Odo Fioravanti: Armure

“In all things of nature there is something of the marvellous” reminds us Aristotle.

It is in the detail of a flower or fruit that the most unexpected shapes hide, ready to be caught by a curious and original glimpse. In Armure, the first clutch by Maison 203 designed by Odo Fioravanti this unconventional observation of nature turns into a project intuition which results in a crossover between geometrical and organic shapes, between technological execution and natural inspiration.

What underlies the project is a botanical survey, and more specifically a study of the cypress fruit: the small spherical pinecones are characterised by a hidden soul, on which raised scales seem to float, as plates of a wooden armour separated by thin gaps. This spurred the idea of using round shapes, almost suspended over an inner volume, that reminds of the structure of a pinecone. “The two overlapping layers create a depth effect” – the designer esplains – “and the clutch is reinforced by this gentle elastic armour, a sort of exoskeleton made possible by the versatility of the 3-D printed.” The delicate outer armour, thanks to the system of protruding plates, hides the opening, fitted with a handy magnet-based system: thus, the clutch – wholly made of sintered nylon – looks like a perfect shell, a small ripe fruit that turns into a woman’s accessory with a strong aesthetical impact. A thin chain completes the bag, allowing it to be used also as a shoulder bag.

Armure clutch
Design: Odo Fioravanti
Producer: Maison 203