When rain set out to create their own smartphone, they investigated how to make the latest technology accessible and affordable for everyday South Africans. The result is LoopPhone, designed in partnership with Loop Design Lab (LoopDL), an industry-leading team of engineers and designers.

LoopDL designs hardware, software and connectivity to work together from the start, and LoopPhone is built from that philosophy. Packed with premium hardware and all the features to rival any modern smartphone, the high-spec LoopPhone runs exclusively on rain’s national 4G & 5G network.

beautiful, both sides

The Glance Display is designed to keep you informed without pulling you in, with everything you need one glance away. Identify a song playing nearby, show live scores for your favourite teams, play quick games, control your music and create tailored QR cards for your colleagues, friends or family. All without using the main screen.

a whole new side to your phone

Most phones entrust selfies to a smaller front camera. With LoopPhone, the Glance Display works as a live viewfinder so you can frame the shot yourself and use the 200MP main camera, with its 1/1.56″ sensor and f/1.88 aperture, taking your selfie game to the next level.

bigger battery, same slim design

The battery follows the same practical thinking. A 7,000mAh silicon-anode battery fits more capacity into less space, so LoopPhone stays slim without giving up power. When you do need a top-up, 45W fast charging gets you going again quickly.

high spec software & performance-led hardware

There’s a 6.83″ AMOLED display at 120Hz, Android 16 with Google Gemini built in, fingerprint and face unlock, tap to pay with NFC, eSIM and IP64 dust and splash resistance. LoopPhone comes in your choice of blue, burgundy, lilac and grey, with a colour-matched soft-touch cover in the box.

unlimited where you work, live, and travel

rain’s unlimited mobile plans give you data where you use it most, on a month-to-month basis. Unlimited data changes how you use your phone. You can stream the whole match, video call without stressing about running out of gigs, and be online as much as you need without checking your balance.

rain’s proprietary smartswitching technology detects whether you’re inside your chosen unlimited area and applies your City, Province or Countrywide plan without you changing a setting.

LoopPhone is free-to-use on unlimited mobile from R595pm, or for R995 on rainOne unlimited for unlimited home wifi on the101 smart router and unlimited mobile in one plan.

Join SA’s unlimited network at rain.co.za.

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WORDS Palesa Mohola PHOTO Supplied

High-performance functionality meets luxury with the Vincent outdoor sofa – a supremely comfortable modular sofa system created to be a true lounge floater. Staying close to their Danish roots, founders Christian and Cathrine Rudolph and their team designed a sofa that presents a beautiful architectural contrast: a rounded aluminium frame for structure and plush cushions for comfort, prioritising durability without sacrificing style.

The Vincent is designed with convenience in mind – the included fittings allow you to securely attach the modules and just as easily take them apart to rearrange as you please, enabling a seamless transition from hosting a large gathering to creating an intimate nook. The series is available in two OEKO-TEX® 100-certified colourways, both made from easy-to-maintain polyester with exceptional wear resistance, weather resistance and colourfastness.

The colourways available in this series:

Martinique: A classic outdoor textile featuring a finely woven texture that delivers a beautifully natural look. The enduring beige tone is inspired by the soft, sandy hues of the beach, offering a versatile foundation for any outdoor aesthetic.

Sandshell: A bright, inviting textile woven from a blend of off-white and beige yarns. This combination creates a sophisticated marled effect that evokes the sun-soaked sandy beaches along the Danish west coast. Sandshell strikes a harmonious balance between natural beauty and rugged functionality, making it the perfect choice for a stylish, hard-wearing outdoor sanctuary. | sofacompany.co.za

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WORDS Palesa Mohola PHOTOS Supplied

A new space with an old soul opens at Die Handelshuis, a historic community hub, retail space and lifestyle destination in the Western Cape, with an old-town feel and surrounded by lush gardens and greenery.

“Our Hatfield Street store has a more eclectic, contemporary city feel, while the Oranjezicht City Farm Market store is all about the energy of the market,” explains Nathalie, founder and Chief Creative Director of Chommies. “Simondium needed to feel like it belonged in the Winelands. It’s somewhere you can stretch your legs and explore. Dogs included, of course.”

The area’s sense of history and character was what captivated Nathalie, so the idea was to embrace the attributes of the Winelands while introducing the brand’s distinctive approach to colour, creativity and craftsmanship. The Chommies team – Devon Bräsler, Design Lead on the creative vision; Natasha Kurten, Head of Sales with hands-on support; and Nathalie’s brother Gideon, a carpenter worked alongside Danie Steenkamp, landscape architect and property owner, to bring the space to life.

“We’ve always wanted this to be a place to celebrate local businesses, but it felt like one crucial element was missing: dogs,” says Danie. “Chommies felt like a natural fit, not only because of its appreciation for design and craft, but because we share the belief that spaces should bring people together. We wanted to create somewhere that feels like a community, and having Chommies here is a wonderful part of that.”

This new journey began by drawing inspiration from Die Handelshuis, paying close attention to the architecture and the gardens – a process that led to carefully selected details that feel at home in the space. What followed was the structure itself: using aged timber and traditional farm-style fittings, the store looks as though it has always existed there.

“We wanted to create something that respected what was already here,” explains Nathalie. “Of course, it still had to feel unmistakably Chommies, so we brought in our colour and creativity and, naturally, kept the dog in mind as our most important customer. The space itself is quite understated, which allows the products and all the work that goes into making them to really stand out.”

Inside the store,  vintage frames were sourced and filled with historical dog paintings from the Rijksmuseum’s open collection; simplicity and character were prioritised when selecting the furniture and fittings, with most pieces sourced locally and from neighbouring Businesses.

Chommies at Die Handelshuis is a place where dogs and their people are encouraged to make themselves at home. chommies.com | @chommiescom

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WORDS Steve Smith PHOTOS Supplied

Little over 74 years ago the very first Bentley R-Type Continental was delivered to a no-doubt delighted customer, who could proudly lay claim to owning the fastest four-seater in the world. With only 208 produced, R-Type Continental would become one of the most celebrated models in the storied marque’s lineage, establishing the grand touring DNA for generations of Continentals.

The car on these pages is the latest incarnation in that proud history. Launched in 2024, it represents a return to its design roots, being the first mainstream Bentley with single headlamps since that iconic 1950s R-Type Continental. The model we drove is the one you see on these pages: the Azure spec. And while it’s still eye-wateringly quick, thanks to a 500kW hybrid powertrain that will propel it to 270km/h, this Continental GT Azure prioritises the wellbeing and comfort of its occupants. Basically, it’s the “wellness spec”.

So what does that mean? First, the car’s drive systems are marginally more zen than its racehorse siblings’, with a focus more on ride quality than handling sharpness. Visually, it offers a more classic, elegant material palette versus the darker, sport-oriented finishes found on performance-focused models. More luxury lounge, in other words.

The front seats get Bentley’s most advanced comfort package as standard, with heating, ventilation, massage, Postural Adjust (micro-adjustments via air bladders to reduce fatigue), and Seat Auto Climate (automatic temperature and humidity management). The Azure also places unusual emphasis on passenger wellbeing with an enhanced air-filtration system, and CO2 concentration monitoring and display – features rarely highlighted in performance-oriented derivatives.

Whichever spec you choose – and there are several – one thing that doesn’t change is that distinctive Bentley DNA. The brand produces vehicles that turn heads and transform turning up into an art form. Bentley calls it “success by design”, and Bentley calls it “success by design”, and by that they mean focusing on elements that make a car a Bentley. And who better to flesh out those principles than head of design Robin Page?

“Our first principle is that every Bentley has a stance of a resting beast,” says Robin. “Second is the upright elegance. Third, a Bentley has exceptional performance and a powerful powertrain, indicated by the endless bonnet line. The new GT’s more modern design uses single oval lamps intersected by a striking eyebrow feature, giving the car’s face a focused expression.”

I like to think of this Azure as focusing on the sketch its owner has made of a new house in Higgovale, nestled in the shadow of Table Mountain. It’s the Continental GT spec best understood as the “architect’s Bentley”. Looking down its nose at the crassness of visual aggression and outright performance, it prioritises material richness, occupant wellbeing, ride comfort and long-distance travel. In design terms, it’s the most sophisticated and understated spec in the Continental GT range. | bentleymotors.com

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WORDS Martin Jacobs PHOTOS Lillie Thompson, Alice Rosati, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna, Jason Varney, Daniele Molajoli, Rob Whitro, Valerie Sadoun, Supplied

Hers was the original restaurant interior to break the internet: a pink-on-pink masterclass that, to this day, remains one of the world’s most recognisable restaurants – one that was instrumental in defining Millennial pink. Yet for all its cultural impact, India Mahdavi’s design for London’s The Gallery at Sketch was never intended to be permanent. Conceived as a temporary installation that would off er a hyper-feminine take on traditionally masculine brasseries, the project was expected to remain in place for two years. “I conceived the room as a monumental, windowless cube submerged entirely in a single Hollywood pink, with no relief, no interruption, no place for the eye to rest except on the pink itself,” she says. “I had Stanley Kubrick and David Lynch somewhere in the back of my mind – that quality of uncanny immersion, spaces that feel slightly more real than reality.” Her design remained in place for eight years, transforming from a playful experiment in colour into one of the most iconic interiors of its generation.

India’s own path was similarly unplanned: she never set out to become an architect or interior designer. Born in Tehran to an Iranian father and Egyptian mother, India spent her childhood moving between countries, relocating to Cambridge, Massachusetts, then Heidelberg, Germany, followed by the south of France. “To grow up nomadic is to grow up without the comfort of the self-evident. You cannot take a culture for granted when you’re always arriving into someone else’s,” she says. “That condition sharpens the eye enormously – you learn to read a room before you can read a sentence, to decode the visual grammar of a place out of necessity. In that sense, being a foreigner was my first design education.”

She credits both her heritage and this upbringing for her enduring love of colour, recalling the visual exuberance of 1960s America as formative. “Cambridge felt saturated with colours and joy – Bugs Bunny, Mary Poppins, pop culture in full Technicolor bloom. For a child who had no fixed identity yet, that saturation was liberating. Colour was a kind of belonging that didn’t require a passport.” With the family’s move to Heidelberg came change. “Almost overnight, the world turned to black and white. I understood then what colour does to a human being – what its absence costs – and I’ve been recovering that first chromatic joy ever since. I think that’s what drives everything I make.”

Drawn to filmmaking, she instead enrolled to study architecture at Paris’s École des Beaux-Arts before moving to New York, where a growing interest led her to study graphic, product and furniture design at Parsons School of Design, Cooper Union and the School of Visual Arts. By the time she returned to Paris to join Christian Liaigre’s studio, and in 2000 establish her own, the foundations of the multidisciplinary approach for which she is known were already in place.

More than a quarter of a century later, India is considered the undisputed queen of colour. Whether in Paris, Rome, Berlin or London, or in cities further afield – like Tokyo, Mexico City and Melbourne – her interiors possess a recognisable visual language, defined by bold chromatic juxtapositions and an understanding of emotionally comforting atmosphere. “I think of colours as characters in a room who must negotiate their coexistence: they can argue, they can clash, they can create tension, and through that tension arrive at something alive,” she says. “A room where every colour agrees is a room where nothing is being said.”

India’s approach to colour is multifaceted and relational. She believes that a colour can only become itself in the presence of another (three is her minimum combination). She never approaches colour in a fearful manner. “Courage with colour is not about “Courage with colour is not about loudness – it’s about commitment. You must be willing to add when you think there is already enough, and then add once more,” she says. And for India, colour never travels alone. “I use texture as colour, and pattern as light. The two are inseparable for me: a rough linen and a polished lacquer placed against each other produce a chromatic effect as powerful as any pigment.”

Her chromatic confidence extends to her extensive work in furniture design and brand collaborations. She has partnered with luxury houses – Dior, Louis Vuitton and Guerlain – as well as with design-led brands such as Bisazza, de Gournay and Pierre Frey, and household names like H&M Home and Nespresso. Across these collaborations, she’s consistently treated colour not as surface decoration but as a sensory and emotional language.

Described as a visionary, she’s responded, “I feel the sign of the times before other people.” Her interiors for The Gallery at Sketch speak to this talent, as does her sidetable-cum-stool, the Bishop. Deriving its form from a barstool she designed for a New York nightclub in 1999, 27 years later the Bishop remains India’s bestselling product, selling on average one per day. “What has given it longevity is that it is fundamentally one form – a single continuous gesture – that changes entirely at different scales, and in different materials and colours,” she says. “It is a chameleon, which is why it has found its way into so many contexts: as a sidetable, as a stool, in ceramic, in lacquer, now in 20 colours. An object that adapts without losing its identity is a rare thing. Most design ages because it is too specific to a moment. The Bishop has no moment – it has only a character.”

India describes both her interiors and her objects as couture pieces – singular creations that are shaped by context. It is a philosophy that has defined her career. As she once joked in an interview at Stockholm Furniture Fair, reflecting on the enduring legacy of The Gallery at Sketch, “Pink owes me, I think!” This it does – because few designers have done more to shape the way colour is experienced in contemporary interiors than India Mahdavi. | india-mahdavi.com

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In contemporary design, surfaces have become a language and materials a mode of expression. With Total Mattness, Smeg explores the matt finish as an aesthetic expression of contemporary living – one that transforms light into atmosphere, colour into character and everyday spaces into deeply sensory experiences. By absorbing and softly diffusing reflections, matt surfaces reveal depth of colour while gently emphasising form, volume and geometry. Their tactile quality brings warmth, intimacy and a sense of enveloping comfort to the home.

At the heart of Total Mattness are three essential principles: nature as a universal visual reference, material as a tactile experience and colour as a generator of atmosphere. Each shade becomes a landscape in its own right – a harmonious composition of tones, textures and moods with the power to shape the identity of a space.

Colour and finish have long been central to Smeg’s design personality. By carrying the same matt language across small and large appliances, Total Mattness allows individual products to be read as part of an interior composition. No longer just functional additions, appliances become protagonists that can anchor a kitchen, shape its atmosphere and create a sense of visual coherence throughout the home. In dialogue with wood, stone, steel and textiles, Smeg’s matt finishes move effortlessly between minimalist, contemporary and more industrial interiors. Rich yet balanced, they add quiet sophistication to architectural lines and material contrasts.

Global Collection, Local Availability

Across the globe, Total Mattness brings a tactile colour language to much-loved small appliances and large-appliance designs, including the iconic retro refrigerator range. Soon, Smeg’s signature Portofino cooker will join the collection in all six matt shades, uniting technological prowess with colour, materiality and a commanding design presence at the heart of the kitchen. For those creating a kitchen without compromise, selected matt large appliances can also be sourced to order where possible. Visit smeg.com/za to view colours and products available in South Africa, including new arrivals and special-order possibilities.

6 Colours, 6 Design Worlds

From light and earth to sea and sky, six colour stories come together in one beautifully considered matt world. Each colour draws on its own visual landscape and defining characteristics, revealing the depth of the collection through natural inspiration, material character and a distinctive emotional atmosphere.

• Moonlight: A neutral matt shaped by natural light
• Storm Blue: A matt tribute to nature’s majesty
• Amber Clay: The warmth of earth, revealed in matt
• Emerald Green: A vibrant matt inspired by living nature
• Black Matt: A magnetic matt defined by pure darkness
• White Matt: A matt expression of natural balance

Choosing a shade is only the beginning. Colour, light and material come together to shape atmosphere, evoke emotion and give every space its own identity.

MOONLIGHT: A neutral matt shaped by natural light

Moonlight is Smeg’s interpretation of the contemporary neutral – a matt yet luminous shade with a warm undertone, shaped by the gentle movement of natural light. Its soft, tactile finish brings a sense of lightness, revealing subtle depth without visual noise. Calm, versatile and quietly sophisticated, Moonlight allows light and surface to meet in a delicate balance that evokes serenity and harmony. All-embracing and highly adaptable, it moves effortlessly between materials, finishes and design choices, evoking luminous landscapes and surfaces shaped and softened by time, and creating environments that feel harmonious, continuous and designed to transcend passing seasons. In conversation with pale woods, natural stone, softly veined marble and tactile textiles, Moonlight creates an atmosphere that feels warm and grounded rather than stark – an effortless foundation for contemporary living.

Across Smeg’s small appliances – from the toaster and kettle to the filter coffee machine – Moonlight becomes part of a home’s daily rhythm. Present from the break of day, its calming palette transforms familiar morning routines into small rituals of comfort and wellbeing. Moonlight retro refrigerators bring the same seamless visual harmony to the kitchen, studio or office: distinctive yet understated, they shape the atmosphere with a sense of order, calm and familiar comfort.

MARC-ANTHONY HEWSON, interior designer and owner of LIM furniture and homeware store, on how warm matt neutrals or a soft matt white can create both a sense of stillness and tonal depth:

“The key is to work with the light rather than trying to compete with it. In South African homes, where the quality of natural light can change dramatically throughout the day, warm matt neutrals such as beige, tan and cream can create a sense of calm while still giving the eye something to explore. The matt finish is particularly important because it absorbs and softens light rather than reflecting it harshly. As the light moves through a space, those subtle undertones reveal themselves differently – warmer in direct sunlight; softer and more enveloping in shadow. That creates tonal depth without relying on strong contrast.

“For me, the real depth comes from layering texture and tone – pairing matt painted surfaces with timber, linen, stone, woven fabrics or ceramics. Even within a restrained, neutral palette, the different surfaces will respond differently to changing light. The result is a space that feels still and considered, but continues to evolve naturally throughout the day, rather than ever feeling sterile.”

EMERALD GREEN: A vibrant matt inspired by living nature

Emerald Green brings the vitality of nature into contemporary interiors. Rich tones and velvety textures shape spaces that feel immersive, elegant and alive. Inspired by forests, botanical shades and organic textures, its soft matt finish creates an enveloping depth of colour and a seamless connection between interior spaces and the living world beyond. Expressive and restorative in equal measure, Emerald Green creates an emotional atmosphere filled with depth and natural harmony. In dialogue with greenery, timber, natural stone and darker contrasting surfaces, it brings vibrant elegance and sensory depth to everyday spaces.

STORM BLUE: A matt tribute to nature’s majesty

Inspired by the strength of the sea and the depth of the sky, Storm Blue brings the intensity of the natural world into contemporary interiors. Its matt surface absorbs light to reveal a rich, enveloping depth of colour, lending definition to architectural forms while retaining an unexpected softness. Intense but beautifully considered, Storm Blue achieves a balance between strength, softness and elegance. The shade introduces character without overwhelming a space, and when paired with stone, dark timber, brushed metal and lightly textured surfaces, it creates interiors with a strong visual identity – at once dramatic, atmospheric and composed.

MARIELISE VAN DER MERWE, architect known for bold design that’s also deeply attuned to its landscape and the natural environment:

“Colour should be a central point of consideration in design. I concur with Luis Barragán (the master when it comes to colour) that it shouldn’t be a decoration but as essential to the being of a space as the structural design and layout. Colour evokes emotions and perceptions that otherwise couldn’t be triggered. The use of blue, for instance, in the coastal houses I’ve designed subconsciously evokes a feeling of peace and tranquillity, hinting at the sky and the sea outside. The blue has a different intensity as the light moves through the building from morning to evening, and contributes to the mood of the day, shaping the experience of the space. In essence, colour is a powerful tool, giving the architect control over the space designed – but it is often overlooked and underutilised in interior spaces.”

AMBER CLAY: The warmth of earth, revealed in matt

Inspired by red sands, sun-warmed landscapes and surfaces shaped by the elements, Amber Clay captures the raw beauty and material warmth of the earth. Its matt finish transforms surfaces into tactile landscapes of colour, light and matter. Soft, natural undertones give the shade a rich, enveloping depth, shaping spaces with balance, warmth and material character. Grounding yet expressive, Amber Clay creates a sensory world in which every surface contributes to a harmonious and atmospheric whole – where colour becomes emotion and material becomes experience. Set against timber, terracotta, stone and naturally textured finishes, it brings comfort, intimacy and a deeply considered dimension to contemporary interiors.

BLACK MATT: A magnetic matt defined by pure darkness

Black Matt expresses the most essential and sophisticated side of materiality. Deep surfaces and velvety textures give appliances a magnetic presence, bringing strength, clarity and visual purity to a space. Inspired by dark minerals and the striking contrasts found in nature, its matt surface absorbs light and sharpens form. Silhouettes and geometries emerge with sculptural intensity, creating a bold atmosphere in which light and materiality interact with timeless elegance. In dialogue with dark stone, elegant marble, light granite, steel and textured architectural surfaces, Black Matt introduces depth and definition to modern interiors. Bold without becoming overpowering, it transforms familiar appliances into a refined design statement.

HENDRE BLOEM, architectural and interior designer who drew on an earthy, tactile palette of terracotta, rust and clay tones, paired with black steel and bold Brutalist forms, for a home he designed in Prince Albert:

“The terracotta and clay tones bring warmth, and an earthiness that makes the spaces feel grounded and intimate. In a matt finish, these colours absorb light, giving them a softer, almost elemental quality. Deep black matt does the opposite: it adds weight, contrast and gravitas, reinforcing the Brutalist forms without feeling cold. This picks up on architectural details such as the steelwork and fenestration.

“Tactility is equally important. I love surfaces that reveal texture and imperfection, and invite you to touch them. When colour becomes part of a tactile surface, it moves beyond decoration – it becomes something you experience through light, shadow and touch.”

WHITE MATT: A matt expression of natural balance

Inspired by light sands, soft clouds and the quiet luminosity of the natural world, White Matt is a shade defined by purity, balance and restraint. Its matt finish turns light into a harmonious sensory experience, allowing subtle volumes and contours to emerge. Pure surfaces and balanced tones bring brightness and visual calm to the home, creating an atmosphere of understated elegance. Informed by natural light and essential textures, White Matt reveals spaces in which simplicity becomes a design language. Combined with pale timber, natural stone, brushed metal and tonal surfaces, it creates interiors that feel open, timeless and sophisticated.

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WORDS Neyani Mphephu PHOTOS Supplied

Founded in 2015 by designer Joanina Pastoll, Studio Stirling works in steel and leather, producing chairs that are as much sculpture as seating. Today, Joanina’s legacy is carried by Adelle Wapnick, her business partner of two decades.

Joanina and Adelle co-founded the award-winning design agency Cross Colours. After Joanina’s passing, Adelle took over Studio Stirling in 2024. Joanina’s contribution was the original designs; Adelle’s focus is on building the business, ensuring consistent production standards and growing the studio’s international reach.

“Joanina had the eye. She could see a chair in a basket or a pattern in a photograph that nobody else would notice. My part is making sure that her vision can travel and be realised: her designs in spaces all over the world, made exactly as she intended,” says Adelle.

Joanina came to furniture after a long career working with pattern and image. The shift was one of medium rather than sensibility: the same eye for geometry, rhythm and repetition found a new outlet in steel. Her mood boards drew on the woven geometry of African baskets and vessels, black-and-white body art, monochrome stripes, sculptural fashion and natural cellular forms such as bubbles and seed heads – references that move between the man-made and the natural. She translated these references into hanging chairs that read as line drawings: curves and patterns rendered in bent metal.

The Metal Collection comprises chairs built on curved, open frames. The Recliner rises in a crescent; the Nest Egg opens like a shell. Each frame carries a pattern: The Lined runs across the chair like thread; the Circle recalls microscopic cells; and the Twig is reminiscent of a tree in the wind. The open frames cast shadows that become part of the line art of each piece – a second pattern that shifts with the light.

Joanina later extended the same thinking to leather. The Sling Collection takes a quieter approach. Each sling is a single sweep of leather draped over a steel frame, shaping itself around the person sitting in it. Designed for indoor use, the slings bring warmth and texture to lobbies, entrance halls, living rooms, bedrooms and studies.

Adelle has chosen to keep all production in South Africa, where a team of craftspeople bend, weld, stitch and finish each chair by hand.

“Handmade is the true luxury now. Every chair we sell keeps skilled people working here, and that matters to me as much as the design does,” says Adelle.

The chairs work as single statement pieces, but they are often installed in groups. Clients hang rows of metal chairs along terraces and pool decks, or pairs of leather slings in living spaces. Wherever they end up, the effect is the same: a moment of stillness, a floating sensation and the quiet disbelief of sitting only a few centimetres above the ground. | studiostirling.com

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WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Eller Studio, Alessandra Mustilli, ATLANTE Design, Gina Dionisio

Naples is a city like no other. Beyond its celebrated food, archaeological riches and proximity to the Amalfi Coast, it has a frenetic creative energy of its own: spontaneous, contradictory, constantly inventive and inseparable from the city’s layered history.

This energy directly inspired Emilia Petruccelli and Domitilla Dardi to create EDIT Napoli. They didn’t want a fair focused on trends; instead, they envisaged a platform centred on authorial design, community and connection – one that encourages design to leave its conventional spaces and create new relationships between contemporary ideas and a deeply rooted cultural landscape.

The eighth edition of EDIT Napoli, which took place from 9 – 11 October, found a fitting home in La Santissima, a former 16th-century convent whose frescoed archways provided the perfect backdrop for this year’s theme – “Where Design Shapes” – highlighting the making processes that shape design and the relationships that nurture it.

Here, across three sections – Main, Seminario and Camera con Vista – 80 international designers exhibited pieces ranging from furniture and lighting to textiles, tiles and objets d’art.

Below, we spotlight a selection of Italian designers exhibiting at the fair and the pieces that stood out.

Monoferments X Legance

The Tempesta collection by Monoferments, an independent research laboratory of the Milan-based design practice Monostudio, is crafted from trees felled by extreme weather events – transforming loss into a resource and restoring value to timber that would otherwise go to waste.

Its newest addition, Tempesta in Galera – a series of lightning-bolt-shaped stools – was made in collaboration with Legance, an independent Italian law firm, and Monza Prison. Together with carpenters Alberto and Giuseppe Discacciati (DB Arredamenti), Monoferments developed a three-month educational workshop involving inmates in every stage of design and production.

A space for dialogue, learning and human connection, the workshop ensured that each stool is unique – preserving the marks of both the reclaimed material and the people who crafted it. @monoferments | @monostudioassociatimilano

ÚTOL

ÚTOL, a contemporary Italian design studio and artistic workshop by Flavio Rossi and David Romelli, presented Stammtisch and Bufon – two pieces inspired by the folklore of the Dolomites.

Stammtisch, a collection of tables designed in collaboration with Italian architecture studio Scatola Cortese, is based on the Ladin stüa: a communal table that brings people together. The blue references Fassaner Blau – the distinctive cobalt blue of Val di Fassa – while the feet, shaped like an eight-pointed star, nod to the Alpine edelweiss.

The red ceramic drop-shaped charms connect directly to ÚTOL’s Bufon vase collection, inspired by the Ladin carnival character Bufòn – a brazen jester whose elongated nose, tipped with a red charm, is his most recognisable feature. @utol_ceramica | @scatolacortese

Fornace Brioni

Fornace Brioni has been making cotto – traditional handcrafted terracotta made from Po Valley clays – since 1920. The company, now in its fourth generation under Alessio and Alberto Brioni, continually innovates this age-old tradition through collaborations with leading architects, artists and designers.

One of its newest collaborative collections is MICROBIA by Finemateria, which translates the natural shape of microorganisms into a tactile design language. The single biomorphic tile – conceived as a small living organism – multiplies across surfaces like a mosaic, irregular and seemingly in motion. In this process, clay becomes part of the narrative: imperfections, colour variations and textural nuances make every composition unique. @fornacebrioni | @finemateria

CantoMadre

CantoMadre’s sculptural ceramic light, mirror and side table imagine the sea as an acoustic memory.

Inspired by the legend of Parthenope, a mythological siren whose drowned body is said to have formed Naples, designers Denis Bianchini, Roberto De Mattia and Arianna Santoro captured her ‘voice’ through audio recordings made along the shores of the Gulf of Naples. Each recording was then analysed through parametric tools capable of translating the sound waves into three-dimensional geometries.

With the help of the ceramicists at Ceramica Giovanni De Maio, a traditional ceramic studio based in Salerno, the data was transformed into surfaces, volumes and structures, giving rise to a collection in which each object represents a different manifestation of the same invisible presence: the echo of Parthenope’s song. | @canto.madre

Giorgio Bena

Giorgio Bena, an independent furniture maker from Turin whose work bridges product design, interior consultancy and artisanal craftsmanship, presented Decode – a coffee table collection that brings the past and present together in an essential balance.

Decode takes its name from the collection’s central design process: drawing on historical influences – particularly Italian modernism and Space Age lines – and reinterpreting them through a contemporary sensibility in the finishes and details.

While Giorgio is known for working with metal, Decode expands on his signature material palette by introducing wood, bringing with it a sense of warmth and texture. | @giorgio.bena

Officine Salvetti

Officine Salvetti is an atelier built around the legacy and creative vision of sculptor and designer Andrea Salvetti. Based in Tuscany, the atelier crafts high-end metal furniture and sculptures.

Tronchi–Consolle is the latest addition to the Tronchi Collection. The piece underscores the artist’s commitment to experimentation, with a focus on material and technical innovation, while exploring the relationship between tradition and modernity, and between culture and nature – elements that have always distinguished Salvetti’s work.

Made entirely of cast aluminium, it is 100% recyclable and can be endlessly remade without losing its original form or integrity. | @officinesalvetti

Artieri 1895

Fade, by Venice-based studio Zaven for Artieri 1895, took home the award for Best New Design in the Main section at EDIT Napoli 2026.

Forming part of Artieri 1895’s In Between showcase at the fair, the collection of alabaster vases and side tables interpreted the material through an approach that looks beyond the surface: placing the objects’ construction process at the centre of the design.

Rather than being concealed, the joins are made visible through a subtle chromatic veil that traces the edges of the assembled pieces, spreading into the alabaster like a liquid shadow. The naturally translucent material absorbs and diffuses the colour, altering its perception in relation to the light and depth of the stone. @artieri_1895 | @_zaven_

LEFORME Atelier

An interest in modular structures, the play of shadows and chromotherapy led designer Amauta Ciriachi, founder of the Rome-based design studio LEFORME Atelier, to create MODULA: a range of fluid lighting structures that can take on different forms through simple interlocking elements.

Each light can be customised through a choice of base material, fabric cable colour and, of course, the Perspex elements. | @leformeatelier

DLA Design Lab

DLA Design Lab, a Genoese multidisciplinary studio founded by architect and designer Max Dalle Sasse, is known for its innovative custom interiors and furniture collections rooted in Ligurian identity. For EDIT Napoli, the studio unveiled a preview of its new indoor rug collection – a collaboration with graphic designer and street artist Vittorio Rossi – creating a dialogue between two Mediterranean port cities: Genoa and Naples.

Each rug translates Rossi’s graphic language into physical form. The design draws on the historic arcades of Sottoripa in Genoa, reinterpreting their architectural identity through a contemporary visual language: a geometric rhythm of arches and decorative motifs that evokes the interplay of light and shadow typical of arcaded spaces. @dla_design_lab | @_vittorio.rossi

LRA.form

LRA.form, led by designer Laura Cabbia, launched the Wabi Sabi coffee table collection.

Made from Versilys marble, the collection is inspired by a contemporary interpretation of the Japanese aesthetic philosophy of the same name, which celebrates the beauty of imperfection.

The tables – available in Grande and Piccolo – are shaped using water-jet technology: the subtle variations and irregularities generated by the movement and vibrations of the water jet become an integral part of the table’s aesthetic, making each one unique. The collection celebrates the material in its authenticity, transforming what would normally be considered a flaw into a distinctive feature. | @lra.form

Parallelismi

Parallelismi, a new editorial and design platform focused on architecture, interiors and collectable design, founded by Rome-based architect Fabrizia Frezza and her daughter Alessandra Coccia, presented a curated collection of pieces that, at its heart, champions Italian craftsmanship. Among the designs showcased was the Althea seat, a new piece designed by Alessandra.

The design of the Althea seat is based on the idea that a seat can transform to suit the needs of the person using it – not a static object, but an element that adapts to different ways of experiencing a space.

The reclining backrest allows the seat’s configuration to be changed with a simple gesture. When positioned at the centre, it creates two facing seats, encouraging interaction and sharing. When tilted, the seat opens up, changing the way it embraces the body and inviting a more intimate and relaxed experience.

Made through an entirely Italian artisanal supply chain rooted in Campania, the Althea is as much a product of place as it is of process – each piece a quiet reflection of the region’s craft traditions and enduring material intelligence. | @parallelismi.it

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Conceptualised by StudioLandt, Weylandts at Sibaya was conceived as a counterpoint to its lush, vibrant surroundings, offering space to breathe, journey and arrive.

For Weylandts, Sibaya marks a shift in how the brand thinks about retail. “We want our spaces to feel like a world,” says Chris Weylandt. “Whether you’re coming for the architecture, the furniture, or simply to be here, everything should feel like stepping into that world for the first time.” Where past stores served a region, Sibaya has been built as something closer to a landmark: a showroom that stands as proof of what Weylandts believes, before a single word is spoken.

Inspired by the rich diversity of the landscape, the architecture works in contrast to the textures, tones and rhythms of the region. Locally-plentiful materials such as granite and basalt, concrete, sand, sea and sugarcane, were reimagined to showcase the elemental beauty of the land in conversation with the very structure of the showroom.

Sibaya also expands what a Weylandts space can hold. A locally rooted restaurant partner, Shoots & Leaves, brings an integrated cafe and gathering space into the showroom, alongside a boardroom built for local businesses. “Good living was never only about furniture,” says Chris. “It’s about how people gather and connect. We want people to linger, not simply pass through.” The intention is a place people return to, not a one-off stop – measured in relationships rather than transactions.

Sixty years ago, Weylandts began as a workshop built on a belief in honest materials and considered design. Sibaya is the next chapter of that journey, and its biggest step yet. | weylandts.co.za

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At Granger Bay, the Atlantic is an ever-present influence, shaping the atmosphere of the Radisson Collection Hotel, Waterfront, Cape Town – from the way its spaces are experienced to the details that bring the natural world indoors.

Some mornings, the water is calm and silver-grey; on others, mist settles over the bay, softening the horizon. As the seasons shift, so does the light, transforming the colours and character of the coastline. It is this constant evolution that gives the hotel its distinct sense of place, connecting its interiors and experiences to the landscape beyond.

Rather than treating the ocean as a view to admire from a distance, the hotel invites guests to engage with it more closely through thoughtful design details, ocean-inspired artworks, seasonal botanical displays and a dining experience shaped by fire and the sea.

A terrace shaped by the coast

The hotel’s newly refreshed oceanfront terrace brings guests closer to the rhythms of the Atlantic, creating a natural transition between the interior spaces and the coastline beyond.

Designed for lingering, the terrace offers an invitation to settle in and experience the changing atmosphere of Granger Bay. Considered materials and design details complement the coastal setting, while the open-air environment allows the breeze, shifting light and movement of the water to become part of the experience.

The appeal lies in its versatility. An early-morning coffee can become a moment of quiet reflection, while an afternoon might unfold over views of the bay and dolphins moving through the water. As evening approaches, the terrace takes on a different character, offering a place to enjoy a cocktail as the light softens over the Atlantic.

Bringing the natural world indoors

The relationship between the hotel and its surroundings extends into its art collection, where sculpture offers a playful interpretation of the natural world.

Among the works is Minki, a young character created by South African artist Johan Steyn. Guided by curiosity, Minki explores South African landscapes, noticing the animals, birds and smaller details that might otherwise go unseen. The character encourages a closer look at the environment, inviting guests to rediscover the natural world through a sense of wonder.

Seasonal botanical displays further strengthen this connection. Inspired by the landscapes of the Cape, the arrangements introduce natural textures, colours and changing blooms into the hotel’s interiors, creating a subtle dialogue between the outdoors and the spaces within.

An ocean-inspired expression at the table

At Fire & Tide, the connection to the Atlantic finds expression through food. Here, the ocean and the tradition of gathering around a shared table come together in a celebration of fresh seafood, seasonal ingredients and open-fire cooking.

The Saturday lunch experience centres on generous flavours and a relaxed approach to dining. The combination of seafood and live-fire cooking reflects the Cape’s coastal character, with an emphasis on ingredients and the pleasure of sharing a meal.

It is an experience designed to unfold at its own pace, encouraging guests to sit back, savour the food and let the afternoon take shape around the table.

The connection begins earlier in the day, too. Breakfast is served daily from 06:30 to 10:30, with freshly prepared dishes, coffee and views across the bay offering an unhurried start.

Finding Cape Town’s natural rhythm

Beyond the hotel, the Atlantic continues to shape the experience of the city.

A short walk away, the Sea Point Promenade offers a distinctly local perspective on Cape Town’s coastline. Runners, dog walkers, families and friends share the path, while others pause along the way to watch the water, take in the mountain views or simply enjoy the fresh sea air.

For hotel guests, the promenade offers a chance to experience the city without an itinerary. A morning run, an afternoon stroll or a few moments watching the waves become a simple way to reconnect with the landscape.

Back at the hotel, the daily Atlantic Sundowner Ritual, from 17:30 to 18:30, provides another opportunity to pause and take in the coast. The experience is shaped by the ocean in whatever mood it happens to be in.

A stay shaped by a sense of place

In a city as rich in experiences as Cape Town, it is tempting to fill every moment. Yet the Atlantic offers a different perspective – one in which the landscape becomes an invitation to slow down, look more closely and experience a destination through its changing details.

At the Radisson Collection Hotel, Waterfront, Cape Town, this connection is expressed through more than the ocean views. It lives in the design of the spaces, the art and botanicals that bring nature indoors, the flavours served at the table and the simple pleasure of spending time beside the water.

Come for the view, stay for the experience and leave with a deeper connection to Cape Town’s coastal character. | radissonhotels.com

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