Kartell Furniture: always in style
Kartell: 70 Years of ongoing research and exchange with the great designers, with the aim of pursuing beauty and absolute…
Read More
Kartell: 70 Years of ongoing research and exchange with the great designers, with the aim of pursuing beauty and absolute quality.
70 years of market success, of cooperation and partnerships, of events and projects destined for sale and communication.
Today, Kartell is the perfect synthesis of its past and its ongoing projection into the future. It combines the great heritage of corporate culture with the desire to explore new paths. Engage in new experiences dominated by an intense passion for creation.
It was founded by Giulio Castelli in 1949. Kartell took its first steps to produce the distinctive design that would come to epitomise the ‘Made in Italy’ label.
The new start for Kartell Furniture
In 1988 the company was acquired by Claudio Luti. The son-in-law of Giulio and Anna Castelli who had a background in fashion. It was a new start for the brand. Furthermore, the sensibility that Luti had developed under the Versace fashion house, with a love for perfection and tasteful design.
Luti sought collaborations with designers and architects: Philippe Starck, Ron Arad, Antonio Citterio, Ferruccio Laviani, Piero Lissoni, Patricia Urquiola, Mario Bellini, Alberto Meda and Vico Magistretti. They were responsible for those products that soon came to symbolise the brand.
The fresh approach to materials dictated the new direction. Moreover, it brought real turning points for Kartell: studying, manipulating and enriching materials. It resulted in an end product which offered unprecedented characteristics.
The turning point
However, the turning point came when, after years of research and thanks to a revolutionary innovation. In 1999 Kartell became the first company in the world to use polycarbonate to produce furnishing items. The result was La Marie, a completely transparent chair with modern, minimalist design which paved the way for Louis Ghost. Still one of Kartell’s best sellers today. From this moment on, the company developed and explored the theme of transparency that has made it unique and original, continuing its research into the study of surfaces and shapes, starting with the use of new technologies and high-performance materials that have made it possible to create products like nothing ever created before.
Louis Ghost Chair
Louis Ghost Chair by Kartell is Design by Philippe Starck. This Chair is the world’s bravest example of the injection of polycarbonate in a single mold. A chair inspired by the Louis XV chair, the baroque ideotype, reinterpreted by Philippe Starck to amaze, inspire and also beguile. Despite its evanescent and crystalline image, Louis Ghost is stable and strong. Collision-proof and capable of withstanding the effects of the weather; and, moreover, it can be stacked in piles of up to six. A very charismatic product with enormous aesthetic appeal, perfect for every setting, be it domestic or professional.
Kartell Furniture Today
Alongside the habitat division, Kartell relaunched its lighting division, writing a new chapter in the history of lighting design. Kartell today is a company that looks to the future. With Claudio Luti sharing the helm with his children Lorenza and Federico, who joined the firm from different professional backgrounds following their university studies.
Meanwhile Lorenza is Marketing and Retail Director, Federico is Commercial Director. Above all, the company has expanded its horizons with new divisions and new product families. Introducing new lines ranging from the soft line to another specifically designed for outdoors for instance. As it continues to move with the times and evolve, also employing non-plastic materials and experimenting with new technologies.
Finally, if you like trending furniture, we highly recommend reading about Wire Chairs, hanging egg chairs, Outdoor Rocking Chairs and Color Trends.
You can also read about Outdoor Dining Spaces, Lighting Trends on Illuminated Planters, The Mid Century Lighting Comeback, Kitchen Lighting Trends, Step Lights or Zaneen Lighting