Francis Sultana cites Coco Chanel in his new furniture range

Francis Sultana has launched a new collection of furniture, entitled ‘Narmina’

(Image credit: Francis Sultana)

Maltese-born, London-based designer Francis Sultana is known for instilling his furniture with exotic and eclectic references – his latest collection, ‘Narmina’, is no different. The new offering touches on influences from haute couture and Coco Chanel’s sartorial credentials, to the Indian Maharajas’ personal collections of art deco, and the work of Catalan fresco painter José Maria Sert.

Sultana’s in-depth research (a strong suit of the designer) brought to life the most fascinating details of these inspirations. Take for example, the rock crystal collections of Sert’s wife, Misia. The Serts decorated their Rue de Rivoli apartment with crystal shards – a material new to Sultana, whose recent collection included amber-coloured rock crystal on table tops and lamp bases.

Misia was one of Coco Chanel’s best friends, and the legendary couturier’s approach was a starting point for Sultana. ‘“Poor materials” like straw and rattan conjure the ingenuity of Coco,‘ he explains. ‘She was the ultimate 20th-century fashion icon, who forged her signature by producing luxe sportswear from humble textiles, such as jersey and cotton.’ Sultana further developed this concept throughout the collection, using modest rattan as decoration, concealed under a table glass top, or applied with striking marquetry techniques to a table and a credenza.

Sophisticated with a dash of flamboyance, ‘Narmina’ is a restrained exercise in the eclectic with Sultana’s canny take on classics, evident in pieces such as the luxurious velvet daybed, or his imposing sofas. As with his previous launches (‘Narmina’ is the designer’s fourth fully-formed collection), Sultana explored the full potential of production techniques and materials including patinated bronze, bespoke silks and hessian tweeds, rattan, leather and pâte de verre.

A image of cabinet and table lamp — Left, detail of ‘Jacopo’ cabinet. Right, ‘Nadia’ table lamp.

New collection inside Claridges — Sultana presented elegant new collection inside Claridges

A image of a side table — ‘Coco’ side table.

A image of lamp and sofa — ‘Victoire’ daybed

A image of karl and side table — Left, ’Karl’ console. Right, ’Coco’ side table.

INFORMATION
‘Narmina’ is on view through October. For more information, visit the Francis Sultana website

ADDRESS

Francis Sultana
2-4 King Street
London SW1Y 6QP

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Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.