made possible. You also can’t get caught up in how you are perceived. If you are too worried about the audience, you will never do anything new. You have to be strong and proud in order to do difficult things, and to do something that has never been done before.

Moroso is known for its groundbreaking collaborations with some of the world’s most respected designers.

How important have these collaborations been for the growth and success of Moroso?

Collaboration is so important. It is about sharing and exchanging experiences. You can gain new ideas from a designer, and you also have the opportunity to be creative through the process. That sharing is what enriches the human experience—because as a result we grow. I am the sum of me and many other things that have happened to and around me. And it is the same for a company. You have to be a collector of energies, and then you have to learn how to use them. You grow richer by helping to grow the people around you.

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Ruff armchair (2020), Gogan sofa (2019) and Gogan coffee table (2020), all designed by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso. Photography: Alessandro Paderni.

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Genius Loci at Six Senses Rome SS GRO A C EBEC

Fusing contemporary design, modern life and nature with the rich history and architecture of the building, Patricia Urquiola has created a harmonious connection between the present and past at Six Senses Rome.

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Bringing together the contemporary and the classical, Six Senses Rome reveals a layered patina of history. Patricia Urquiola’s sophisticated design exemplifies the hotel’s namesake, capturing the Genius Loci, the “spirit of a place” amongst its rich interiors. Featuring an abundance of nature and furniture from Cassina, Moroso and Kettal, the tranquil yet vibrant hotel invites guests to relax, socialise and explore.

Six Senses Rome is located within Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini, just a coin toss from the Trevi Fountain. The building was originally constructed in the 15th-century, and updated in the 18th-century by architect Tommaso De Marchis. He adorned the classical building with an elaborate, theatrical, sculptural quality that, true to the baroque style, was intended to elicit wonder and awe. Various interventions were made over the years before its recent conversion into a hotel by Starching and architect Professor Paolo Micalizzi.

Urquiola designed the interiors to reflect the Six Senses’ philosophy of wellbeing, conviviality and sustainable design.

The interior is a peaceful oasis in the heart of Rome, yet it still has the liveliness and exuberance of the baroque through its verdant greenery and arrangement. Circular forms present in the architecture are repeated through design elements, with materials and finishes nodding to classical traditions. Italian travertine stone covers walls, floor and arches, and traditional cocciopesto plasterwork— an ancient Roman material comprising fragments of earthenware or brick mixed with lime and sand—provides intricate embellishment on ceilings.

The entrance from Piazza di San Marcello leads into an open lobby and social area furnished with sofas and lounge chairs by Urquiola and acclaimed Italian designers.

Soriana armchairs, by Afra and Tobia Scarpa, have soft, generous and voluptuous forms. Designed in the late 1960s they represented a new look of leisure. Cassina has since redeveloped its construction and materials to create an ecofriendly version.

The open-air courtyard adjacent is light and breezy, with built-in seating and planters snaking around the back wall.

The curved form of an exquisite green marble bar mimics the arched steel beams above and invites guests to take a seat on a Roll bar stool. Designed by Urquiola for Kettal, the outdoor stool is a playful expression of comfort, with a padded backrest comprising two cushions held together by a removable coloured belt.

The focus on translating Six Senses’ philosophy of wellbeing and conviviality continues in the hotel rooms, where lounge areas feature Moroso’s Gogan modular sofa.

Its forms are reminiscent of smooth, flat, sculpted stones, as if they’ve been honed by water and time.

Demonstrating Six Senses’ commitment to sustainability and heritage preservation, the building’s original façade and monumental marble staircase have been restored, and a large 4th-century baptismal bath, uncovered during archaeological excavations in the early 1900s, can be seen beneath the glass floor tiles within the trattoria-style Bivium Restaurant-Café-Bar. The brand also sponsored major renovation works to revive the facade of the neighbouring church, San Marcello al Corso.

Fusing contemporary design, modern life and nature with the rich history and architecture of the building, Urquiola has created a harmonious connection between the present and past, and captured the spirit of the place for guests to enjoy. It’s a calm and tranquil place that stirs wonder and awe.

Six Senses Rome. Photography: Luca Rotondo. The interior project designed by Patricia Urquiola for Six Senses Rome places an emphasis on the well-being of the guests.

A lounge area featuring the Gogan modular sofa (2019) and coffee tables (2020) designed by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso, anchored by the Model 2109 light designed by Gino Sarfatti for Astep (1959). Photography: Luca Rotondo.

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A sense of conviviality at Six Senses Rome with the Lilo chaise lounge designed by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso (2017). Photography: Luca Rotondo.

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An open-air courtyard at Six Senses Rome: Roll bar stools designed by Patricia Urquiola for Kettal (2015) line a curved green marble bar, while Dine Out chairs designed by Rodolfo Dordoni for Cassina (2020) offer lower seating. Photography: Luca Rotondo.

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WHERE THE The creative vision of Patricia Urquiola comes alive through designs with animal magnetism that bounce, frolic and slink.

WILD An editorial segment from Vogue Living, in collaboration with Mobilia. All images courtesy of Vogue Living.

Photographed by VICTORIA ZSCHOMMLER Styled by JOSEPH GARDNER

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Dudet armchairs in Otterlo Rosa, designed by Patricia Urquiola for Cassina (2021). Image courtesy of Vogue Living.

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Bailey the sheep on a Moncloud sofa in Lookbold Bianco, designed by Patricia Urquiola for Cassina (2023). Image courtesy of Vogue Living.

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Sestiere Murano glass vases in sea teal with carrot-red cords, and light blue with petrol-green cords, designed by Patricia Urquiola for Cassina (2022). Image courtesy of Vogue Living.

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Ruff armchair (2020) in Proof Oyster, and Gogan armchair (2019) in Zanzibar Sienna, both designed by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso. Image courtesy of Vogue Living.

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Wanda the lizard beneath a Plumón centre table (2022) in Dolomite, designed by Patricia Urquiola for Kettal. Image courtesy of Vogue Living.

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Fabrizio Cantoni: Weaving wonder NAN

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The Venus Power Collection, designed by Patricia Urquiola for CC-Tapis (2021). Completely hand-knotted by Tibetan artisans, the decisive black lines of the design are hand-carved to gently rise in a soft and curved 3D form, which is repeated in the silhouette of the rugs.

Patricia Urquiola’s Pipeline collection for CC-Tapis (2023), with art direction by Motel 409 and photography by Michele Foti.

There’s a disarmingly warm, infectious energy about Fabrizio Cantoni. A natural raconteur, he talks at a dizzying speed—a cascade of digressive thoughts peppered with French and Italian that oscillate from hilarious anecdotes to imaginative rug designs and his friendships with the who’s who of the design world. “I’m addicted to rug making,” says Fabrizio, who founded CC-Tapis alongside his wife Nelcya Chamszadeh. “I really admire these creatives who have these unbelievable ideas. It’s an honour to help bring them to life.”

Under the stewardship of art director Daniele Lora, CC-Tapis collaborates with a roll call of design luminaries, from Patricia Urquiola to Jean-Marie Massaud, crafting contemporary rugs that bridge the divide between art and functionality. But the company has its feet firmly planted in tradition, with their hand-knotted rugs made by Tibetan artisans in Nepal using centuries-old techniques, without machine intervention.

Fabrizio’s love of the handmade stems from his days working at his father-in-law’s Persian rug store in Strasbourg, where Fabrizio and Nelcya would eventually open their own business. But the design-obsessed Fabrizio had his sights set on studying in Milan and, after a fateful move in 2011, he met Daniele Lora at Scuola Politecnica di Design. And so, CC-Tapis was born.

Thirteen years later, the trio have built a global following for their innovative, colour-soaked rugs, reverence for experimentation and unstoppable creative output.

“Sometimes our clients say, “please slow down”, because we show them a new rug in January and by the time they receive it in April, we’re already showing more rugs,” Fabrizio says. “But that’s how I am. It’s fantastic—we are very lucky.”

What is a typical day in the life of Fabrizio at CC-Tapis?

Well, I’m not a morning person so my day begins with a strong coffee [laughs]. I think my main role is to blow optimism on everybody. Because the company has grown to 42 people in Milan, 67 people in Kathmandu and roughly 400 weavers. It’s big! What’s really cool about CC-Tapis is this lightness and kindness in approaching our work, and that’s something I really take care of.

You opened your new headquarters in Milan last year.

How are you settling in?

Yes indeed, it was necessary as we had outgrown our showroom and we were here, there and everywhere. So we found this new building and it just clicked. It’s a 2500

square metre space so we can all work together under the same roof. It’s really streamlined our processes and we much prefer working this way.

Last year also signalled the beginning of your partnership with Mobilia as your exclusive Australian retailer. What’s that been like so far?

I’m over the moon to be working with Mobilia. What we’ve found in them is a company that thinks our way, who are innovative and like to try new things. They’re like our sister company in Australia. I think in general Australians have a really fresh and spontaneous perspective on design, which very much resembles our approach.

How did your relationship with Patricia Urquiola first come about?

Patricia hates it when I say this [laughs] but when I opened my first store in Strasbourg, I remember saying, “If only Patricia Urquiola could design a rug for me” and, years later, it happened. Patricia was the first designer we collaborated with at CC-Tapis. A friend had a design store in Milan and we went to show her our work, and she was intrigued enough to say “let's give it a try”. That’s the magic of Milan!

What kind of impact do you think Patricia Urquiola’s involvement has had on CC-Tapis, and on the design industry more broadly?

Working with Patricia puts you on the map and gives you the chance to be discovered. As the French would say, “c'est une caisse de résonnance”—like an amplifier. She's created so many masterpieces that are in design museums and collections. She’s a curious and innovative person, and she brings kindness and empathy to everything she does.

I hear the word empathy used a lot in reference to Patricia’s design philosophy. Can you tell me about one of her rugs that epitomises this approach?

Her collection Venus Power was the result of a reflection she had during the pandemic. Patricia and I would talk on the phone during the lockdown and I remember her describing this Mother Nature-like being—this sort of lady-like cloud.

It came from a place of kindness to help us through this terrible time.

Fabrizio Cantoni by Simon171.

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“What we’ve found in them [Mobilia] is a company that thinks our way, who are innovative and like to try new things. They’re like our sister company in Australia. ”

How involved are you in the design process with your collaborators? Is there quite a rigid methodology you follow or is it more fluid?

Every designer is different—there are those who come with simple sketches and others with perfect AutoCAD drawings. Philippe Malouin showed us these lines that were drawn simply on rough paper. We used a Tibetan method of colouring wool and it came out looking quite different, but Philippe fell in love with it. Our rugs are always done, if I may borrow from the French, “à quatre mains”, with four hands—we always work together.

All of your rugs are hand-knotted by Tibetan artisans using centuries old techniques. What is it about Tibetan craftsmanship that appeals to you?

Originally our rugs were produced in India where much of the work is outsourced and it’s difficult to control [the quality]. So we founded a company in Nepal and we do everything in house—we colour the yarns, we do the finishings and we even do the shipping in house. It’s much easier and Nepalis are such lovely, kind people.

It’s quite extraordinary that you make these ultramodern rugs which are entirely hand-knotted, without any machines.

Yes, sometimes our Nepali friends think we’re crazy with the designs we show them! But that’s what makes it interesting for us. Nelcya’s father had a Persian rug business in Strasbourg and I think he gave me this love of hand knotted rugs. I couldn’t think of doing it any other way.

What do you think sets CC-Tapis apart from other companies?

You know, I once had a journalist say to me, “you make so many different styles of rugs, where is CC-Tapis’ identity in all this?” But I’ve realised it’s not the style of the rug that makes us who we are, it’s the way we make it. We never simply “photocopy” a design; for every project we go and look for a specific method of craftsmanship, colouring or finishing to really interpret what the designer is saying. It’s something I’m really proud of.

Viewing samples of the Panoplie wall and flooring system, designed by Patricia Urquiola (2023). Photography by Claudia Zalla; Set design and styling by Greta Cevenini.

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Create, innovate.

Design.

www.kettal.com

Transcending Boundaries: Seating

by Patricia Urquiola EY SURV G N I SEAT T DUC PRO

2000

Lowseat

2004

The Lowseat is a highly versatile seating system with a sleek low profile. Suitable for public and private spaces, the front of the chair offers a deep, comfortable seating experience, while the upholstered, shelf-like backrest allows passersby to pause for a moment.

A survey of armchairs and chairs designed by Patricia Urquiola from 2000 to the present day reveals a journey rich in creativity and collaboration.

Lowseat Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

Maia

The Maia collection features a natural lightness and elegance, likened to an architectural building that seamlessly melds with its environment. The design of the artisanal braiding and the robustness of the aluminium frame create a combination of energy and refinement.

Maia Chair by Patricia Urquiola — Kettal

Bloomy Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

Fjord

2006

The original inspiration behind the Fjord chair is a piece of seashell broken and smoothed by waves. The aesthetic has a strong Scandinavian influence and references the designs of Danish visionary Arne Jacobsen. Its broken form and abstract concept merge into a cohesive object; supporting and enveloping smooth lines are highlighted in decorative stitching, in perfect harmony with the chair’s structure.

Antibodi

Antibodi unfolds a cellular genesis of petals sewn in triangular shapes, resulting in intricate patterns. This armchair, with reversible materials and a stainless-steel frame, offers a versatile piece with different moods—more unconventional and feminine when the petals face upwards or a deliberately severe, quilted look when they face downwards.

Antibodi Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

Fjord Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

2002

Fjord

2005

The original inspiration behind the Fjord chair is a piece of seashell broken and smoothed by waves. The aesthetic has a strong Scandinavian influence and references the designs of Danish visionary Arne Jacobsen. Its broken form and abstract concept merge into a cohesive object; supporting and enveloping smooth lines are highlighted in decorative stitching, in perfect harmony with the chair’s structure.

Smock

2008

Patricia Urquiola's Smock armchair redefines tradition through an ingenious blend of craftsmanship and industrial processes. The design takes cues from the sophistication of a fashion accessory, with armrests in the elegant style of a bamboo bag and the chair’s shell evoking the feeling of a comfortable sleeveless shirt.

Maia

The Maia collection features a natural lightness and elegance, likened to an architectural building that seamlessly melds with its environment. The design of the artisanal braiding and the robustness of the aluminium frame create a combination of energy and refinement.

Maia Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Kettal

Smock Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

Fjord Chair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

2004

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2008

Bloomy draws inspiration from the delicate beauty of blossoming flowers, each piece in the collection referencing a different phase—the bud becomes a chair, the open flower a lounge chair, and the armchair is the flower in full bloom.

Depending on the upholstery chosen, Bloomy takes on classic or contemporary connotations.

2002

Patricia Urquiola has worked with top design and luxury brands around the globe, traversing across disciplines and project categories. Rather than adhering to a particular style, Urquiola’s designs emerge through a rigorous process that pushes the boundaries of research and innovation.

Take the Fjord (2002), one of Urquiola’s first projects for the Italian furniture company Moroso. The chair takes inspiration from a seashell fragment broken and smoothed by the waves, its abstract shape attracting the design world’s attention and signalling the beginning of a long-term and fruitful partnership.

Six years later, Urquiola began designing outdoor furniture with Kettal, whose forward-thinking approach to materiality aligned with her interest in exploring the potential of new technologies. Her first collection, Maia (2008)—still one of Kettal’s most esteemed silhouettes— embodies a natural lightness and elegance, featuring artisanal braiding and a durable aluminium frame.

In Urquiola’s role as art director of Cassina, she combines an innovative approach with the brand’s rich heritage to create a vision for the future. One of the standout pieces she has designed for the brand is the Dudet (2021)—an architectural chair referencing 1970s design and defined by three individual upholstered elements forming a soft, enveloping silhouette.

A fitting culmination of this survey comes with one of the latest designs, Loveseat (2023), a delicate reinterpretation of the Lowseat first designed by Urquiola for Moroso in 2000, reflecting her ability to merge memory with new techniques and ideas.

Bloomy

PRODUCT

Bloomy

2007

Volant

Bloomy is a seating system of armchairs drawing inspiration from the delicate beauty of a flower’s life cycle—the bud becomes a chair, the open flower a lounge chair and the armchair a flower in full bloom. Depending on the upholstery chosen, Bloomy takes on classic or contemporary connotations.

The inspiration for Volant lies between a vintage Balenciaga dress and the intricate details of a Shogun costume. The collection places upholstery at the forefront, where the fabric not only defines but also shapes the essence of the chair, using the base as a canvas to build upon for comfort and aesthetics.

Bloomy Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

Volant Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

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2008

Tropicalia

2009

Inspired by Antibodi's design, Urquiola’s Tropicalia features a skilfully plaited finish. The faceted steel tube frame is covered in a woven composition, alternating solids and voids to create visually intricate details. This versatile collection introduces a blend of materials that offer different personalities, ranging from playful to luxurious.

Rift

2010

The name Rift borrows from the geological term for a crack or fissure, speaking to how this armchair is built around an unexpected and asymmetric positioning of different volumes, an intentional randomness inspired by the unpredictability of nature.

Redondo

Urquiola’s Redondo collection has a distinctive two–part shape with a padded shell that embraces its large seat cushions. Its curves are shown off by the absence of sharp corners and its plush upholstery, while its quilted decoration, formed by an elegant seam pattern, create an elegant threedimensional form. Redondo is inspired by the romance and everyday luxury of 1950s and 60s American cars—their upholstered interiors and soft curves designed to ensure onthe-road comfort for long coast-to-coast drives.

Rift Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

Tropicalia Chair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

Redondo Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

2008

Bohemian

2010

For Bohemian, the prolific Urquiola takes an original approach to button tufting, evolving this classic technique for the contemporary era. The Bohemian family of products, including the armchair, have fluid forms as if they are melting over their frame to create soft, comforting lines where the fabric or leather is fixed to the shell using press studs.

Silver Lake (Timber)

2011

Inspired by Californian modernism, the Silver Lake pays homage to the Los Angeles neighbourhood from which it takes its name. The collection, comprising two armchairs and a small armchair, features a continuous geometric interplay of solids and voids.

With a focus on quality materials and meticulous craftsmanship, Vieques brings contemporary elegance to the outdoor realm. The collection is inspired by the search for a combination of natural patterns applied to the industrial world, which were found in simple objects seen under a microscope, such as a coffee filter.

Silver Lake (Timber) Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

Bohemian Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

2008

Vieques

Vieques Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Kettal

Tropicalia

2010

Inspired by Antibodi's design (earlier in this survey), Urquiola’s Tropicalia features a skilfully plaited finish. The faceted steel tube frame is covered in a woven composition, alternating solids and voids to create visually intricate details. This versatile collection introduces a blend of materials that offer different personalities, ranging from playful to luxurious.

Klara

2011

Like many of Urquiola’s designs, the Klara is both decorative and highly functional. Maintaining a classic, almost artisan appearance yet undoubtedly contemporary, Klara revists design’s first forays into industrial design and is reminiscent of the first mass-produced pieces of the early 20th-century.

This armchair comes in multiple finishes, including one with a back of woven Vienna straw—a classic technique dating back centuries.

Tropicalia Chair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

Vieques

With a focus on quality materials and meticulous craftsmanship, Vieques brings contemporary elegance to the outdoor realm. The collection is inspired by the search for a combination of natural patterns applied to the industrial world, which were found in simple objects seen under a microscope, such as a coffee filter.

Vieques Chair by Patricia Urquiola — Kettal

Klara Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

2009

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Rift

2010

Silver Lake

2012

M.A.S.S.A.S.

The name Rift borrows from the geological term for a crack or fissure, speaking to how this armchair is built around an unexpected and asymmetric positioning of different volumes, an intentional randomness inspired by the unpredictability of nature.

Inspired by Californian modernism, the Silver Lake pays homage to the Los Angeles neighbourhood from which it takes its name. The collection, comprising two armchairs and a small armchair, features a continuous geometric interplay of solids and voids.

The M.A.S.S.A.S. collection has a sculptural feel, like blunt blocks that have been rounded and smoothed. Welldefined cuts and lines map out the fabric asymmetrically, while visible raised stitching, like tacking, runs around the perimeter, deconstructing its linear aesthetic.

Rift Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

Silver Lake Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

M.A.S.S.A.S. Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

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2013

Mafalda

2018

Malfalda reinterprets the morphology and clear geometric lines of traditional wood-framed seating. In sharp contrast to the wooden frame, the shell has a soft, wave-like design, formed using a new moulding technology—creating a shell in a recycled and recyclable material.

Lilo Wing

2019

Lilo encompasses varied yet complementary sources of inspiration—the era of Scandinavian style, the modernist current of the 1950s and the work of some of the greatest masters of design, including Achille Castiglioni, for whom Urquiola worked at the beginning of her career. The classic wooden structure evokes pure relaxation, supporting the weight of the padding.

Mafalda Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

Band

With a brutalist sensibility, the Band collection's conceptual form challenges the classic, sophisticated lines found in furniture. Its repetitive angular shapes and structure give centre stage to the raw materials used—aluminium or teak wood and parallel fabrics.

Band Chair by Patricia Urquiola — Kettal

Lilo Wing Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

2013

Mathilda

2014

The Mathilda chair is a celebration of modern elegance and comfort. Its concept is simple and perfect for its intended use—two solid trestles hold the seat, supporting the backrest while also making the chairs stackable. The wooden legs, in either ash or oak wood, are bound to the curved plywood backrest to emphasise the structure of the chair and the geometric effect of its overlapping components.

Clarissa

2015

With its distinctive hood-like structure, Clarissa creates an intimate and sheltered space for the sitter. The metal tube frame aligns with the clean, linear geometry of the shell, made from thermoformed polyester fibre, contrasting against the soft and generously padded seat.

Roll

The Roll combines the best of low-maintenance beach club furniture with smart, contemporary design. Its backrest is comprised of two independent “wrap” cushions, kept together by colourful straps. Those straps are connected to the chair’s aluminium frame by means of two pins, which can easily be removed, allowing the user to stow the cushions away when needed.

Clarissa Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

Mathilda Chair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

Roll Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Kettal

2014

Clarissa

2015

With its distinctive hood-like structure, Clarissa creates an intimate and sheltered space for the sitter. The metal tube frame aligns with the clean, linear geometry of the shell, made from thermoformed polyester fibre, contrasting against the soft and generously padded seat.

Roll

2019

The Roll combines the best of low-maintenance beach club furniture with smart, contemporary design. Its backrest is comprised of two independent “wrap” cushions, kept together by colourful straps. Those straps are connected to the chair’s aluminium frame by means of two pins, which can easily be removed, allowing the user to stow the cushions away when needed.

Clarissa Chair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

Band

With a brutalist sensibility, the Band collection's conceptual form challenges the classic, sophisticated lines found in furniture. Its repetitive angular shapes and structure give centre stage to the raw materials used—aluminium or teak wood and parallel fabrics.

Band Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Kettal

Roll Chair by Patricia Urquiola — Kettal

2013

Mafalda

2015

Lilo

Malfalda reinterprets the morphology and clear geometric lines of traditional wood-framed seating. In sharp contrast to the wooden frame, the shell has a soft, wave-like design, formed using a new moulding technology—creating a shell in a recycled and recyclable material.

Lilo encompasses varied yet complementary sources of inspiration— the era of Scandinavian style, the modernist current of the 1950s and the work of some of the greatest masters of design, including Achille Castiglioni, for whom Urquiola worked at the beginning of her career.

Mafalda Chair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

Lilo Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

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2018

Vimini

Vimini—also the Italian word for wicker—is an object of memory. Inspired by the iconic Basket chair designed in the 1950s by Danish designers Nanna and Jørgen Ditzel, the design consists of a basket with large backrest cushions.

Vimini Chair by Patricia Urquiola — Kettal

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2018

Back-Wing

2020

With its sturdy, solid-wood structure and ergonomic backrest, the Back-Wing armchair exemplifies Cassina’s mastery of joinery. Its innovative shape derives from the pronounced contrast between the thickness of the wood structure, the padded seat and the wrap-around backrest whose sides fold back into two wings that serve as armrests, for added comfort.

Ruff

2022

Plumón

The Ruff is characterised by a harmonious combination between curved and straight lines. Its wide armrests lie on the sides of the seat section, wrapping around it firmly with just one single joint. While the armchair’s shape is functional, its distinctive personality allows it to create an architectural dialogue with the surrounding space.

The Plumón family of seating is based on the concept of clothing—dressing and undressing furniture—with a light structure on which a tailored "garment" is wrapped.

This easily removable ribbed padding, characterised by its stitching, serves the purpose of aesthetics and comfort while offering added functionality for outdoor use.

Ruff Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

Plumón Dining Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Kettal

Back-Wing Chair by Patricia Urquiola — Cassina

2019

Gogan

2021

The Gogan takes its name and inspiration from Japanese traditions, specifically flat stones sculpted by natural elements that protect and embellish the banks of rivers and lakes. The armchair’s form resembles a stone sculpture, in which carefully positioned and interlocked rocks maintain a balance. The seats are soft and irregular, with the centre of gravity slightly inclined towards the rear, giving the armchair exceptional comfort and keeping the backrest lower.

Pacific

2023

One of Urquiola’s more recent designs in this survey, the Pacific collection features rounded, oversized shapes, evoking the relaxed atmosphere of the West Coast of the United States (from which it takes its name). Pacific is the continuation of a design process begun in 2010 with Urquiola’s iconic Redondo collection, featured earlier.

The soft, woolly upholstery was chosen to offer a tactile experience, with buyer’s choice of sophisticated boucle, plush wool or luxurious velvet.

Gogan Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

Trampoline

This armchair follows the launch of Cassina’s Trampoline love bed, maintaining the same playful design. Characterised by rounded and sinuous shapes in an invitation to enjoy the open air, the continuity of the collection can also be seen in the use of handwoven polypropylene and nylon rope, which becomes a functional decoration forming the backrest of the seat.

Trampoline Chair by Patricia Urquiola — Cassina

Pacific Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

2019

Back-Wing

2020

Trampoline

With its sturdy, solid-wood structure and ergonomic backrest, the Back-Wing armchair exemplifies Cassina’s mastery of joinery. Its innovative shape derives from the pronounced contrast between the thickness of the wood structure, the padded seat and the wrap-around backrest whose sides fold back into two wings that serve as armrests, for added comfort.

This armchair follows the launch of Cassina’s Trampoline love bed, maintaining the same playful design. Characterised by rounded and sinuous shapes in an invitation to enjoy the open air, the continuity of the collection can also be seen in the use of handwoven polypropylene and nylon rope, which becomes a functional decoration forming the backrest of the seat.

Back-Wing Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Cassina

Trampoline Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Cassina

2020

Getlucky

2022

The Plumón family of seating is based on the concept of clothing— dressing and undressing furniture— with a light structure on which a tailored "garment" is wrapped.

This easily removable ribbed padding, characterised by its stitching, serves the purpose of aesthetics and comfort while offering added functionality for outdoor use.

Plumón Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Kettal

2021

Getlucky stands out for the simplicity of its forms. Created as a small dining armchair, it features compact, minimal shapes—a soft backrest wraps around like a ribbon before interweaving with the comfortable seat. This dialogue between shapes is evident in Getlucky’s sister armchair, the Ruff.

Plumón

Dudet

2023

With strong references to 1970s design, Dudet is a small armchair defined by three individual padded elements—a seat cushion and two tubes that fluidly design its legs, armrests and backrest in a continuous line.

Loveseat

Loveseat is an evolution of Urquiola’s Lowseat (featured at the beginning of this survey) and embodies a strong, contemporary character. The solidity of the base becomes lighter and more delicate in the leg, tapering out almost to nothing.

Dudet Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Cassina

Loveseat Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

Getlucky Armchair by Patricia Urquiola — Moroso

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PRODUCT

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Ten years since its inception, Mobilia presents the triumphant return of Design Circus—bringing the internationally acclaimed designer Patricia Urquiola to Australian shores for this unique charity event.

Design Circus: Inspiring New Possibilities NAN

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EN D BR N U M ROSA

I PECT S R E P

In an industry where ideas are currency and innovation is mission critical, design discourse is a life blood. It’s a forum where fresh ideas are sparked, connections are forged and challenges are confronted, igniting a dialogue that helps to envision the expansive possibilities inherent in design and our built environment.

It is through this lens of community and collaboration that Mobilia’s Design Circus was born, an annual charity event that since 2014 has brought the world’s most trailblazing designers into communion with Australian audiences to discuss big, bold ideas, from Jaime Hayon to Doshi Levien and Patrizia Moroso. From the outset, Design Circus has been tied to a deeper purpose through its philanthropic support of local charities, with this year’s event supporting children’s foundation ToyBox Australia.

For the tenth anniversary, the inimitable Spanish designer and architect Patricia Urquiola headlines Design Circus’ first ever bi-coastal program. Across two sold out events at Melbourne’s NGV and Perth’s State Theatre this month, Urquiola will deliver a rousing talk on her innovative design philosophy, her seminal catalogue of work and her perspective on the future of design in a changing world.

“It’s all very exciting,” says Mobilia Founding Director Sam Fazzari. “Hearing someone like Patricia Urquiola speak is a truly inspiring and invigorating experience for any design enthusiast. It’s a privilege to play a part in bringing her voice to an Australian audience."

Design Circus was originally created in an exhibition format in Madrid, Spain by CuldeSac’s creative director Pepe Garcia, and when Sam first visited the exhibition in 2013, he was determined to bring the concept back to Australia.

“I was really taken aback by how experiential that whole exhibition was and how well it transmitted the message about design,” he says. “Being so far away from Europe, I thought that this would be a great platform to cultivate a deeper understanding about design in Perth.”

Design Circus has evolved significantly over its lifetime.

The first year was a collaboration with Pepe Garcia at Perth’s Venn Gallery, featuring an exhibition of high-end furniture and homewares from leading global designers. It was such a success they did an expanded version the following year at the State Theatre, with the addition of talks and workshops with London based design studio Doshi Levien.

“We realised that what people were really yearning for was that dialogue—being able to meet the designers, talk to them, hear about their journey and interrogate their way of thinking,” Sam explains.

Since then, Design Circus has played host to a line-up of design luminaries year after year, offering audiences the chance to peer into some of the world’s most creative and colourful minds. “Designers are so interesting, because each of them think so differently, and yet they all have this sort of common thread. Michael Anastassiades' design style couldn’t be any more different from Jaime Hayon, but they both had such amazing things to teach us.”

In 2024, Design Circus will grace east coast audiences for the first time, with Patricia Urquiola speaking to hundreds of enthusiasts at Melbourne’s NGV (“it sold out in four

minutes,” Sam tells me). This interstate expansion follows the opening of Mobilia’s first Melbourne store in 2022.

Beyond its role in facilitating design discourse, a core philosophy of Design Circus is to give back to the community.

Over the years, it has supported a range of charities including Youth Focus, the Breast Cancer Foundation and its current charity ToyBox, which is dedicated to supporting Australia’s disadvantaged and sick children. Collectively, Design Circus has raised over $100,000 for charity.

According to Sam, social responsibility is an obligation for designers, who should be both responsive to and engaged in the communities they serve. “In the design world, we’re thinkers, we’re leaders—we must be thinking this way. I’m proud of the fact that Australian designers do a lot when it comes to sustainability and important social decisions.”

With two sold-out events and a global design megastar on the bill, the Mobilia team have clearly got the formula right for Design Circus. But, like all good design, the philosophy behind it will likely continue to evolve as times and circumstances shift. For now, Sam is just happy to be able to engage more people in the world of design.

“The most encouraging thing is seeing the concept embraced and loved by so many people, and that's something we've seen grow each year,” he says.

“As a company, we love design. It’s a way of life for us, and I think that’s what sets us apart because we’re not doing it from a monetary point of view, we’re doing it because we really believe in it. It’s an honour to be able to share that passion.”

Nipa Doshi, Mirella Scaramella, Rahul Doshi Levien, Sam Fazzari and Jonathan Levien at the 2015 Design Circus.

Jayden Tatasciore and Patrizia Moroso at the 2016 Design Circus.

Spanish artist and designer Jaime Hayon speaking at the 2016 Design Circus.

The inaugural Design Circus at Venn Gallery in 2014. Photography: D-Max Photography (Joel Barbitta).

Cypriot-born, London-based designer Michael Anastassiades shares his insights at the 2017 Design Circus.

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91 ACROSS A tropical skyscraper located in the heart of Singapore designed by Patricia Urquiola and WOHA _ _ _ _ _ Downtown (5) 5 Name of the city in northern Spain where the JapaneseBasque fusion restaurant designed by Patricia Urquiola is located (6) 7 This luxury French label collaborated with Patricia Urquiola for its Objets Nomades collection, Louis _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (7) 8 The name of Patricia Urquiola's installation at 10-down in 2020, Recycled _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Island (7) 11 Early in her career, Patricia Urquiola collaborated with this influential Italian architect (4,11) (also 21-down) 12 Patricia Urquiola has designed a collection of _ _ _ _ knotted rugs for Italian rug company CC-Tapis (4) 13 First Name of the rug collection by Patricia Urquiola for CC-Tapis, inspired by the second planet from the sun (5,5) (See 18 down) 15 Word that could describe one aspect of Patricia Urquiola's design fields (10) 20 Sofa collection for Moroso which Urquiola named after a Japanese word for flat stones sculpted by natural elements (5) 22 Country in which Studio Urquiola is located (5) 23 Type of establishment Patricia Urquiola has designed in Rome, Venice, Seoul and many other places (5) 24 The name of the Japanese-Basque fusion restaurant located on the top floor of the 5-Star Radisson Collection in 5-across (5) 25 Patricia Urquiola designed the interiors for this luxury 23-across in Rome, _ _ _ Senses (3)

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Handbag-inspired design featured in 7-across's Objets Nomades (5,5) Patricia Urquiola has described herself as taking an "_ _ _ _ _ _ _ approach" to design (7) Distinguished people; also the name of one of Patricia Urquiola's collections for Moroso (6) Patricia Urquiola designed the concept for this auto company's model launch in 2019 (1.1.1) Surname of visionary of contemporary culture who worked alongside Patricia Urquiola and Cassina before his passing in 2021 (6,5) Italian word for wicker; also the name of one of Patricia Urquiola's collections for Kettal (6) Patricia Urquiola renewed the interiors of this 23-across in Barcelona, Mandarin _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (8) Abbreviated name for a gallery in Melbourne at which Patricia Urquiola had an installation in 2020 (1.1.1) First name of visionary of contemporary culture who worked alongside Patricia Urquiola and Cassina before his passing in 2021 (6,5) Bowl made of four leather sheets which Patricia Urquiola created for 7-across (7) Rug collection by Urquiola and CC-Tapis featuring "a succession of chromatic evolutions" (7) Patricia Urquiola has worked on _ _ _ _ _ interiors for Sanlorenzo (5) Second name of the rug collection by Patricia Urquiola for CC-Tapis, inspired by the second planet from the sun (5,5) (See 13 across) Patricia Urquiola's Shimmer Side Table is made of this material (5) First name of the influential Italian architect named in 11 across (4,11)

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Band armchair, designed by Patricia Urquiola for Kettal (2019).

Join the Dots by Phont Design. Crossword by Liam Runnalls

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PLAY

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Postcards from Patricia Urquiola, 2024.

JOURNAL

MOBILIA

Moroso Udine Milan London New York Melbourne moroso.it @morosofficial

photo Alessandro Paderni — set coordinator Marco Viola

Pacific, 2021 Ruff, 2020 Theo, 2023 Rows, 2023

by Patricia Urquiola Shadowy, 2009

by Tord Boontje

2024 02 AD Mobilia_265x380_Pacific+Ruff.indd 1

09/02/24 17:15