Introducing Casa Valextra, A New Era Of Engineering Beauty
A multisensory discovery journey through icons of mid-Century Italian design and present-day objects of desire
Valextra proudly announces Casa Valextra, a unique and sensorial experience that brings together the masters of Milanese design, the DNA of Valextra, and the enduring influence of Japanese culture. Launching in a former two-storey tea house located along Hanami Street in the centre of Gion, Kyoto, Casa Valextra invites guests on a reconnaissance that reasserts the provenance of timely design.
Curated by Luciano Giorgi Studio LGB - which has masterminded the space’s custom-design brass and green-lacquered mirrored furnishings as a nod to Valextra’s aesthetic handwriting, incorporating brushed and dyed hemlock wood in tribute to Japanese dark woods - the space is complemented by a new typeface conceived by Studio Temp which took inspiration from the 1962 Valextra logo created by the legendary architect and graphic designer AG Fronzoni.
Iconic pieces by Italian masters - including B.B.P.R, Gianfranco Frattini, Franco Albini, Gabriella Crespi, and Luigi Caccia Dominioni – sourced from the private vintage collection of the Galleria Luisa Delle Piane in Milan are positioned in dialogue with traditional Japanese wood and stone structures, evoking the positive tension conjured by the centuries-old act of engineering beauty.
Inspiration from icons of Milanese design, including the 1964 M1 metro line handrail engineered by Bob Noorda and Franco Albini and the 1957 Torre Velasca landmark engineered by B.B.P.R., are also celebrated around the space.
With “the present continuous” a constant source of inspiration for Valextra, the time felt apt to explore the signatures that set us apart. Placing our handbags in a series of everyday environments, existing icons are reworked to spotlight their vibrant simplicity, arriving in timely new shades and techniques. Meanwhile, freshly imagined silhouettes answer the call of new sensibilities and life structures. Together, the collection celebrates the bold and the softly spoken.
The new collection has been created in a palette of new shades that enhance our multidimensional Millepunte calf skin, from dawn until dusk. The morning city light is conjured with denim and powder blue and stone and cement grey; the vibrancy of the midday buzz is realised in citrine yellow, and mint, apple and musk green; while the sunset is evoked powder and antique pink, peach, and gold and Havana Brown.
They are presented alongside original vintage Valextra icons, the 1963 Carita shoulder bag, the 1968 Tric Trac, and the 1973 Premiere briefcase, and limited editions of Valextra’s leather goods that have been crafted by our Italian artisans as a tribute to the city of Kyoto. Exclusive to Casa Valextra, they include the Costa travel cases specifically engineered to hold a kimono, a silk foulard, and a special-edition Iside handbag comprising a sculptural top handle.
Casa Valextra marks the inception of our new lifestyle category. Crafted from our exquisite multidimensional Millepunte calf skin and finessed with Valextra’s black lacquered Costa edging and handpainted Inchiostro lines, the Casa Valextra collection comprises a desk pad, pocket emptier, pen tray, agender cover, jewellery box, and a pencil case with Faber Castel pencils. A natural extension of Valextra’s present continuous leather goods that play an ergonomic role in the everyday lives of our customers, Casa Valextra’s designs mirror the same timely attitude.
Our hometown of Milan is famed for producing the most revered architectural and design icons of the 20th Century. Steeped in traditional culture, Kyoto has been at the forefront of craft innovation for more than 1,000 years. Casa Valextra exists at the intersection between the two, invoking a seminal depiction of urban craft and fostering a conversation on the importance of celebrating tradition and culture.
