Just Black by Marsotto Edizioni

Milan 2013: work by the late James Irvine and other international designers has been reproduced in black marble for this collection by Marsotto Edizioni, unveiled in Milan this week.

Marsetto Just Black

Above: Ipe tondo and Ipe quadro sidetables by James Irvine

Just Black inverts a selection of Italian brand Marsotto Edizioni‘s products in white Carrara marble by replicating the designs in black Marquina marble.

Marsotto Just Black

Above: Gina fruit bowl by James Irvine

British designer James Irvine, who passed away in February, was the company’s art director. Dark versions of his Ipe tondo and Ipe quadro side tables and his simple fruit bowl designs are included in this collection.

Marsotto Just Black

Above: Pia fruit bowl by James Irvine

Thomas Sandell‘s melting bookcase features alongside Claesson Koivisto Rune‘s monolithic low square table and Jasper Morrison‘s London, Paris and Rome tables.

Marsotto Just Black

Above: Pina fruit bowl by James Irvine

Other contributing designers include Konstantin GrcicNaoto Fukasawa and Ross Lovegrove.

Marsotto Just Black

Above: Gallery table by Claesson Koivisto Rune

The original collection was presented during Milan design week in 2010 and has been annually reinterpreted ever since – see our story about the range here.

Marsotto Just Black

Above: London table by Jasper Morrison

On show until tomorrow, the exhibition is located at Galleria d’Arte, Via Brera 16.

Marsotto Just Black

Above: Melt bookcase by Thomas Sandell

See all of our stories about Milan 2013 »
See our Milan 2013 map »

Here’s some more information from Costanza Olfi and Mario Marsotto:


Just black 2013

Variations on a theme. After the absolute predominance of white, Marsotto edizioni now presents a selection of products in Black Marquina marble. The radical contrast produces entirely different effects, as in a sort of reversed image of the objects. Last year, it was the individual lines that stood out. Now it is the piece as a whole that reveals the essence of its design.

Marsotto Just Black

Above: Taksim side table by Konstantin Grcic

The black, non-light, forcefully asserts its presence, emphasizing the character and functionality of each object. Thus the collection acquires a renewed balance: alongside the ethereal lightness of white are the depth, weight and texture that are so ideally expressed in black.

Marsotto Just Black

Above: Eco book ends by Ross Lovegrove

The harmonious proportions that have always been the hallmark of each item in the Marsotto edizioni collection are naturally unvaried, together with that touch of elegance which black cannot but enhance.

Marsotto Just Black

Above: Poodle table by Naoto Fukasawa

And so a veritable metamorphosis has occurred, where the vibrant impact of black actually reinterprets each single piece. Enriching it with emotional, totemic values that strike a chord.

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James Irvine 1958-2013

James Irvine

News: British industrial designer James Irvine, who founded his studio in Milan nearly 30 years ago, has died aged 54.

Irvine studied design at Kingston Polytechnic in London before completing his master’s degree at the Royal College of Art in 1984, after which he moved to Milan to work as a design consultant for Olivetti, the Italian company famous for its typewriters.

Founded in 1988, his studio has created products, furniture and transport for companies including Italian design brands Artemide, Foscarini and Cappellini, art publisher Phaidon and camera-maker Canon, while in 2000 he designed a fleet of Mercedes-Benz buses for the German city of Hannover.

Irvine most recently worked as the creative director of bent wood furniture company Thonet and as design consultant to Japanese brand Muji, roles he combined in a furniture design collaboration with Konstantin Grcic in 2009.

Figures from the industry paid tribute to Irvine on Twitter, with British designer Sebastian Bergne commenting: “Deeply shocked to hear of the death of James Irvine. What a great loss.” David Carlson, editor-in-chief of online magazine David Report, wrote: “The world has lost a great person and a great designer.”

We filmed an interview with Irvine in 2010 as part of the Dezeen Talks at [D3] Design Talents series at imm cologne – watch it below.

See all design by James Irvine »

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Centanni Stool by James Irvine for Discipline

Centanni Stool by James Irvine for Discipline

Milan-based designer James Irvine has designed an I-beam shaped stool for Italian design brand Disipline to be exhibited during Helsinki Design Week this month.

Centanni Stool by James Irvine for Discipline

The name Centanni derives from the hope that the durable design can last 100 years.

Centanni Stool by James Irvine for Discipline

Created using larch wood and oak, the design uses no glue or screws. Instead sections are slotted together using a system of tenons and wedges.

Centanni Stool by James Irvine for Discipline

Italian brand Discipline launched in Milan this year.  The Centanni Stool will be available at the end of September and Helsinki Design Week runs from 6-16th September.

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