Enveloped by the charm of furniture that reveals scrupulous formal refinement, the New York showroom of Janus et Cie at 221 East 59th Street, in the design district of Manhattan, a stone’s throw from Madison Avenue, is a stage of unique elegance, punctuated by elements for the outdoors that narrate the vision of its founder, Janice Feldman, and her passion for beauty and perfection.
A brand that since 1978, the year of its establishment, has always been a leader in exterior design, now part of the Poltrona Frau Group together with the best-known brands in the design culture: Poltrona Frau, Cassina and Cappellini. And like the Roman god Janus, from which the brand takes its name – the two-faced deity who looks both to the future and the past – Janus et Cie is a synthesis of tradition and the avant-garde, rooted in its cultural and craftsmanship heritage, but interested in experimentation and innovation.
And it is in this sophisticated scenario that the brand celebrated its 40th Anniversary in New York, with an intimate and sophisticated party. An exceptional guest, Alberto Zontone – partner in the life and work of Patricia Urquiola – gave a preview of the new 2019 Spring collection, imagined by one of the most acclaimed designers in the world. “Anatra” – from the shape of the armrest that recalls the morphology of the bird’s beak – is characterised by a particular weaving technique, a weave so light as to seem semi-transparent, that envelopes the structure, creating a new bond between the solid parts and the soft parts.
“I wanted to try and find the perfect balance between lightness and durability – explains Urquiola – to translate the concept of comfort into generous and enveloping seating.” The unique expertise of Janus et Cie is also revealed in an exclusive collaboration with the Cassina brand and its Outdoor Collection: a selection of furnishings from the LC collection, designed in 1927 by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand, is now expanded with new colours and finishes, into a new, exciting chapter. Finally, attracted by the folding chair designed in 1939 by Charlotte Perriand, founder Janice Feldman has imagined this icon of design in a new creative and contemporary dimension, moulding it with recyclable and sustainable materials. In an exquisite harmony between tradition and new avant-garde.
Janus et Cie
221 East 59th Street – New York
www.janusetcie.com
