Branco and Preto is a furniture company set up in 1952 by forward-thinking architects Miguel Forte, Jacob Ruchti, Plinio Groce, Roberto Aflalo, Carlos Millan and Che Y Hwa. After completing their Master of Architecture at The Mackenzie School of Engineering in the 1940s, the fresh graduates realised they needed furniture suited to the architectural style they intended to practice. No sooner said than done, they rallied as one behind Aflalo, who led them to open up a store selling selected pieces of modern design furniture.
Together, they have produced some of the most significant pieces of Brazilian furniture under the label Branco & Preto – which means White & Black, the signature colours of some of their collections. Most of the work was designed for site-specific architectural projects, and was therefore utterly singular, and outstanding, always hand-made in limited quantities.
The pieces are always light and simple, almost stripped to their bare structure; the wood is carved by hand and paired with contrasting materials, such as formica and glass; and the fabrics – mostly in neutral palettes with the distinguishing B&W stripes- are custom-made by the best manufacturers of the time. With their innovative, simple lines Branco & Preto made a true impact on their peers, forever influencing Brazilian modern as we know it.
Their most emblematic designs are now available in re-issued editions by ETEL, one of the first Brazilian companies to be awarded the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification.
