Italian brand Paola Lenti and Brazil’s Estudio Campana create eco-friendly debut collaboration

Designers Humberto and Fernando Campana present their new collaboration ‘Metamorphosis’ with the Italian company Paola Lenti, to be unveiled during Milan Design Week 2022.

The collection, made of waste pieces of carpet or textile aims to raise awareness of the future of sustainable productions, and celebrate the beauty of materials with past lives.

Inspired by nature and named after various types of insects, the resulting collection transforms unwanted materials into one-off pieces that take on organic forms; each handmade piece is slightly different, depending on ‘the catch of the day’.

Importantly, Coulture Migrante, an atelier in Como that focuses on providing opportunities for women and men at risk of social exclusion, was put in charge of part of the production: ‘Beauty cannot and should not be separated from ethics. If I want to be truly sustainable, I cannot ignore ethics. So why not commit to reducing inequality, as well as consumption?’ reflects Paola.

It’s an ethos that resonates with the Campanas. Instituto Campana was founded to offer work to different communities, from independent artisans to vulnerable people.

The two pairs of siblings also found a common enthusiasm for colour. ‘For me, colour is a feeling. It has a thousand different facets, a thousand possibilities,’ Paola says of her practice. Colour seems to take over her pieces, transforming playful shapes into poetic and vibrant furnishings. A flamboyant colour palette and forward-looking design are the foundation of the brand, which was founded in 1994. It has since expanded internationally and become an industry leader thanks to its research into natural materials.

‘Metamorphosis’ marks the first collaboration between the designers and Paola Lenti, partners who, although geographically and culturally distant, have found mutual ground in their work and lives – at times by chance, at others because of conscious and shared professional choices. Paola admits that she, her sister and the Campanas are ‘linked by a series of coincidences’. ‘The Campanas are two brothers, Anna Lenti and I are two sisters. Humberto and I are both Pisces, while his brother Fernando and my sister Anna are Taurus. Finally, we share a childlike curiosity, an astonishment for the aspects of life that empower us to always seek out beauty.’

The ‘Metamorphosis’ collection by Estudio Campana is on view at the Paola Lenti HQ in Meda from 7 – 12 June 2022