The “casa dei topi” (house of mice) is an open space full of books, hidden in a Milanese courtyard. The wording that welcomes visitors at the entrance – La casa dei topi, in fact – is not meant to warn those who enter, but ironically indicates the owners of the space, the founders of the publisher of young adults’ books “Topipittori” and of Calamus, a company specializing in design communication.

A large window frames a small internal garden full of plants. Illustrated fairy tales and books about the masters of architecture and design are scattered everywhere. Zoboli and Canton are the editors of Quaderni Paola Lenti, a series conceived to depict the philosophy that inspires and guides the company’s choices.

A project beyond the ordinary: many texts, images created by illustrators and artists, eco-friendly papers. “Produce well and with a sense of responsibility, this is the thought we want to share and spread with Quaderni”, is the synthesis of Paola Lenti.

The Quaderno Twiggy and Diade, with its essential graphics and illustrations digitally elaborated by Studio Fludd, retraces the steps that led to the development of Twiggy, an innovative single-material polypropylene yarn, and later on of Diade, the weight-bearing material obtained by coupling a rigid plate with a fabric made of Twiggy. Indeed, innovation lays in both materials being fully recyclable.

The experimentation of performing materials goes hand in hand with the attention to craftsmanship. The second Quaderno, Eres, actually reflects this dimension: it is a journey to discover ancient cultivation techniques and fibers such as linen and hemp, protagonists of the new Paola Lenti collection along with other more exotic ones such as bamboo, raffia, igusa and abaca.

Fil rouge of Quaderni is the path undertaken over the years in the direction of greater sustainability. “It is one of the cornerstones that prompted the company to talk about itself,” says Giovanna Zoboli. “In the case of Twiggy and Diade, sustainability is expressed in recyclability and durability, in Eres in the use of completely natural materials, for both upholsteries and paddings, processed, wherever possible, in the places of origin and without resorting to chemical treatments”.

The Eres collection contains an invitation to care: for the environment and for the products, which are delicate because they are natural and therefore need to be treated with particular attention.

Attention and care equally feature the layout of Quaderni Paola Lenti: natural paper, no glue, pages sewn together with a recyclable cotton thread. “Eres illustrations are penned by Lucia Pescador, an artist who interprets nature in a personal and poetic way”, concludes Giovanna Zoboli.

Giancarlo Morelli, star chef and owner of the eponymous restaurant and the Bulk Bar & Mixology a Milano, finds inspiration for his cuisine in the landscape and its colours.
In this respect, he and Paola Lenti are alike: the enchantment of nature shines through the collection of the company based in Meda as well and colour has always been its hallmark. “A Paola Lenti armchair can look alike my interpretation of a vegetable terrine, that I named Millefiori just like the pouf” says the chef lightheartedly.

To reproduce that essential bond with nature that both cultivate and embed in their projects, Morelli asked Paola Lenti to redesign the terrace of his Milanese restaurant-bar and to create the fairytale atmosphere of a forest in tune with the flow of seasons.
This way, among glazed tables and relaxing seatings, guests will savour not only the chef’s dishes, but also the spring atmosphere conveyed by the bright greens, the warmth of the summer carried by the blue and yellow shades, the coming fall with its red and burgundy hues, down to the muffled severity of the winter – grey, ice, snow.

Morelli, of Bergamo origins and with an international experience, inherited his passion for cooking from his mother and “from the female community who took turns in the kitchen at home”.
The bond with the land comes instead from the grandfather and the father, both farmers, although the baptism in the kitchen took place at sea, immediately after graduating from the hotel school, when Morelli, very young, left the steep horizons of his valleys to take off. Paying his duties on American transatlantic liners and an imperative in mind: to smell, to observe and prove himself.

On his return, Morelli is a chef with a discerning palate, he perfects himself at the French school and in 1993, opens his first restaurant, the Pomiroeu in Seregno. Others will follow – in Sardinia and Milan – confirming its success, culminating in 2009 with the recognition of the prestigious Michelin Guide.

Committed to a waste-free cuisine, respectful of nature, two equally essential principles in Paola Lenti’s work, Morelli prefers a balanced cuisine, based on raw material and color: a quality one.
The artistic partnership with Paola Lenti produces a special alchemy: “My cuisine and its furniture are ingredients that come the heart – assures the chef – It’s hard to forget them”.

Giancarlo Morelli, Michelin-one star chef and owner of the Bulk restaurant and the Bulk Mixology Bar in Milan (via Aristotile Fioravanti 4) to furnish the exterior of his restaurant has chosen chairs, tables and sofas by Paola Lenti in different shades and materials, with a fairy-tale effect deliberately contrasting with the “male” sobriety of the interiors.

Three ways to see the terrace, three atmospheres created with different furniture and colours. Paola Lenti illustrates her vision of greenery in the city with an installation in Salvioni Milano’s showroom (via Durini 3 Milan), open until October 31th. Three terraces overlooking the inner courtyard of the store, each one level, as if they were coloured snapshots that, going up the beautiful ancient staircase, finally create a panoramic view.

The “garden terrace” on the first floor plays with the green hues: a shady place (Resort collection) and dedicated to relax (Harbour sofa and Ami armchairs). A few steps, and a blue oasis appears – a city-graceful style – with cosy armchairs (Nido collection), and glazed tables (Sciara).

On the third floor, where the view extends beyond the roofs, visitors will find the new Eres collection. Designed for outdoor use, but with its natural fabrics and the soothing tones of ecru, sage and dust, it pleasantly creeps into the interior spaces, occupying the volumes with the maxi sofa Frei and the clean lines of Vespucci furniture (armchairs and sofas). A natural chill-out room (raw linen, hemp delavé, bamboo and natural woods characterize the furniture), away from the buzz of the city center.

Showroom Paola Lenti – Via Po 100 A, Meda

Ristorante Morelli-Bulk | Bulk Mixology Bar– Via Aristotile Fioravanti 4, Milan

Salvioni Milano Durini – Via Durini 3 – Milano
until October 31th

Created with scraps of precious fabrics, ancient bojagi are patchwork wrapping cloths created in Korea many generations ago. The work of Korean artist Chunghie Lee celebrates and reiterates this ancient custom, finding in it inspiration for her artworks and fashionable clothing.

A curator of international exhibitions, visual artist and teacher, Chunghie Lee was born and lives in Seoul.

An Asian cultural and financial epicenter with 12 million inhabitants, Seoul is the capital of South Korea. A city of great contrasts and an authentic passion for art, it offers uninterrupted centuries-old traditions and digital technology, next-generation creativity and a certain conformist rigor. For example, Gyeongbokgung, the royal palace of the Joseon dynasty, is surrounded by many tall buildings constructed using avant-garde methods, overlooking a piazza – Gwanghwamun Square – where one can see people of all ages, dressed in extremely varied fashion, from classic suits to hanboks, a traditional Korean garment.

Paola Lenti is present in Seoul in a new showroom, opened in collaboration with Sanhyuk, in the area of Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, an area full of art and culture. The exhibition space, minimal and illuminated by natural light, delicately emphasizes – in a palette of neutral colors as well as in the green shades of the furnishings – a search for spontaneous harmony between design and nature.

With an area of 250 square meters, including a terrace with a view overlooking the city, dedicated areas inside and out fluidly flow into one another, separated by transparent moveable wings, offering a panoramic view of the brand’s exclusive furnishings, materials and colors.

Even more than a retail space, this intimate and pared-down spot stands out as a true destination for multisensory relaxation, where customers can let themselves be enveloped by the woodland aromas and be pampered by small, welcoming gestures, such as a tea or a simple refreshment. To be enjoyed amidst the peace of the beautiful terrace.

PAOLA LENTI – SUNHYUK KOREA

Seoul – 43-1, Itaewon-ro 55-gil, Yongsan-gu

paolalentikorea@gmail.com

The seating system Harbour designed by Francesco Rota has won the Red Dot Award in the category Product Design. This prestigious accolade, established in 1955, is awarded each year to the best design products launched during the previous one.

An international jury, composed of over 50 experts linked to the design world, select the best products among thousands of candidates from every part of the world and belonging to the most diverse sectors and access their innovation, usability, formal quality and sustainability content.

A contemporary classic, the Harbour series is designed in the name of elegance and comfort. The ample freedom of composition, the choice of exclusive and sustainable materials and fabrics, such as the Maris fabric that covers the structure and Aerelle® Blue that fills the cushions, are the distinctive features of this collection, a synthesis of innovation, creativity and traditional Italian craftsmanship.

The winning projects will again be part of the traditional collective exhibition that will be set up at the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen and that will open to the public on 21st June next.

For information: Paola Lenti srl – press@paolalenti.live – T. +39 0362 344587

A lot of the wall paintings scattered throughout neighborhoods of Montreal are an homage to the artists who have left their mark on the city or have been inspired by it. One of these is surely Leonard Cohen, the poet and musician who died in 2016, celebrated in one of the city’s most magnetic works: the wall painting by California artist El Mac and local painter Gene Pendon. They were invited to collaborate by MU, the not-for-profit arts organization that, promoting the democratization of art and civic education with walls by artists, wants to turn Montreal into a grand open-air museum. In fact, it’s working: in less than ten years MU has produced more than 80 murals in 15 districts, in addition to approximately 50 works in social-collective settings.

It is in this city of Quebec, the second largest in Canada, that Paola Lenti opened her new flagship store. Created in collaboration with Latitude Nord, the historic distributor of her brand in French-speaking Canada, this space of more than 300 square meters is located at 4404 Saint Laurent Boulevard, a lively artery that divides the city from north to south.

In an industrial setting with large raw concrete columns and sizeable windows that bring in natural light, the showroom unfolds in complete environments, inside and out, that fluidly follow one another, in a sequence articulated by moveable wings and carpets that define and divide the space without separations.

A showroom designed to tell the local community of professionals and design enthusiasts about the company’s history and uniqueness: exclusive textiles and materials available in hundreds of colors, the result of constant research and experimentation; careful manual processes that reclaim the greatest Italian tradition; flexibility and expertise in the creation of products that can be personalized for custom-made environments.

Paola Lenti – Latitude Nord

4410 Boul. St. Laurent – QC H2W 1Z5 Montreal

info@latitudenord.com

How thin must a thread be to deserve to be called Twiggy? When Paola Lenti described to me the multi-filament polypropylene yarn that she uses for her creations, I couldn’t help but think of the English model from the ‘60s – although her allure holds up in spite of the years – who revolutionized the idea of wearability combined with feminine beauty. An esthetic ideal both ethereal and ironic, irremediably tied to the idea of perfection. Twiggy yarn is a potentially infinite line, harmonious, basic. It is modernity, functionality.

Paola Lenti did not settle for the polypropylene threads already on the market; she wanted to do something more, creating extremely thin floss-like threads less than 2 millimeters thick, impalpable threads that, united in variable numbers, can be twisted, shaped, flattened to accommodate complex weaves and used in rope-like structures that are the designer’s stylistic signature. Assembling such thin threads, it is possible to play with shapes, but also with colors; scores of nuances are obtained by dying polymers in bulk (that is, dyed before being extruded), and uniting filaments of different colors with nearly endless chromatic options. And Twiggy, in particular, is an extremely thin fiber, capable of creating textile structures that, when reinforced, can replace a metal tube or a supporting element of a chair, thanks to its strength and tenacity.

Cords that become wicker, fabrics that become three-dimensional structures. A result obtained through years of research that have made it possible to identify the best coating process in order to cover and strengthen the Twiggy yarn, making it moldable and extremely resistant and light. Paola Lenti’s Twiggy also has documented characteristics of sustainability. The yarn whose technological features we have praised is plastic. That’s right, widely loathed plastic. For there is no material that is more functional if you want to create objects that are durable and resistant to chemical and environmental pollution, to mold, to bacteria.

Because human imbecility has caused it to become an enormous ecological problem, abandoning it in the environment and in the seas, constructing articles designed to be used only once, even for just a few minutes. A waste, something that makes no sense. Used properly, plastic is an exceptional and fundamental material. Paola Lenti is well aware of this, and with her polypropylene Twiggy she creates chairs, carpets, panels, furnishings and much more. Combined with a 100% polypropylene sheet, Twiggy becomes Diade, a surface that simulates the roughness of fabric. And of course we are speaking of objects conceived to last, to acquire value over time, capitalizing on the investment.

While derived from a non-renewable source, Twiggy has sustainable contents. Paola Lenti talks about manufacturing with low environmental impact, with reduced use of chemical agents, an absence of PFC and phthalates, coating without solvents and the recovery and recycling of production waste. According to the designer’s view, there is room for manmade polymers as long as they are designed and produced to be circular, to ideally last forever, to be bio-based or to derive from their own recycling. An innovative trend that the polymer industry is pursuing with commitment.

The recyclability of polypropylene is a characteristic that has been broadly recognized in the scientific literature, and this could have been sufficient. But Paola Lenti wanted to do something more, subjecting samples of materials to recyclability tests at specialized laboratories. The result was a research project that allowed the Company to identify further lines for the improvement of the performance of the materials, and above all to reassure our clients about the behavior of furnishings and their end-of-life completion. Being mono-material, they are not only recyclable, but can give rise to a new, high-quality polymer, avoiding the production of non-renewable virgin materials.

Paola Lenti has utilized the methods indicated by regulation Iso 14021:2016 and has studied its own environmental claims, validated by an audit carried out last December by an accredited third party, Centrocot spa. To communicate the recyclability of its products, the Company has decided to use a Möbius triangle: simple and thorough, known internationally. We are accustomed to seeing the triangle formed by three arrows on packaging, and it seems strange to see it, for example, on a valuable chair. Instead, from now on every Paola Lenti product will be accompanied by the distinctive symbol of recyclability, as confirmation of the desire to clearly communicate to our clients the undeniable value of circularity.

Not only this: the Company is also collecting data to map throughout the world collectors and recyclers of polymers, in order to offer buyers correct instructions so they might dispose of products at the end of their life. Even though, as a consummate example of “Made in Italy,” Paola Lenti’s design has no planned obsolescence: it comes into the world to offer visual and functional joy of unlimited duration.

[Translated from Italian by Marguerite Shore]