Dolce & Gabbana’s Metropol Theatre stages Ferruccio Laviani’s design hits for Emmemobili

There’s a long legacy of collaboration between Ferruccio Laviani and Dolce & Gabbana. The Italian furniture and lighting designer conceived the interior of the label’s Metropol Theatre in Milan in 2005, created furnishings for the brand’s Carlo Goldoni headquarters a year later, and in 2016, worked with the brand on the setting of its Haute Couture women’s show at the Teatro alla Scala. Now, for Salone del Mobile 2018 Dolce & Gabbana’s Metropol Theatre features a hit of high drama – raising a curtain on a new exhibition celebrating Laviani’s most standout furniture designs for Cantù-based wood specialists Emmemobili.

The Metropol Theatre hosted an exhibition of Laviani’s lamp designs for Kartell (including his popular best-selling Bourgie table lamp) back in 2008. For this latest retrospective, ‘Peep O-Rama. The Furniture Show. An Overview of Ferruccio Laviani’s Furniture Collection for Emmemobili’, viewers are offered a glimpse of his colourful, graphic and distinct furniture designs. Take a modular lilac cabinet from his ‘Portico’ collection, inspired by U-shaped structures and an Eighties aesthetics, a solid oak ‘Twaya’ table, carved to appear as if it is topped with a tablecloth, or the ‘Evolution’ sideboard, formed from graphic and classical wooden sideboards spliced together.

In keeping with the prevailing theatrical mood of this year’s fair – Lasvit staged the Monster Cabaret, Gufram created a disco and David Rockwell conceived The Diner – this exhibition has been curated with a vibrant, dramatic and humorous flair. Pop art-centric posters form the backdrop to the space, presenting  Laviani’s designs as protagonists in plays, like ‘That Fiery Cabinet’ and ‘Unashamed Furniture.’ Items are displayed behind long red velvet curtains, positioned on the raised seating where Dolce & Gabbana’s show attendees view the brand’s seasonal fashion shows. Viewed as a body of work, although diverse his Memphis roots (Laviani began his career in the studio of architect Michele De Lucchi) shine through in the graphic sensibility and boldess of forms.

With the exhibition only on display until Sunday, be sure to take a peep before the show ends.

INFORMATION

’Peep O-Rama’ runs until 22 April. For more information, visit the Laviani and Emmemobili websites

ADDRESS

Dolce&Gabbanna Metropol
viale Piave 24
20129 Milan

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