Kartell becomes... Precious

Fifteen years of transparency, or rather of research and testing in the injection moulding of clear polycarbonate: an achievement celebrated by Kartell at the recent Salone del Mobile in Milan which, ending on 13 April, was deemed a huge success by visitors and critics, and also provided the company with an opportunity to introduce its new Precious collection of plastic furnishing accessories embellished with exclusive, brilliant metallic finishes in gold, bronze, silver, gunmetal and copper.
It all began with La Marie, a chair designed by Philippe Starck which went into production in 1999. Weighing just 3.5 kg, this chair looked light and ethereal but was actually extraordinarily strong. Fifteen years on, and in the wake of various other products, such as Louis Ghost (another chair, this one weighing 4.5 kg), the chest of drawers Ghost Buster (18 kg) and the invisible table Tokujin Yoshioka (21 kg), the company has now unveiled its Uncle Jack sofa, again designed by Starck, which is a bold example of injection molding of polycarbonate using a single mould. Measuring 180 cm in width, the sofa, moulded as a single shot with 28 kg of resin, is part of a collection that also includes the Uncle Jim chair, the Uncle Jo armchair and the Aunt Maggy console table.
With Kartell, plastic, while retaining its essentially industrial character, has become an increasingly prized, noble and sophisticated material. Even though they are manufactured in large series so as to be affordable to everyone, the company's products, created through skilful use of materials and processing technologies, have gradually assumed the status of luxury goods, being particularly sought after for their considerable aesthetic appeal and durability.
All this is underlined by the launch of the new collection, Precious Kartell, with which the company, focusing on the glamour of plastic (now enjoying the status of a true luxury material), has succeeded in enhancing, even more, the quality and desirability of its products.