Tokyo, Japan
Japanese designer Oki Sato of Nendo and Italian design house Paola Lenti present the Hana-arashi collection, that translates to “flower storm,” evoking the image of cherry blossom petals dancing in the wind, featuring organic forms and vibrant colors reminiscent of cherry blossoms.
The Hana-arashi Collection has been recognized for its innovative approach to sustainable design, receiving a 2025 Green Good Design Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
The collection includes a range of furniture and accessories, such as swivel armchairs, poufs, baskets, and lamps, all crafted from Maris mesh fabric.
Maris is a 100% recyclable polypropylene mesh fabric developed by Paola Lenti, known for its durability and water resistance.
The Hana-arashi pieces are constructed by layering and thermally bonding offcuts of Maris fabric, eliminating the need for additional materials like sewing threads or adhesives.
This method not only enhances the structural integrity of the pieces but also creates unique color combinations and textures, making each item one-of-a-kind
The underlying principle of the project consists in joining relatively large offcuts to create a base.
Smaller offcuts that have been previously cut into the same shape, are then welded onto the base.
While enhancing the surface strength, this proceeding allows for the application of textile stamps in the same fabric but in different colour, producing interesting chromatic dialogues and plays of translucency.
The fabric is then softly rolled, with the edges welded together to form a three-dimensional furniture piece, inspired by the armour of the samurai.
Only after having visited Paola Lenti’s headquarters and seen the production processes and understanding the research efforts and the unique savoir-faire that distinguishes the company did Nendo finalise his idea to create objects experimenting with forms and diverse combinations.
Starting from unique fabric remnants with curvilinear form, nendo has carefully shaped them by folding and wrapping them on themselves to create products featuring high aesthetic and design value: it is indeed the nature of the material, moldable and strong at the same time, to determine the form of the object—lamps, poufs, side tables, an armchair, and baskets—without compromising the delicate texture of the fabric and its recyclability.
The structure of the pieces is in gloss-varnished stainless steel, matching the covering in Maris colour.
Project: Hana-arashi Collection
Designers: Nendo
Lead Designer: Oki Sato
Manufacturer: Paola Lenti srl.
Photographers: Sergio Chimenti and Maurizio Natta
