5 limited editions not to be missed

12 August 2022

Historical icons are reinvented and become limited editions not to be missed. It is time to focus on collectible design which means choosing special editions of furnishings that have already become authentic icons, which take on special, unexpected, and disruptive guises. The production rigor of the most prestigious companies is combined with the creative flair of the fathers of contemporary design towards whom these limited editions are tributes that further sanction their importance and their role in determining aesthetic and functional standards of furniture design. The root of these new versions is always the original project, which is given a new look, without distorting but on the contrary, often dramatizing the initial intention, daring even more. This compositional courage brings design closer to art and gives the furniture new freedom and expressive strength.

Tramonto a New York by Gaetano Pesce for Cassina

Gaetano Pesce in 1980 imagines a New York in decline and decides to represent it in a sofa and a screen (on the cover). Except changing his mind after a few years and recognizing that this city he loved so much has risen again. Of that intuition remain two wonderful design works, edited today by Cassina (the sofa in only 50 pieces), each with a satin steel plate bearing the Cassina logo, the name of the project, the series number and the name and the signature of Gaetano Pesce.

Soriana Denim by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina

In 1969 Afra and Tobia Scarpa designed Soriana: an innovative and disruptive seat that calls into question the classic design and the classic use of armchair and sofa. Low, generously padded and enveloping, Soriana invites to moments of informal relaxation by questioning the composed, almost rigid seat of the classic bourgeois armchair. In the same way, denim is the fabric of choice for those who live the counterculture of those years as a lifestyle. This is why Cassina has decided to bring Soriana and denim together in a limited-edition armchair. There are three denim versions: the classic indigo blue, ecru and black, each available with the characteristic metal clamp in blue, white, or black.

Arco k 2022 by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos

In 1962 Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni designed a lamp that solves the need to illuminate the dining table in a completely new way. It is the Arco lamp, whose name (Italian for arch)) describes the shape and the design concept: a block of Carrara marble to which a telescopic stem is anchored bringing the light to the center of the table, leaving the possibility to walk around it. The idea is a success and becomes a new archetype of dining light. Today Arco turns 60 and Flos celebrates it with a limited edition which, thanks to modern production technologies, replaces marble with crystal: a material at the antipodes but equally magical and with a strong scenic impact.

Andy’s Cactus® by Andy Warhol for Gufram

Designed in 1972 by Guido Drocco and Carlo Mello for Gufram, the Cactus® is a pop icon of design and perfectly embodies the ironic and surreal aesthetics of those years. On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary, Gufram decides to further enhance this matrix and in collaboration with the Andy Warhol Foundation of Visual Arts introduces three new versions of the Cactus®, in a limited edition of 99 pieces, created starting from the serigraphs of the founding father of pop art. Blue, yellow or pink, this new Cactus® is made with the original mold, and then hand-finished by specialized craftsmen. In a perfect match between design and art.

Panton Chair Duo by Verner Panton for Vitra

The Panton chair was undoubtedly a revolutionary seat: designed by Verner Panton in 1959 it was totally different from any other chair in the world. The Vitra company certainly deserves the credit for having bet on this project and above all for having identified, through its technicians, the suitable production solution to make what the designer imagined work. The same company this year introduces a limited edition that focuses entirely on color: the Panton Chair Duo. Purple, green, red, pink, blue and orange, paired two by two, are the protagonists in the 999 pieces produced, conceived in collaboration with the Panton family and inspired by the psychedelic suggestions of the Fantasy Landscape installation, created by him in 1972 for the Cologne fair.

CH24 by Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & Søn

Also known as the Wishbone Chair, the CH24 is one of Hans J. Wegner’s most celebrated chairs. Designed for Carl Hansen & Søn in 1949 it has been reinterpreted in colors by the English designer Ilse Crawford. Produced continuously for 70 years, it is now available in 9 new and enchanting versions that enhance its structure and make it even more versatile. The inspiration is that of the paintings of the Danish artist Per Kirkeby and the colors evoke the naturalistic scenarios of the northern countries, even in the names: Pewter, Hollyhock, Barley, Algae, Terracotta, Clay, North Sea, Slate and Falu.

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