Innocenti Studio: Contrasting Forces

Milan-based Ilaria Innocenti came on to the scene in 2010 with a collection of carpets produced using traditional Sardinian techniques. Establishing her intuitive approach, the designer employs a decorative vocabulary that combines hand drawing with investigations of texture and material. For Innocenti, storytelling remains a viable tool. Her work can now be found at major platforms like London’s Mint or La Rinascente in Milan. TLmag spoke to Innocenti about the silver qualities of the Self Portrait and Mini Portrait mirror designs for Italian brand Portego, conceived in collaboration with Giorgio Laboratore. Inspired by the shape of a personal paddle-fan, this double-faced mirror design plays on the ideas of feminine accessories, luxury, and beauty.

TLmag: What is your affinity for silver as both a visual and material composite?
Ilaria Innocenti: It’s both ductile and precious. I’m attracted to silver’s natural traits but also shiny surfaces. For the Self Portrait and Mini Portrait projects, we used two vastly different materials in order to achieve a level of contrast that would underline each component’s features. The double-sided mirror is formed using joined galvanised steel. This fan-shaped form is anchored by a folded paper-like solid wood handle.

Self Portrait and Mini Portrait both feature silver finishes. What visual, physical, or metaphoric treatment does this effect allow you to express?
We employed a technique that applies a fine mechanical polish on an iron plate, which achieves a silver finish. This kind of treatment allows the mirrors to become something more than just a metal  surface. It allows them to express a sense of lightness and a “line of light.”

In what can these properties extend the function of your design?
A thin layer of material becomes a mirror that draws an elegant, straight and sharp line into a solid, warm and tactile form of carved wood.