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This brand-new tableware collection depicts a fantastic, fascinating world with the extravagant, hyper-colourful refinement that is the brand’s hallmark
by Marta Bernasconi
a Double J was founded in 2015 in Milan by JJ Martin, a journalist and collector born in Los Angeles with a flair for uncovering the finest vintage pieces and new creative talent. The brand’s initial focus was on clothing and vintage jewellery but after a few years it expanded to cater for complete lifestyle. It draws inspiration from just about everything – so long as it’s not minimal - and includes archive prints, rare vintage pieces with images evoking untamed worlds depicted in a riot of joyful colours. The recent launch of the Flora & Fauna tableware line is a further step forward along this creative path, guided by a high-
The La Double J’s latest collection is called Flora & Fauna and enlivens the table with a series of mystical and bucolic symbols, riotously colourful and drawn together in intricate compositions
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The quality of the collection is expressed through the materials, like porcelain edged in 18-carat gold, 100% linen fabrics, and meticulous artisanal production carried out by a network of Italian collaborators
spirited imagination. Illustrations by the Romanian artist Aitch, creator of the murals in the Milanese store, interpret a mystical, transcendental dimension through the lens of the surreal. The elaborate composition with symbols ranging from the mystical to the bucolic complement porcelain and fabric elements to create table arrangements that are impossible to ignore. The beauty of the plates, glasses, tablecloths and aprons is also reflected in the making of these products. The pieces in the La DoubleJ collection are entirely Italian-made, and in acknowledgement of the artistic value and quality of local artisanal skills they are produced by established collaborators. One of these is Verona-based Ancap, which creates, fires several times and finally hand finishes 18-carat gold-edged porcelain pieces, offered in sets of two or six in flat, dish or bowl versions. There is also an extensive fabric collection, with tablecloths, place mats and pure linen aprons produced on the shores of Lake Maggiore. A collection that once again displays the brand’s flair and inspiration – maximalism expressed through shapes and colours that communicate harmony and the sheer joy of living. www.ladoublej.com
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