Scarlet Splendour blends luxury and modernity at Milan Design Week 2023

Scarlet Splendour at Milan Design Week 2023 showcased its newly launched furniture design collection, reflecting on their ideology of introducing new thought-provoking concepts. Known for their luxury products that draw inspiration from traditional Indian culture, they frequently collaborate with various European designers to create opulent and extravagant interior products. Exhibiting one such innovative design collection by Matteo Cibic, Richard Hutten, Elena Salmistraro and Marcantonio Raimondi Malerba; the showcase this year was all about the union of divergent ideas, resulting in intriguing products. “If you want to make babies you need two, the one is a designer and the other is the company, and I think it’s perfect for marriage and we have beautiful kids,” shares Hutten, the renowned Dutch industrial designer.

Ashish Bajoria and Suman Kanodia, co-founded Scarlet Splendour with the intention of integrating the rich cultural environment which was a part of their routine with other individuals' lives, encouraging others to develop a keen eye for art, design and fashion. Employing their acquired skills of dynamic marketing abilities and sharp business acumen, along with a shared interest in art and interior design, the sibling duo managed to create a brand that honours their roots while infusing it with a global outlook. STIR caught up with Cibic, Hutten, Salmistraro and Malerba at the Scarlet Splendour store, 10 Corso Como and discussed the creative process behind the products created in collaboration with the brand. “I think we cannot split anymore between technology and design or technology or emotional feeling. I saw many minimal things, and many illustrative things so I’m not able to see some new trends. There are many kinds of expressions and I love it,” shares Malerba.

Matteo Cibic - Signor Ciuco and Lady Luna

Cibic created Signor Ciuco, a cabinet covered in gold, adorned with rich formal attire and the new Scarlet Splendour logo. To accompany this special piece, a glamourous cabinet in ruby red, titled Lady Luna was crafted with gleaming brass arches and secret objects housed inside. Emulating the union of a marriage, the cabinets are personified through a narrative, that details that both of the cabinets created remarkable memories on a global stage by getting married in Goa in December 2022, in a custom-made wedding. With the recently launched cabinets experiencing their honeymoon period at Milan Design Week.

“Signor and Luna are here in Milan for their honeymoon, and soon they are even going to have their babies. So, I'm looking forward to finding them. Well, I’m very lucky that Suman is a perfect balance that drives me and brings to her my dreams, and can create these magical creatures,” quips Cibic, the founder of Matteo Cibic Studio. He approached the product design with a unique twist, yet adhering to its luxury-oriented appeal.

Richard Hutten - The Wolk Chair

The Dutch industrial designer took the phrase ‘every cloud has a silver lining,' added a plot twist to it and incorporated that into his chair design for the Wolk Chair. Entirely crafted in brass, it is inspired by the natural beauty of Mammatus clouds and adorns the space with its sculptural yet functional aspects. Known to be one of its kind Dutch design, the chair exemplifies ergonomic euphoria and has a mesmerising feel.

“The energy ( in Milan) is what we see around us. It’s the people who have come here, which is amazing and we have the whole world coming here, gathering here. Meeting friends from all over the world, from India, Sweden, Tokyo, Holland and everywhere and that is the energy. All these people connecting is what Milan is about; it’s about connection. The journey has been a roller coaster and that’s what I like” shares Hutten.

Elena Salmistraro - The Chhau Donna Cabinet

Designed by Salmistraro, the Chhau Donna Cabinet is a collaboration between traditional movement and rich design and is an extraordinary reflection of the famous female Chhau dancers of India. The cabinet is an amalgamation of Italian contemporary forms and exquisite Indian craftsmanship. The idea was to reimagine the grandeur of the fabric structure used by the dancers. The cabinet is a revival of Indian philosophies and stories. Elena captured the essence of details with geometric nuances and an alluring gamut of colours using materials like plywood and nautical resin.

“The collaboration with Scarlet Splendour was born a few years ago. They let me be completely free and I was inspired by India because I have always been fascinated by vivid and energetic colours as a result, through research, I came across Chhau, the dancers, typical in different areas of India and they are exactly as you see them, with these marvellous, sculptural and colourful clothes, these explosions of colour, they have these big imposing crowns, and I wanted to depict them as they were so they are figurative I could say, faithful to reality and to the design with which I started,” explains Salmistraro.

Marcantonio - The Forest Collection

“I think the Forest collection is made with the attitude that an artist has during art creation. I mean a work of art,” says Malerba.

Malerba injects whimsical fascination through the new feature of the Forest collection, which focuses on functional luxury furniture that holds the power to transform any space into an exotic forest. The designer's ideology behind the collection revolves around ‘elegant irony.’ Designed to include cabinets, seating and accessories, quirky shapes and sophisticated colours, the products are moulded with brass finishes to create a sense of eccentricity.

STIR’s coverage of Milan Design Week 2023 showcases the best exhibitions, studios, designers, installations, brands, and special projects to look out for. Explore Euroluce 2023 and all the design districts—5Vie Art and Design, Brera Design District, Fuorisalone, Isola Design District, Tortona District, and Milano Design District—with us.