Home » Mirei Monticelli Employs Special Banaca Fabric in New Collection Ocean Myths

Previously awarded the Special Mention in the Salone Satellite 2019, designer Mirei Monticelli attracted attention in Milan this year with her new collection Ocean Myths.

Milan-based, Filipina designer Mirei Monticelli exhibited her new collection Ocean Myths at the Salone Satellite during Salone del Mobile 2022. Through the use of a special banaca fabric, sourced from the Philippines, the eye-catching lighting products resemble sea spray, crushed shells or waves crashing along the shoreline.

We reached out for more information about the semi-transparent material but the designer wasn’t able to respond. Still, there are colors available on the website where visitors can request samples. The studio works with Banaca fiber, cultivated from the Philippines and woven by a community of weavers found in the province of Bicol. The proceeds of the products go into livelihood development programs for the weavers and their families.

The lighting pieces in the collection Ocean Myths are representative of elements we’d find in the ocean or sea. The centerpiece of the collection is the flowing hanging lamp “Riva”—Italian for ‘shore’—which resembles a wave crashing onto the shore. By using a studied gradient, specific coloring was added to the fabric to strengthen the impression of the last moments of life of the wave, according to the designer, the precise moment when water, air and sand become difficult to distinguish from one another.

Monticelli brought three versions of the Anemone Lamp (2020) to the Salone, of different size, height and colors. This versatile table lamp recalls creatures living on the coral reefs under the surface of the sea.

The table lamp Aphrodite (2022) combines a base made of concrete with a beautifully designed top of Banaca fibers and is a result of an experimental project. This mix of materials is what gives the robustness and stiffness needed for its functionality. Aphrodite is meant to remind us of a shell containing a pearl, that is blossoming to the world – like the Venus of Botticelli.

“I always wanted to make a product with which to experiment different techniques and materials. Playing with the materials that I could easily have in my studio, I obtained this material mix that really satisfied me both in terms of functionality and aesthetics. The fact that this material can be easily colored is another plus to support my design, ” the designer stated in a press release.

In addition to lamps, Isole tables were showcased at Salone Satellite. These tables are made from crushed shells recycled from the food industry. The Isole tables come in a set of 3 nesting tables, each one with a different color – blue, green and red.

Even if it isn’t part of the Ocean Myths collection, she also showcased the Nebula Lamp, the first lamp of the studio. This is in homage to the product that was awarded the Special Mention in the Salone Satellite 2019, and that started Mirei’s career in the design industry.

In fact, Mirei Monticelli had only founded her studio the same year she won the special mention for the Nebula Lamp. After beginning her career as a multidisciplinary designer in the Philippines where she discovered traditional manufacturing, artisanal crafts and production of handmade furniture, she moved to Italy to explore state-of-the-art techniques. She studied at Politecnico di Milano, earning a Masters degree in Design and Engineering in 2017.

Your source of innovation in architecture & design