Ginori 1735 Reborn Project Stitches Edition by Steven Volpe.
Photo: Courtesy of Ginori
Ginori 1735’s Reborn Project Unveils Stitches Collection by Steven Volpe
The San Francisco-based designer known for a mix of materials and architectural elements experimented with muted patterns for the series
Steven Volpe. Photo: Courtesy of Ginori 1735
The fifth edition of Ginori 1735’s Reborn Project brings together artists and designers to re-interpret and reimagine the iconic porcelain of the storied Florentine manufacturer. This year’s collaborations–curated by Frédéric Chambre–feature the work of Steven Volpe and Julie Hillman and is set to debut at the brand’s flagship Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré boutique during the week of Design Miami/ Paris.
For three centuries Ginori has been synonymous with exquisite porcelain–as well as the worlds of art, design and fashion–and it continues to innovate through diverse creative partners. Steven Volpe–the San Francisco-based designer known for an eclectic mix of materials, architectural elements and styles–has worked with the brand to co-create Stitches, a 12-piece porcelain set that also includes a table service, a tea set, two lamps and three coffee tables. The results are a series of dishware and decorative objects in varying shades of subtle grey and are inspired by embroidery, upholstery, and assorted passementerie embellishments.
Volpe designed Stitches, a 12-piece porcelain set. Photo: Courtesy of Ginori
Volpe experimented with muted colors for the collection. Photo: Courtesy of Ginori
“Our designs started last spring after I toured Ginori in Florence,” explains Volpe, of the creative kick-off. “Using my designs, a master painter created a sample plate, and the Stitches editions evolved—and became more refined—from there,” he says of the artisans who have brought his visual trompe l’oeil patterns to life. “The stitching effect on porcelain—and the paradox of materials, hard porcelains vs. “soft” stitching—was much harder than it looks,” he adds of the process, which also involved experimenting with colors and glazes that didn’t work the same as the dyes used in many of Volpe’s interior design projects.
“Ginori is often associated with bright colors and vibrant patterns,” says Volpe, who acknowledges his more muted pieces mark a new norm for the brand, that is fearlessly experimental. “I love hand detailing, craft and passementerie and the challenge of applying that feeling to a rigid structure, has been a truly unique creative experience.”
For Hillman’s collection, the New York-based artist pulled on her world travels and cultural encounters. Her creations—an African tableware collection—pay homage to the warm colors and rough textures of African art.
The collection is on view October 15-26 at Ginori 1735, 69 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris.
Cover: Ginori 1735 Reborn Project Stitches Edition by Steven Volpe.
Photo: Courtesy of Ginori
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