A celebration of craftsmanship, this chaise longue is a functional sculpture for your home. Raphael Navot defines “The Palm Duet” as ‘a sculpture, an armchair, a loveseat or a contemporary interpretation of the traditional chaise longue,’ expressing his passion for the homemade and the traditional techniques he has pushed to the extreme to achieve excellence.
This soft and sinuous armchair is curated to soothe the skin with the touch, creating a warm, comforting feeling enveloping you in a sense of relaxation and peace. Inspired by the palm of hard, curved lines following a spiral movement are the basis of this chair, leaving no harsh lines within the home. Offering a casual experience of protective comfort, this organic chair will take pride in place wherever it’s placed.
Upholstered in Cashfur, a unique fabric made with a selection of the finest cashmere in its natural off-white shade which is blended carefully on circular knitting looms with silk, making the chair is incredibly soft. The purity of the naturally derived fabrics allows the noble fibres of the upholstery to be at one with the organic, sinuous form of the chaise longue.
When asked about his creation, Navot said, “The design of the chaise is essential corporal. When looking at this piece, one can already imagine the position to take. It is intended to be intuitive.”
Taking inspiration from nineteenth-century portraits, including the infamous Olympia painted by Manet in 1865, as well as classical drawings, Navot searched for a design to rediscover, and reimagine the infamous chaise longue.
“In classical drawings, we often discover the chaise longue as the perfect furniture for intimate portraits,” Navot said, “I was hoping to find a form that can support the body in a gracious way and at the same time feel new, timeless and detached from the historical connotations. As the armrest is treated as a seat, it invites a second partner to join and share the seat together.”
Director of Loro Piana Interiors, Francesco Pergamo, commented on Navot’s design, he said, “What we have loved from Raphael’s work is his incredible taste, his love for neatness, elegance, for what is essential and perfectly crafted.”
“We knew he had a passion for natural materials, for excellence, for creating timeless objects, not caring too much for tends. Well, it is exactly what has always inspired Loro Piano and what we inject into our solutions for interior decoration. Raphael’s creativity and our materials naturally just came together,” he continued.
The ‘Palm Duet’ chaise longue will be produced in a number series and presented in selected Loro Piana stores and during private events after its official introduction at Nomad from 8-10 July, 2021. A second chair will also be displayed in the Loro Piana store in St. Moritz during the Nomad exhibition.
