One day, Adelaide and Enrico Astori appeared in my studio with a proposal to design something for Driade, the very prestigious Milanese company of which they were both the owners and the soul. They really liked my work, and if they hadn’t contacted me sooner, it was because they feared I might work exclusively with BD.

As they really liked the Metalástica –they regretted not being able to produce it themselves– they commissioned me to create another outdoor chair. The overwhelming success of my first chair, the Varius, led every manufacturer to request more chairs from me. I wanted to design telephones, televisions, or surgical instruments… but they commissioned me chairs. It was like an actor who, having succeeded in a gangster role, cannot escape it.

In addition, I aimed not to repeat myself and to design a different chair each time. In this case, I wanted to take advantage of Driade’s interest in producing in the East, specifically in the Philippines, to envision a wicker seat. Wicker is a delightful material, but it deteriorates under rain and sun. That’s why the notable success of the Abanica was as an indoor chair. Oh, and it stacked too!

(Out of production)