Another highlight of Milan Design Week was the installation by Marni in their sunny courtyard. They commissioned a limited edition of 100 chairs, made by ex-prisoners in Colombia.
Marni provided the pattern and colourways, but beyond that, the chairs were designed by the ex-prisoners to a traditional Colombian style – using a metal frame and weaved PVC back and arm-rests.
It might have been the sunshine, but the chairs really seemed to capture the Colombian spirit and bring a little bit of that to a courtyard in Milan’s Brera District.
The chairs will form part of an ongoing project for Marni, touring their stores, forming the backdrop for photographic portraits of their employees and even starring in a film, by film-maker Francesco Jodice.
The chairs are being sold in aid of the Institute ICAM of Milan, a project that enables children of imprisoned mothers to grow up in a family environment.
Further reading for the especially geeky:
- out and about :: ventura lambrate
- out and about :: salonesatellite
- interview :: lee broom
- out and about :: blog tour nyc
Wow, what a fantastic project and what talented ex-prisoners. Weirdly, I look at these and ever so slightly get a feeling of British Seaside nostalgia?!
What a great idea and some brilliant designs! These would be amazing in a garden, and they’d even look great inside in a really modern home.