Olga Hanono
One of Lladró’s latest collections, Firefly, presents four new designs from its collaboration with Mexican-based interior designer Olga Hanono.
Firefly takes inspiration from the unique light produced by fireflies on warm nights. From floor lamps to wall lamps, pendants, and wireless table lamps, with autonomous lighting and a USB rechargeable system, the composition of colourful porcelain fragments and a lampshade of translucent porcelain or fabric evokes the bioluminescence of the firefly.
darc speaks with Hanono to find out more about her inspirations for the new light fixtures and her collaboration with the decorative porcelain brand. “For me, lighting is something magical. Through the use of lamps, we can transform spaces throughout the day. It is the lighting that makes a space intimate and welcoming, or enigmatic and special.
“I have been designing for over 21 years, and I love to create one-of-a-kind projects where most of the design objects are crafted for a specific space and client. That’s why, when it comes to furniture and lighting, I have created many pieces for private projects,” she says.
“This is my first time collaborating with an international porcelain brand for a lighting collection, where I felt a very interesting and similar creative process between us.
“Lladró is a legend; the brand is a luxury bespoke porcelain manufacturer of the highest quality standards, and that, for me, was a beautiful experience because we brought together our separate wealth of knowledge and contributed it towards a very innovative design. The collaboration was more than fruitful. It was key to evolve together and transform alongside one another,” she continues.
“My inspiration for the Firefly collection was to create a unique art-piece that achieves a timeless sense with its own colour palette and design. It has a very unusual combination and because of its original aesthetic it became a conversation-starter.
“The collection is handmade using porcelain; the richness of every piece creates a bold statement for the eye. The craftsmanship that relied upon the design is amazing.”
Speaking of the colour choices, Honono explains that she chose to create a mix of different metallic pieces alongside her signature colour, teal. In addition to the colour play, she also added a layer of complexity with the various textures.
Working on the products during the international pandemic brought with it some challenges, but overall meant the team became very good at communicating and connecting between Mexico and Spain. The overall design process took just over a year from concept sketches to the final production of the first pieces.
“One of the biggest challenges we faced was that we were unable to visit the production plant in person. We had to ship colour samples from Spain as part of the design process, but thanks to our professional teams we became closer and even more communicative than before,” Hanono explains.
“I love being a part of the new chapter of luxury brands, with my signature artistic approach and my passion for design. I believe that the world is a different place now where people want a real collaboration between different personalities that inspires with real talent and creativity.”
