Mouse in the house: Italian design meets Disney

Milan – Imagine for a moment a typical collaboration at Milan’s Design Week. A cutting-edge, barely discovered young artist who has not yet finished her graduate show and a grand old manufacturing dame. In most cases, you’re just about there.

Now imagine – and there’s a clue – something very different. One of America’s oldest, most successful design companies today launched a new furniture line, which some might call the ‘mouse in the house’.

Cappellini, the Italian furniture manufacturer which counts design stars Marcel Wanders, Patricia Urquiola and Doshi Levien among its collaborators, has teamed up with Walt Disney Signature to produce five limited edition pieces.

Though it might seem surprising to many to Disney-fy classic designs such as Cappellini’s Ribbon stool, Fish Chair and Rive Droite armchair, it makes perfect sense to the company’s founder, Giulio Cappellini.

‘We’re very different companies,’ Giulio Cappellini tells LS:N Global. ‘But we’re both committed to research, innovation, beauty, passion, and to make people’s dreams come true.’

Disney’s executive vice president for global fashion and home, Pamela Lifford agrees.

‘It’s an emotional collection that brings fun to people’s lives,’ she says.

We’ll be reporting on more from ZonaTortona throughout the week.