Introducing ‘It’s A Wrap,’ Barneys' Exclusive Kartell X Lapo Elkann Furniture Collection
Italian entrepreneur Lapo Elkann has collaborated with Kartell for a furniture collection wrapped in whimsical, sleek designs.
What happens when you mash up the chicness of Italian design, iconic fashion patterns, and the sportiness of the world’s most luxurious cars? To find out, look no further than our latest home installation. ‘It’s A Wrap’ is a Barneys-exclusive collection of furniture resulting from a collaboration between some of the biggest names in design: Claudio Luti, president of the renowned Italian décor brand Kartell and Lapo Elkann, the Italian entrepreneur who founded the automotive customization business Garage Italia in 2015. The resulting 40-piece collection of one-of-a-kind pieces features chairs and tables wrapped in bright colors and patterns ranging from houndstooth and tartan plaids to racecar-inspired stripes and numbers. The pieces are all currently available in a limited-time installation at the 9th floor home department of our Madison Avenue flagship.
The Kartell + Lapo Installation space at Barneys Madison Avenue.
Patterns from the Kartell + Lapo collection have been applied to the wall os the space as a whimsical accent.
“Claudio Luti and Lapo Elkann are two of the greatest men of Italian design,” says Tom Kalenderian, Barneys EVP/DMM of Men’s and Chelsea Passage. “The synergy between them is fascinating—both coming from storied backgrounds with a mix of fashion, marketing, and industrial design. They both bring great ideas to life in an innovative and exclusive way. The collection is a testament to the fact, that more than any other country in the world, industry in Italy is synonymous with style.”
Iconic Kartell styles have been reimagined through Garage Italia’s breakthrough wrapping technology.
Details culled from the world of automobiles can been seen throughout the collection, like these racing stripes that hearken back to Italian sports cars.
The collection made its debut at Milan’s Salone del Mobile Design Fair in 2016, a global platform at the cutting edge of the best in modern design. “This is truly a special opportunity for the Barneys clients to see and own a piece of design history,” Kalenderian continues.
Other whimsical takes on design include a reference to the Japanese flag, as many of Garage Italia’s clients come from Japan.
Never one to shy away from bold fashion choices, Elkann has also infused the collection with men’s sportswear references like houndstooth, plaid, and pinstripes.
While he is a wide-ranging and experienced entrepreneur, Elkann built a funhouse of sorts for Garage Italia, the automotive customization business he founded in 2015. Drawing on his own family background in automobiles—his grandfather was the Italian industrialist and principal shareholder of Fiat, Gianni Agnelli—Elkann has always had a passion for cars, so the founding of Garage Italia was a natural extension of that. For their sophisticated, adventurous clientele, Garage Italia will personalize anything from a mobile phone case to a private jet or boat. Elkann counts “VIPs, top managers, influencers, and sport stars” among his client base. “They want to be original,” Elkann says, “and they are looking for pieces to reflect their style.”
Each of the Kartell pieces can stand alone, but pairing them together makes for an even more impactful statement.
Racing stripes can also be seen on Kartell’s Ghost Buster table.
Elkann introduced the use of innovative wrapping technology to transform Kartell classics like Philippe Starck’s Louis Ghost chair with graphic elements in a process that Luti describes as ““unconventional, uninhibited by trends, and genuinely creative.” Kalenderian is quick to agree, adding, “Lapo is well known to be the leading man of style and cars. It’s no wonder that he infused his wit and great taste in wrapping these Kartell classics in his favorite pinstripe suiting or the houndstooth pattern of his cashmere blazers. And it wouldn’t be complete without the racing stripes Lapo grew up with, immersed in the automobile world.”
The collection is exclusively available at Barneys Madison Avenue flagship, and will be on display from now until March.