Objects of Desire

Notes on our most coveted art & design pieces and collaborations.

Objects My Dear Mountains Bag by Gaetano Pesce, Bottega Veneta

From 10,000 USD

This week at The Wick Culture, we are looking at the best of Milan Design week (15 to 21 April). Among the most hotly anticipated launches was a limited edition handbag collaboration between the pioneering Italian architect and designer Gaetano Pesce and Bottega Veneta. Pesce created two designs for the Milan-based luxury fashion house, and presented them in a ‘grotto’ installation crafted from resin and textiles. This bag ‘My Dear Mountains’ (an edition of fifteen) evokes Pesce’s watercolour paintings, an effect that was created by applying airbrush to the glossy, Intrecciato bag. The bag is inspired by the mountains near Este, northern Italy, where the 83-year-old Pesce grew up. “It’s an image that is optimistic when we have a reality that is not optimistic at all,” Pesce said.

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Objects Mamma Carafe, La DoubleJ

€690

This stunning hand-blown Murano glass carafe from Milanese label La DoubleJ makes our hearts sing. A standout among the new additions to La DoubleJ’s popular Rigadin homeware collection, the vessel combines practicality, craftsmanship and style. Crafted by artisans at the Salviati in Venice – famed for their avant-garde approach to the age-old tradition of glass blowing – the striped, ridged effect is the result of the molten glass being rotated on a bronzing mould. Sure to take centre stage on any table – just add flowers, or your cold beverage of choice.

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The Wick - Bell Portable Fluoro LED lamp, Tom Dixon

Objects Bell Portable Fluoro LED lamp, Tom Dixon

€264

British luxury design brand Tom Dixon are known and loved for their metallics and monochromes – so for Spring Summer 2024, they decided to introduce an element of surprise and inject some colour into their collection. Debuting at Milan Design Week, the Bell portable light in fluoro has a high-gloss finish, achieved by a powder coated surface. A concealed diffuser results in super soft lighting. It also comes with a pair of gloves – to keep that fingerprint free perfection. A simple yet bold statement that will punctuate any space with panache.

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Objects LØCI trainers

From £135

This week at The Wick Culture we are obsessing over what to pack for Venice. Our founder Katy Wickremesinghe has selected the essential items she will be packing for a busy week of events, and top of the list are a pair of LØCI vegan trainers, timeless Minimalist designs that go with everything and are sourced and created ethically in Europe. A perennial must for all that cobblestone walking, disembarking vaporettos – and chic enough for cicchetti and spritz.

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Objects Mini Neneh Bag, Roksanda

£795

Crafted in super supple butterscotch calf leather, this compact version of the Roksanda’s ‘Neneh’ bag from the AW24 collection features signature sculptural details – lilac strap and wooden handles – a playful artsy touch. Elevated and sleek, the Neneh has become a core design in Roksanda’s collections for a good reason. Frequently referencing art and architecture, and known for her collaborations with artists, a Roksanda bag feels like an apt companion for the Biennale.

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Objects Detour 2.0 Limited Edition Collector’s Box, Moleskine

35€

This hardcover, limited edition notebook invites all your reflections on the art – a collaboration between Moleskine and Malagasy monochrome master Joël Andrianomearisoa. Joël Andrianomearisoa is known for his refined, elegant minimalist expressions in paint and textiles, but has also turned his hand to design collaborations with select brands (see also candles for Diptique and his Dior handbag).

Our founder Katy loves the perfect ivory-hue, acid-free paper in this notebook, and practical details like the expandable cloth and cardboard inner pocket, rounded corners and ribbon bookmark. This limited edition version comes in a special collectors box – and each purchase contributes to the Moleskine Foundation Creativity Pioneers Support Fund. Venice’s magical scenery inspires poetry, and this is the place to pen it.

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Objects Celine headphones

£650

Here’s some ear candy for you. Celine’s new headphones – first worn around the necks of models in Hedi Slimane’s S/S 2024 womenswear collection, titled ‘La Collection de la Bibliothèque Nationale’ – bring a little luxury to everyday listening. Made in collaboration with New York-based audio company Master & Dynamic, they come in natural calfskin and lambskin and feature the French fashion house’s distinctive branding, as well as the ‘Triomphe’ monogram, inspired by the railings of Paris’ Champs-Élysées. Expect ‘precise and expansive sound’, says Celine, including ‘clear highs and rich lows as well as sound isolation’. They are equipped with Bluetooth 5.2 and up to 30 hours of battery life to keep you listening on the move.

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Objects Oura Heritage Ring

From £299

If you – like us – find smartwatches and fitness bands a little too clunky, then the Oura ring is just the thing. Packaged inside this beautifully simple design are sensors to track everything from sleep, heart health, period prediction, stress levels, and sudden shifts in skin temperature, indicating early illness. It’s the smartest – and chicest – way to monitor your health.

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The Wick - The Dark Side of the Moon turntable, from Pro-Ject Audio Systems

Object The Dark Side of the Moon turntable, from Pro-Ject Audio Systems

€1,799.00

On The Wick this week, we’re coveting technology with art and design credentials. Full marks go to this limited-edition turntable – a tribute to Pink Floyd’s album of the same name, which became a global sensation after its release 50 years ago. Part of Pro-Ject Audio Systems’ Artist Series, the turntable recalls the cover artwork of the album, which features a prism that elegantly splits white light into a spectrum of colours. Press a switch on this device and – as your record spins on the platter – an LED-backlit rainbow brings the original artwork to life.

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The Wick - Gaia Blue Rattan Flower Placemats (set of 4), Maison Margaux

Objects Gaia Blue Rattan Flower Placemats (set of 4) from Maison Margaux

£84

These swirling Gaia Blue Rattan Flower placemats from the table top masters at Maison Margaux will set the stage for your Easter menu. Handwoven by skilled artisans, they will pep up a plain tablecloth or add some extra flourish to patterned textiles.

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