DESIGN STORY: OTTOMAN EMPIRE

Ottomans and rugs are typically trampled upon and kicked with little regard, often remaining in the background of the action. Reversing this neglect, PIN–UP spotlights the elegance of some of the most beautifully designed ottomans and rugs.

“One sits more comfortably on a color that one likes,” Verner Panton famously quipped, and his Visiona ottoman or stool is no exception. Launched in 1970 in Panton’s groundbreaking Cologne exhibition of the same name, the Visiona was re-issued by VITRA in 2012 in 83 different colorways, including curry/cognac and mint/forest. The neutral petrol and brown hues shown here complement the small archipelago of pebble-shaped rugs designed by Diego Fortunato for NANIMARQUINA. Ibou (right) and Magor (left), both from Dakar, Senegal, wear knit tops by MOSES GAUNTLETT CHENG, swimwear by TELFAR, and sandals by CAMPER. Magor’s bracelet is by NIKOLAI ROSE.

Magor is seen gracefully balancing on a velvet-covered Mandrague pouf while his right arm cradles the Domino pouf (designed by Ferruccio Laviani and Nicola Gallizia respectively). Both are part of an interlocking system of tables and ottomans available through the venerable Italian manufacturer MOLTENI & C, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. The tableau of elegance is completed by a sumptuous 10-foot-long wool and silk runner by German carpet king JAN KATH. Magor’s whimsical denim bikini top is by VAQUERA and the Washed Ciel Crinkle Cotton Ramie Shorts are by BOTTEGA VENETA. The shoes are by by TELFAR and the bracelet by NIKOLAI ROSE.

Jason, from Bloemfontein, South Africa, is seen here athletically juggling four different versions of one of the 20th century’s most iconic furniture designs: Alvar Aalto’s Stool 60 from 1933. Rendered in colors inspired by Aalto’s 1932 Paimio Sanatorium in Finland, the three-legged stunner has been produced by ARTEK for over 80 years and is available in up to 30 different variations. The geometric abstractions of INIGO ELIZALDE’s Rise rug are inspired by an electrical-power surge that disintegrated the New York-based designer’s computer screen image. All of the rugs in the resulting Glitch collection are woven out of all-natural fibers such as cactus, nettle, hemp, Hyland wool, Nepalese wool, and silk. Jason is wearing shorts by ADIDAS, a white cotton mantle by VAQUERA, and shoes by MAISON MARGIELA.

“It’s about time we started using the female side of the brain,” said Gaetano Pesce of his iconic UP6 and UP5, which he designed in 1969 with the sensuous forms of a woman’s body in mind. In 2014 B&B ITALIA issued UP JUNIOR, a miniature version of this seminal design piece, which is available in a bold-red version and a striped version in red and yellow. UP looks particularly striking when paired with a monochrome rug, such as the dusty-pink Lucky, one of Karin An Rijlaarsdam’s first designs for DANSKINA and available through MAHARAM. Ibou (seated) and Magor (standing) are wearing swim briefs by NIKE and watches by NOOKA. Ibou’s calfskin shoes are by HERMÈS and Magor’s shoes are by NIKE.

In 1978 Touko Laaksonen, better known as Tom of Finland, designed the logo mascot for Tom’s Saloon, a gay bar in Hamburg (which is still operating to this day). Almost four decades later the drawing finds a second life in this new rug by Swedish carpet maker HENZEL HERITAGE. The aptly titled Tom of Finland rug took five months to weave and is made from a mix of Himalayan wool and silk. The trio of stools is made by New York design studio Moorhead & Moorhead using lightweight carbon fiber and is available through MATTER. Ibou is wearing purple suede shoes by COMME DES GARÇONS shirt paired with high-waisted shorts by HOOD BY AIR.

Photographed for PIN–UP 18 by Vincent Dilio; styling by Avena Gallagher; grooming by Kirsten Bode using R+Co; stylist’s assistants: Patric Dicaprio and Bryn Taubensee. Ibou and Magor are represented by Red NYC Models. Jason is represented by Wilhelmina Models.