E rnesto Esposito is not only a well-known luxury shoe designer, but also a renowned collector of contemporary art and 20th-century furniture.
Known for his designs created for Sergio Rossi, Marc Jacobs and Fendi, Mr. Esposito is an equally dedicated art collector. His magnificent Neapolitan collection is a vibrant tribute to design from the 1950s to the 1980s. From Jean Prouvé to Alighiero Boetti, the collection has been tastefully constructed around an idea of harmony.
Marked by colorful accents and free use of material, the collection’s 1980s pieces include artworks from the Milanese Memphis group, featuring artists such as Ettore Sottsass, Nathalie du Pasquier and Michele De Lucchi.
Both architect and designer, Charlotte Perriand and Jean Prouvé have influenced the 20th century decorative arts with their modernist visions. They focus on the object's function, liberating themselves from current aesthetic elements to explore the use of new materials such as metal as well as new manufacturing techniques. Co-founders of the Union des Artistes Modernes (UAM) in 1929, their common creative vision led them to collaborate on large-scale projects such as the furnishing of the Jean Zay university residences in Antony or the artistic co-direction of the Steph Simon Gallery.
Founded in Milan in 1980, the Memphis Group unites several young designers with a desire to change the traditional way of designing objects and furniture. Ettore Sottsass, Michele De Lucchi, Martine Bedin and Nathalie du Pasquier are influential founding members, creating with a common idea: to go further than current Italian design.
The Memphis style is characterised by a pronounced use of bright colours, with Pop accents, as well as original, very graphic shapes, made of different, sometimes unexpected materials, which compose a unique piece. Martine Bedin's Super lamp, for example, takes the form of a curious car made of fiberglass and lacquered metal, assembled on wheels with real rubber tyres. A stroke of genius; the intensive use of laminated wood allowing an infinite choice of prints is a true signature of the group's creations.
In the space of just ten years - it disbanded in 1988 - Memphis opened the way to a freedom of production and design without limits, by carrying out research into form, function and materials; it revolutionized the last quarter of the 20th century design.
