Deanna Comellini between imagination and organic forms

6 July 2026

In Deanna Comellini‘s work, the carpet becomes a narrative surface, an emotional landscape, and a tool for transforming space. With “Imago,” the new capsule collection presented by G.T.DESIGN – the brand she founded – at Milan Design Week 2026, the designer continues her research into organic forms and “imperfect design”, intertwining sustainability, imagination, and sensorial perception. Made from regenerated Econyl, the collection interprets the theme of “Active Imagination” through fluid patterns and archetypal forms that evoke nature, memory, and continuous mutation, transforming the carpet into a living, immersive presence.

Interview conducted in Italian – English translation and editorial adaptation.

“Imago” was born as a celebration of regeneration and becoming. How did this concept translate into the creative process and the definition of the collection’s organic patterns?

“Imago” takes shape from an idea of ​​continuous transformation, like that which occurs in nature. In the creative process, I worked by subtraction and fading, allowing the forms to emerge in fluid traces. The patterns arise from organic suggestions—water reflections, seabeds, petals—and are constructed through light layering. I wanted to create an open system, in which each rug would be perceived as an evolving organism, capable of changing in the eyes of each of us.

The new Native B shape expands the visual language of the UltraNative line. What expressive possibilities does this evolution open up, and how does it interact with the philosophy of primordial forms that guides your research?

The Native shape stems from a rejection of imposed geometry. The rectangle is a convention, not something that belongs to nature. With Native B, I felt the need to push this freedom even further. It’s a shape that creates a different, much less predictable tension in space. It allows the rug to engage more dynamically with its surroundings and those who inhabit them. The underlying theme remains the same: primordial, archetypal forms, not decorative but profound, belonging to our collective memory.

Design Week 2026 had the theme “Active Imagination.” How does this theme intertwine with your artistic vision and the immersive experience that the “Imago” rugs aim to generate in space?

The concept of “Active Imagination” is very close to my understanding of design: not as something predefined but as an experience activated through individual perception. With “Imago,” I wanted to create surfaces that don’t impose a reading, but rather suggest one. The rugs become interior landscapes that invite the observer to project emotions and memories. They are intimate spaces that change depending on who passes through them. The experience is immersive precisely because it is never univocal: it is a mental, as well as physical, space in which design and imagination meet and mutually transform.

The collection is made of Econyl, a regenerated yarn obtained from waste materials. What role does sustainability play in your design practice, and how does it integrate with the idea of “imperfect design” that characterizes your work?

For me, sustainability is a natural consequence of the way I see the world. The use of Econyl is consistent with the idea of regeneration that runs through the entire collection: transforming waste materials into something new and meaningful. This is also deeply connected to the concept of “imperfect design,” which does not seek absolute formal perfection, but rather focuses on diversity, transformation, and time. Imperfection as a value, to narrate a process, a story, and above all, a material that changes. In this sense, sustainability and imperfection share the same vision: that of a living, evolving design.

For over forty years, you have explored the boundaries between craftsmanship, industry, and artistic experimentation. In what way does “Imago” represent a new stage in this journey, and what future directions do you see for the contemporary carpet as an expressive medium?

“Imago” represents a mature synthesis of my journey. I’ve long felt that carpets can transcend function: they’re not just an object resting on the floor, but an active presence that generates relationships and changes the perception of space. I believe the future of contemporary carpets lies precisely in this direction, as an increasingly expressive language, capable of engaging with architecture and people in a direct and sensitive way. An object that is never neutral, but carries with it energy and a capacity for transformation. Ultimately, every project is a transfiguration of something that already exists—and precisely in this transition, it can become something new each time.

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