On 15 September the Rubelli Group, from its headquarters in Venice, announced an important appointment, that of studio Formafantasma – designers, curators, design intellectuals – as creative directors. The first move is the reinterpretation of the Kieffer brand, a French company acquired in 2001 and considered the most experimental of the group (no stranger to collaborations with high-ranking designers such as the one in the past with Paola Navone).
Untitled collection by Kieffer, design Formafantasma
Formafantasma – Photo © Claudia Zalla
“With Kieffer, the challenge is to understand what you can achieve with a frame, from a technical point of view, how you can structure a fabric. We therefore worked on tactility, on sensory exploration within the domestic environment,” explain Simone Farresin and Andrea Trimarchi of Formafantasma, according to whom Kieffer is made to be perceived by the senses and not to be read or contemplated. It is no coincidence that the name of the collection – Untitled, a conceptual definition inspired by the art world – lets the fabrics do the talking.
The conceptual dimension of the research behind this collection, however, is strong, and in the catalogue the language used is often similar to that of the artistic or literary game. Starting with the Manifesto, nine programmatic points set out in the first pages.
Linen, mohair wool, hemp, cotton, alpaca and paper are some of the fibres selected. The shades are neutral (true to Kieffer’s DNA), obtained by favouring natural pigments, with touches such as pale yellow, lilac and pink.
The choice of fibers unusual for the Rubelli Group, known for its iridescent silks and decorative fabrics, reveals what will be Kieffer’s role under the creative direction of Formafantasma: a laboratory of experimentation, with the task of exploring new material and conceptual possibilities.
The next elements of the group’s new path will be presented over the coming months, in a series of appointments that will culminate next January with the presentation in Paris of the new collection in the historic Saint-Germain showroom. Redesigned in layout by Formafantasma..
