Words Allison Reiber DiLiegroDate 01 October 2024
If you’re a creator on the island, chances are you already know Chiara Ferrari. The Italian-born designer is the visionary behind 110 Mallorca, a space where creatives, designers, and makers meet to find inspiration and collaborate. After stints at Amanda Levete Architects, Zaha Hadid, and Thomas Heatherwick in London, and Rios in Los Angeles, Chiara moved to Mallorca in 2010. While in Inca, the so-called “city of leather” at the base of the Serra de Tramuntana mountains, she discovered a 1930s-era leather factory, saw its potential, and eventually took on the project as her own. Today, after a major renovation, it’s a reflection of her elegant, streamlined minimalism, featuring pieces from Italian metal furniture company Fantin.
We asked the designer to let us in on some of the artisans and designers making exciting work on Mallorca. “Each of these creatives does one thing, but does it exceptionally,” Chiara says. Here, she shares a few from her list.
Chiara Ferrari, Interior of 110 Mallorca
Chiara Ferrari, Pop-up store design and set up x Not Neutral, LA
Huguet is a family-owned, design-led manufacturing company in the south of Mallorca that specializes in concrete products for interiors—including our own Concepcio by Nobis. “Biel Huguet made a leap forward for the company by branching out of the island and seeking international design and architecture firms, such as Pentagram, to merge local, traditional artisanal techniques with innovative, challenging ideas.” By mixing concrete with reclaimed materials, Huguet offers highly customizable solutions, ranging from tiles to furniture, fittings, and systems.
Left: CAN PA by Jasper Morrison 2 | Right: Hanstiles by Sergison Bates
Huguet collaborates with international design and architecture firms, merging innovation with artisanal expertise
Biel Huguet is the new generation putting the family business on the international stage
Images Baldosas Artà (Alfredo Häberli), Lavabos Recycled Chips Phantera Madrid (Carmen Rebuelta), HuguetxPentagram, Concepcio by Nobis (our database), Baldosas Time Concept Store (Casper Mueller Kneer Architects), Baldosas Camper Barcelona (Tomás Alonso Studio)
As Found is a circular project by architectural and design practice Isla and furniture studio Resmes that gives new life to components found across Mallorca’s recycling facilities. All elements are designed to be easily dismantled and reused, fostering a local circular economy. “This creative collaboration was born at a recent design event, where I challenged them to make a basic kit for outdoor living,” Chiara says. “Their response was to collect and reimagine waste material from local industries to make a bench, a coffee table, a shower, and a lamp. I love the way they re-interpreted found objects, creating a design language rich in poetry and coherency that also emphasizes locality.”
As Found is a collaboration between Marta Colón de Carvajal and Juan Palencia of Isla (front) and Resmes (back)
Images courtesy of Isla + Resmes
The project gives new life to components found across Mallorca’s recycling facilities
Raquel Pou is a glass artist based in Campos, in the south of the island. Working exclusively with recycled glass, Raquel uses ancestral techniques to transform and re-shape a liquid mass into unique pieces that reflect her vision of contemporary objects. “Raquel is a free-spirited glass artist with a great sensibility for shapes and color, breaking the boundary between design and art,” Chiara tells us. Eschewing trends, she follows her own instinct to create an aesthetic that’s totally contemporary. “I find her products timeless and adaptable to any context.”
Raquel uses ancestral techniques to transform and re-shape a liquid mass into unique pieces that reflect her vision of contemporary objects
Images courtesy of Raquel Pou
Paparkone is an award-winning design and ceramics studio in Palma led by Roberto Paparcone. He brings his breadth of talent and passions to every piece he makes. “His expertise in architecture and design comes through the way he curates details in concept and execution, making each piece unique and impeccable, Chiara tells us.” His pieces reflect a deep respect and appreciation for local craftsmanship and Mediterranean landscapes. “His work is special because each piece is evocative of history and traditions and has a personality, a name, and a story."
Roberto personally curates each product, from the concept to the execution and the packaging
Paparkone collaborates with other local makers to create one-of-a-kind pieces
Images courtesy of Paparkone
Based in Llucmajor, Barbara Allain is a textile artist who specializes in quilts. Using recycled textiles, her quilts tell stories of memory, sustainability, and renewal, inviting viewers to find beauty in imperfection and reflect on the value of handicrafts in a contemporary context. “When you look and touch a piece from her, you understand immediately the amount of work behind it,” Chiara says. “I love Barbara’s use of colors and the balance she is able to achieve in her textile compositions. Her power is in the stitching, a media she interprets in different forms: a joint between panels, or a pattern-making tool. She keeps experimenting, and her products are the result of this constant evolution.”
Barbara’s unique approach blends modern methods and inspiration from traditional techniques like Japanese boro and sashiko
Images courtesy of Barbara Allain
Cecilia Sörensen is a Finnish-born designer working and living in the Tramuntana mountains. “Her fashion collections are timeless, contemporary garments, with a twist: Her signature consists in subtle details—sometimes is a fluorescent stitching, other times in the way she puts together panels, creating controlled creases,” Chiara says. “Her best ability is to adapt to any briefs—from fashion to home textiles—and coherently carry her formal language through different media and techniques.” The collection is designed and produced on the island using organic, sustainable materials and aims for quality and fairness in all aspects of production.
Cecilia Sörensen creates beautiful womenswear and design projects for clients in apparel, footwear, and textiles
Images courtesy of Cecilia Sörensen
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