Cristina Celestino x Billiani at Milan Design Week 2021

On the occasion of Milan Design Week 2021, Italian chairmaker Billiani presents three unique collections designed by Cristina Celestino: Timènt, Veretta chairs and Corolla Tables which is an extension of the collection with the addition of tables.

Timènt is Billiani’s first exclusive fabric collection and is inspired by its surrounding landscape. Developed in collaboration with the historic wool mill Torri Lana, designed by Celestino and inspired by the river Tagliamento, the only one in Europe free to flow in its original bed in Italy’s northeastern region. Billiani together with Torri Lana recovered a dynamic of the past, the intimate collaboration between the designer, furniture makers and fabric producers. The result is an innovative collection of fabrics in natural yarns, designed by Cristina Celestino and produced by Torri Lana exclusively for Billiani furniture.

Through textures and colours, Cristina Celestino reproduced this unique river’s particular bed of intertwined channels and the beauty of its floodplains. Oxbows and tributaries have become textures reproduced with graphics in woollen loops for the Greto fabric, in organic cotton and hemp for Golena. The colours reflect the seasonal changes of the river Tagliamento. The fabrics are available in cold shades of ice and eucalyptus or warmer tones such as brick, shells, wheat. The Greto fabric is offered in eight variants. In some, weft and warp play tone on tone, with loops and waves to be appreciated more by touch than by sight, while in others the contrastive weave emerges decisively on the warp.

The colour chart, developed by Cristina Celestino, reflects the warm and natural mood that will be applied to the entire collection with the introduction of stained woods and new materials such as travertine marble and cork.

Soft lines and simple geometry describe the contours of the Veretta chair, characterised by the curved solid beechwood ring surrounding the seat and housing the backrest. The backrest can be padded at the front while the rear always shows off the natural wood. The distinctive ring remains open; a small portion of the material is in fact removed from the circle to highlight the two ends are crafted by hand.