DESIGN:
Cappellini flagship store. A Homage to Shiro, Shiro being the great Japanese
designer, Shiro Kuramata, is the title of the exhibition that inaugurates the
restructured space of Cappellini’s Milan flagship store just a stone’s throw
from Piazza San Babila, in Via Santa Cecilia.
Above:
a whimsical self-portrait sketch of the great designer.
Cappellini
– Homage to Shiro exhibition. Architect,
design talent scout and founder of the hip Cappellini furniture brand, Giulio
Cappellini re-designed the interior of the Milan space to give it a more contemporary
look. He sits on a Sofa with Arms chair made for the Issey Miyake showroom by
the late Shiro Kuramata. Following the trend for color themes in his stores around the world,
Cappellini painted the showroom walls Yellow for Milan because “It was the
color of the old streetcars and taxis, it is the color of Risotto alla Milanese
and also of the color of the old buildings around the city.” He explains. In the other showrooms the
colors are; Purple for Paris “It reminds me of the couture houses of the
1960s." Blue for Los Angeles “for the sky
and the sea.” Fuschia for Miami “it’s the first color to greet you in the
airport and also it’s a color that belongs to the art deco architecture of the
city.” Red for New York “Because all the showrooms in SoHo are white, and at
night Cappellini really stands out.”
Cappellini – Homage to Shiro
exhibition. Kuramata’s drawing for his iconic
chest of drawers Side 1 and Side 2.
Cappellini
– Homage to Shiro exhibition. The
Kuramata Pyramid chest is an enigmatic game of transparencies and solid volumes.
Cappellini – Homage to Shiro
exhibition. The sketch by the great designer for the above
Pyramid chest of drawers made by Cappellini.