Draga & Aurel is a multidisciplinary design studio located in Como, Italy. Draga and Aurel approached me to collaborate on a illustrated biography they created to tell the story of the studio’s history, and of their own journey as designers and as a couple.
These illustrations are paired with text written by Draga and Aurel, and were used to create a booklet in print format for the studio’s clientele and on their website. Additionally, they asked me to draw a series of 3 separate illustrations to represent their three main furniture collections - Transparency Matters, Heritage, and Deshabille.
These illustrations aim to convey the truest sense of their accomplishments as a practice and tell their love story of art, design, Italy and each other.
Draga likes to read novels, listen to italian singer songwriters, and start her day with a coffee or two. Aurel likes to read essays, listen to Rolando Bruno, and start his days with the Five Tibetan Rites and a cold shower.
But even more than percussion, Aurel likes drums: a solitary drummer, self-taught by his own method, he seeks emotions in the rhythm.
At flea markets, they found the items from which their first line of vintage furniture arose. In Como’s abandoned industrial areas, they discovered surprising complicity in salvaging treasures hidden in chests of fabrics, documents, and materials. Together with a group of the cities artists, they paved the way for the industrial style
Even today there are clear traces of their original activities; firstly, the craftsmanship that makes each product unique, secondly the artistic approach that fuels their manufacture.
Draga embraces design. She likes to shape, experiment, conduct research, develop the concept of transparency, dye resin, cast concrete, sculpt brass, and translate her moods into colours.
Aurels paints. He likes to range from the abstract to textural, expanding to action painting, carrying out artistic performances on canvas, completeing his work with a glossy finish, and translating his meditation into works of art. Between these two worlds - pure energy
In between collaborations with Baxter, Anthropology, Wall&Deco, and most recently, Visionaire, they’ve made a peresonal collection called Transparency matters. They’ve also gained a growing awareness of being able to be designers and editors “seeing things in the things” - the potential hidden in an object
Transparency Matters
The most recent capsule collection reflects the use of transparent materials as well as a deeper exploration of what transparency can mean in art and design.
Inspired by the Minimalism’s simplified volumes, retro-futuristic experimentation of Space Age design and the eye-bending patterns of Optical Art, Draga & Aurel have brilliantly synthesized these varied influences to build an all-new collection, entirely fabricated by hand in their Como atelier.
Working with coloured resin, bronze, brass, cast glass and vintage furniture in an inspired mineral palette, the duo has designed all-new seating, tables, lighting, bookshelves, desks and room dividers that span both indoor and outdoor.
heritage
Draga & Aurel were always been passionate about re-working second-hand furniture.
Understanding potential and imagining how each piece could become, they collect items from local thrift shops and markets. They then carefully study every detail of each piece to maximize its design.
Their combined range of skills and past experiences in fashion, textiles, art, and graphic design allows them to broaden the techniques and tools they use to screen printing, embroidery, and resin covering, among others.
Understanding potential and imagining how each piece could become, they collect items from local thrift shops and markets. They then carefully study every detail of each piece to maximize its design.
Their combined range of skills and past experiences in fashion, textiles, art, and graphic design allows them to broaden the techniques and tools they use to screen printing, embroidery, and resin covering, among others.
Thanks to their artistic approach to materials and composition, Draga & Aurel reinvent furniture to produce one-of-a-kind pieces.
The Heritage collection is crafted by hand with no detail overlooked. Each item is original and exclusive: hand-printed, painted, and restored in the Como atelier.
Deshabille
C'est le courage qui compte!
The courage to undress, to reveal what once upon a time was imperatively covered, to let see "under the dress" the beauty of many ancient knowledge from the upholsterer to the fustian, from the hemp cavas, to the little butterflies of the capitonné and make the ancient disused armchairs the main characters of the living room, again.
The courage to undress, to reveal what once upon a time was imperatively covered, to let see "under the dress" the beauty of many ancient knowledge from the upholsterer to the fustian, from the hemp cavas, to the little butterflies of the capitonné and make the ancient disused armchairs the main characters of the living room, again.
The Déshabillé armchairs played a leading role at the beginning of Draga & Aurel’s creative journey, which has long been characterized by creativity, a passion for vintage, and experimentation. Thanks to their backgrounds in fashion, textiles, and art, and like true design couturiers, Draga & Aurel reinterpreted old, salvaged items, giving them a new life.
The Déshabillé were created by literally “undressing” the original armchairs and applying “ruined” fabrics and decorative graphics, such as phrases, proverbs, or simple lettering. Distinguished by a worn and seductive look, these unconventional armchairs are silent “messengers” that reveal hidden phrases, describe the charm of the 1800s, and unveil the craft skills of upholsterers and fustians.
Handcrafted in the Atelier in Como, each piece is unique and it has a Certificate of Authenticity.
