Seletti, the beloved Italian brand renowned worldwide for its figurative design and unconventional way of reinterpreting reality, is set to kick off the activities of Milano Design Week 2024 with SELETTI MARKET, an unprecedented and unpredictable installation at the Rinascente Milan Piazza Duomo, the most historic department store in Milan.
From April 11th to 29th, Seletti will take centre stage on the -1 floor with the reinterpretation of a true 1960s supermarket, fully operational and functional. On its shelves, visitors will find Seletti's best-selling catalog items alongside specially created "fake" products for the installation. Additionally, new products by creative Gianpiero D'Alessandro will be showcased, including the Love Hurts You cactus and the Monster series of melamine tableware.
SELETTI MARKET is a comprehensive project that also involves a distinct visual identity, featuring a logo especially created for the event, shopping bags, and uniforms for the staff.
'The first Italian supermarket opened in Milan in 1957, and a few years later my father, Romano, founded Seletti,'Stefano Seletti, the brand's art director, explains. 'When Rinascente offered us the central area of their basement floor at the Piazza Duomo store, I immediately thought of a space that would evoke that aesthetic. SELETTI MARKET is a fun way to reinterpret the classic elements of the consumer society in which we grew up.'
The shelves of SELETTI MARKET, arranged just like a real supermarket, reflect the over-the-top and decorative world of Seletti in their graphics and colours. Customers can stroll through the aisles with carts and baskets, selecting their favourite products before heading to a real checkout to complete their purchase. In addition to the shelves, a series of refrigerators, similar to those for beverages and frozen goods, will contain unexpected items.
Descending from the ceiling will be a series of signs to enhance the "supermarket" experience: posters replicating the style of discount flyers with dreamlike and surreal photos.
The SELETTI MARKET logo pays homage to the brand's history, as it is the same logo created for the brand's founding in 1964.
In addition to Seletti's best-selling catalogue items, the supermarket will host two new releases being presented for the first time in this setup. It marks a fresh and unprecedented collaboration with Gianpiero D'Alessandro – designer, artist, and graphic designer who has collaborated with some of the world's most renowned brands, in addition to co-founding, alongside Justin Bieber, in 2022, inBetweeners, one of the most significant projects ever undertaken in the realm of NFTs and the metaverse.
Love Hurts You is an art object that doubles as decoration, perfectly in Seletti's style: a cactus with comic-like and almost anthropomorphic forms tenderly embraces a "bandaged" balloon. It's a limited-edition artwork of 999 pieces symbolizing the resilience to reinvest in one's emotions even after a romantic disappointment.
Also by Gianpiero, the Monsters tableware collection is inspired by typical children's party dishes. Made of melamine, lightweight and durable, Monster allows every meal and every celebration to take a nostalgic journey back in time, rediscovering the joy and carefree spirit of childhood.
From Thursday, April 11th to Monday, April 29th, 2024, from 10am to 10pm
Rinascente Milan Piazza Duomo