At Vessel Gallery, Italian designer Luca Nichetto is showing his collection of vases, bowls, candles holders and small interior objects from the Essence collection. This body of work celebrates the processes and tools employed in artisanal glass and ceramic craftsmanship.

ESSENCE COLLECTION BY LUCA NICHETTO, 29th April – 30th May 2010

VESSEL GALLERY

114 Kensington Park Road, London W11 2PW (020 7727 8001)

Essence was born of Luca Nichettoʼs desire to share the knowledge of processes of artisanal production that he inherited when he was just a young boy growing up in Venice. Every one of the objects in the collection makes reference to one of the tools the uninitiated never see, for the designer wanted to bring these to the fore and transform their function in the process.

The result of his efforts is a group of products in which the materials employed – glass, ceramic, wood and metal – are aligned with the designerʼs Venetian roots, thereby reflecting what has always characterized his approach to design: a constant dialogue with the people involved in the physical process of production.

Bosa is responsible for Essenceʼs ceramic parts and distribution and Venini to assist in the realization of glass elements.

The collection travels from Venice to Paris and London with the goal of showcasing the artisanal quality of a typically Italian product by making reference to its origins and the techniques used in its production.

SKITSCH is an Italian producer and retailer of contemporary design, which launched with aplomb in Milan in April 2009. Now they have opened a new 350-square-metre store on Brompton Road, in the heart of the Brompton Design District.

SKITSCH

270 Brompton Road, London SW3 2AW

Skitsch is not only a design retailer but also a producer of its own collection of contemporary interior products, which is an unusual and bold move for such a young company. They are positioning themselves at the top-end of the market in their location alongside the brand establishment of Brompton.

Steered by the creative direction of the characterful dame of Italian design, Cristina Morozzi, the Skitsch collection comprises works by dozens of emerging and established international designers. LDG editor Max Fraser interviewed Morozzi during Skitsch’s launch in Milan in 2009 – watch the interview here.

Visitors to the London store can expect to find chairs, tables, sofas, storage, beds, lamps, accessories, objects, and textiles. Design junkies should look out for designs by the likes of Maarten Baas (Netherlands), Front (Sweden), Xavier Lust (Belgium), Peter Marigold (UK), Luca Nichetto (Italy), Giles Miller (UK), Bertjan Pot (Netherlands), Marc Sadler (Italy), Marcel Wanders (Netherlands), 5.5 Designers (France), and Jean-Marie Massaud (France), plus many others.

Products can also be ordered online and delivered to your home.