2 September 2014
The late lamented James Irvine was a master of essentiality. Throughout his career he shunned a precise and recognizable style, seeing it as a limitation on both the designer and the object. His creations, in fact, are timeless classics, true evergreens for which a geographical provenance or historical origin becomes a superfluous detail with respect to the fact that his products “function” in every sense. Daisy, for instance, is a wonderful example of successful design: a coat stand made out of simple metal rod, bent into a continuous curved line that creates a silhouette. Its profile is reminiscent, if you like, of a daisy (whence the name). Stable but also light on the eye, discreet but with a lot of character, this multipurpose clothes hanger reminds us of the great designer’s most important lesson: rather than in the recognizability of a style, real timelessness lies in the functional intelligence of the design. Manufacturer: Danese.

Photo: Miro Zagnoli.

Photo: Santi Caleca.