BEIJING, China –– The Campana brothers have done it again. One half of the Brazilian tandem that designed the “Sushi” chair –– the one that resembles psychedelic sushi rolls made with candy-colored plastic and carpet underlay, on display at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Paris –– was in Beijing recently for Beijing Design Week. The São Paulo-born brothers designed “Brachina” (Brazil-China), a pavilion with a huge lounge that houses the “Campana Rubber Tree,” also known as one of Design Week’s highlights. Their work, marked by an economy of means and incarnations of childlike imaginings (they’ve designed chairs with stuffed crocodiles, pandas and teddy bears), is known all over the world and being launched on a grander scale for the first time in Asia.
But fashion, not one to be outdone by design, decided to make a showing at Design Week’s pop-up after-party venue, Capital M, where Lacoste held the launch of the Lacoste x Campana collection for the annual Holiday Collector’s Series. It’s the Campanas’ second collaboration with the clothing brand after their Amazon-inspired collection in 2009. This time around, the duo, Fernando and Humberto, designed Lacoste shirts inspired by their “Sushi” chair, creating refreshing applications of the iconic Lacoste logo on their classic pique polo shirts. The party was nothing short of global, with sushi-inspired designs, Brazilian cuisine, French cocktails and an epic view of Tiananmen Square to entertain a cocktail of Beijing fashion A-listers as well as journalists from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea and the Philippines.
It’s not so far a jump from designing furniture to designing clothes for the Campanas. They say it’s just the canvas that’s changed, but nothing was stripped from the process –– not even the painstaking task of sifting through hundreds of ideas, and especially not the crucial exploration stage wherein the brothers really get to know their subjects and tasks at hand. Compared to their first Lacoste x Campana collection, this one is more calm, said Humberto in an interview with The Philippine STAR. For the first collection, the Campanas designed a polo shirt made entirely of a patchwork of Lacoste logos, while this collection keeps it fresh, but also more practical in terms of production.
With their art already displayed in museums all over the world, it’s not surprising that the Campanas are excited about creating something using a more universally accessible canvas: the polo shirt.
“For this project we are more of designers because we needed to deal with situations of the human body,” said Humberto. “It was fantastic to put myself into something more popular –– the polo can be affordable for people, so it was a great opportunity to be part of this experience.”
Known for creating functional works of art, he adds, “Creativity is 20 percent crossing boundaries, making bridges between one thing to the other. Sometimes I do recognize myself as a designer, but like to bring something new, something that goes beyond design. I like having freedom to play, otherwise it would be boring for me and my brother.”
Of the two, Humberto is the craftsman, while Fernando likes working on bi-dimensional art. One would think that, considering their accomplishments in both art and design, they would have arrived at a fine-tuned process of creation, but let’s not forget –– they’re brothers. The process is fine-tuned, all right, but this doesn’t mean it’s no longer fun or chaotic or as it was when they were starting out as designers in Brazil. “We like to jump right into a project, to investigate. When Lacoste invited us to do a second collection, we came up with lots of ideas: me with 10, Fernando with 20. So the problem was which ideas to use for the collection. It took us four months to finish it. But it’s always like this –– a vomit of ideas.” (Laughs)
Out-of-control color is the key element of the “Sushi” chair, as it is for the Lacoste x Campana collection. “Campana is synonymous with color, so we wanted to put our signature on the design,” he adds, “Designing the ‘Sushi’ chair, we had no intention to create a definite color. We were just playing with the materials. The materials attract me first.”
Humberto was in the Philippines recently for a partnership with a woven-furniture manufacturer, and the brothers have also just finished an exhibition in Paris. “The best thing about being an artist is working wherever your creation brings you. It’s not just about Brazil now. My house in Brazil is where I spend my vacation.” (Laughs) He adds that he would like to visit Cebu. “I am amazed by the quantity of fibers and the skill of the crafts there,” he said. For the meantime, he will be flying to Rome.
The Lacoste Holiday Collector’s Series presents exciting collaborations with well-known designers, sometimes from the world of fashion, sometimes, like the Campanas, from a neighboring design realm. These include fashion designer Jonathan Adler, industrial designer Tom Dixon, Chinese porcelain costume artist Li Xiaofeng, and industrial artist Michael Young. The Campana brothers’ 2012 collection gives Lacoste classic polos a jolt of pop –– the minimalist but calculated execution of the crocodile patch is fun since the crocs get to dress up in every color of the rainbow. There are four designs available for women and four designs for men.
Lacoste has branches in Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3, Alabang Town Center, Ayala Center Cebu, Bonifacio High Street, TriNoma, Marquee Mall, and Abreeza Mall in Davao.
Lacoste is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc. For more about Humberto and Fernando Campana, visit campanas.com/br.
source: philstar.com
