CLOSEUP May 2021: Moooi

“When Marcel Wanders & Casper Vissers started Moooi in 2001, they promised each other to create a legendary brand. Today, after almost twenty years, Moooi is still inspiring and seducing the world with breathtaking, innovative designs. The extra “O” in Moooi is to convey something extra in terms of beauty and uniqueness.

Our collection is always original, unexpected, eclectic, rebellious and sophisticated and is always on the edge of commercial reality and cultural interest. A well-curated mix of lighting, furniture and accessories that outlast everyday interiors, define personalities of spaces & deliver the extra touch of creativity and beauty that is always unexpected and yet so exquisitely welcome.”

“What would be the softest place on earth to lay your head to rest? That’s the question Andrés Reisinger asked himself before designing his iconic Hortensia Armchair. A safe place where you would feel comforted and soothed. Somewhere calm and enclosed with softness. The answer was so simple, a blossoming flower. A Hortensia flower, to be exact. The voluminous plant with blooming pompoms in soft pink would be the perfect place to curl up on. The Hortensia Armchair, with over 30.000 soft petals, resembles the blooming beauty of its namesake flower. Reisinger’s inspiration for this iconic and voluminous chair came from the need to recreate a feeling of softness and have it in your home. To curl up on, enveloped in smooth and gentle petals, whenever you want.

The Hortensia Armchair started out as a 3D rendering that soon went viral on social media. This sudden success prompted multiple orders, even though the chair didn’t exist yet. In response, Reisinger searched for a way to make the chair into a real-life product, successfully creating a limited edition. The Hortensia Armchair for Moooi is the next phase in a remarkable journey, and a dream come true for Reisinger, getting the Hortensia Armchair in interiors all around the world.

To develop that tactile upholstery that looked and felt as natural as a blossoming hortensia, Reisinger called in Júlia Esqué, a product designer focused on textile design. Together they created a series of individual laser-cut ribbons of petals. Thousands upon thousands of these petal-ribbons cluster together and create the unique blossoming signature fabric for the Hortensia Armchair.

The voluminous curves of the Hortensia Armchair can also be upholstered in other fabrics and leathers. The Moooi Material Collection offers a diverse range of exceptional fabrics and leathers, such as the Extinct Animal Fabric Collection.”