It’s that time of the year when every design enthusiast flocks to Milan to attend Salone del Mobile. It’s no secret that the Italian city holds a special place in our hearts. Since its inception, Invisible Collection has been leaving its mark by hosting special events for each edition of the beloved design fair. Key moments include the “Refuge” installation (a spectacular piece by Marc Ange) that won Wallpaper’s award for the most instagrammed installation. We have celebrated the Brazilian masters in the likes of Oscar Niemeyer and Jorge Zalszupin with our friends of Etel – the powerhouse behind the reissue of all the iconic designs of Brazilian Modernism. We hosted an intimate gathering at Osanna Visconti’s splendid home and in her atelier where guests had the opportunity to experience in person her exquisite collection of ‘jewels for the home’, delicately made with the lost wax technique. We celebrated the capsule collection of lamps inspired by Renzo Mongiardino at the beautiful home of our friend Martina Mondadori, the founder of Cabana. A side note to design buffs: Martina Mondadori’s home was decorated by Renzo Mongiardino.
This year too, we will attend Salone del Mobile and stay in a special place, a landmark building designed by none other than Piero Portaluppi. Before getting into the event details, a few words on this great architect who singlehandedly changed Milan’s cityscape by creating some of its most remarkable villas and palazzos. In addition to the iconic villa Necchi – forever immortalized in the movie Io sono amore – and Portaluppi’s residence, the fabulous Casa degli Atellani – a renaissance palazzo commissioned by the Sforzas, where Leonardo da Vinci stayed while painting his masterpiece l’ultima cena in the nearby convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie – Milan brims with the signature of the Italian architect, from the Hoepli Planetarium and Palazzo INA to l’Arengario and Palazzo della Società. Like many of his peers, Portaluppi was influenced by the Rationalist and Art Deco movements whilst keeping a certain neoclassical DNA in his approach, hence the variety of styles that define his work. Villa Necchi is an example of clean, geometric lines outside and a feat of refined opulence inside. The imposing Palazzo della Società, with its U-shaped floor plan and the large round arch that crosses the entire edifice, is a celebration of Secessionism, Art Deco and Neoclassicism.
It’s in a private apartment inside one of Portaluppi’s landmark buildings that Invisible Collection will spend the Milanese design week. The space has been restored and refurbished by Atelier Pendhapa, a studio founded in 2019 by architects Antonin Hautefort and Ignatio Tenggara. It’s Antonin’s new home that guests will be offered a unique exploration into the studio’s innovative ventures within architecture, interior design, and furniture design. The apartment has been meticulously appointed with Pendhapa’s signature designs, in collaboration with Métaphores, the famed textile brand owned by Hermès. With meticulous attention to texture, contrast, and color, a compelling dialogue emerges between the furniture layout and the urban landscape, echoing the dynamic interplay and graphic motifs of Milan’s architectural lexicon, infused with a radiant solar ambiance. This is a perfect moment to glimpse into a global architectural experience. All the furniture pieces, upholstered in Métaphores fabric, are part of an exclusive capsule collection, Pendhapa x Métaphores, available through us.
Discover the full collection.
