About Florense X Ascari Collaboration
The collaboration is a result of many years of admiration for Florense craftsmanship.
Our families are Italian immigrants who carried in their veins a passion for artisanal yet functional objects.
The approach was very organic, when Helio and his wife bought a house in Bedford NY, they decided to renovate it completely and Florense was their first choice for the remodeling of their kitchen. Visiting their showroom in Manhattan, Helio couldn’t stop thinking about the endless possibilities he had and how this could be a great opportunity for him to explore his creativity, craftsmanship and also to design a selection of items.
Florense appreciates the quality of raw materials. We combine sustainable principles with craftsmanship and high technology to translate those materials into fine furniture. When Florense learned about Helio's work and his choice of materials it made sense to create something together.
Concept for collaboration:
Helio: My grandfather was a craftsman, he used to make weave baskets for a living. He was my biggest inspiration when developing Ascari Bicycles and the leather wrapping technique I apply in my crafts.
Furthermore, the truth is I started working on a furniture factory at a very young age, and was always fascinated and curious by the process of building an object. I guess I always knew - and wished - that at some point in my life I was going to explore the furniture world in a creative way.
So, for this collaboration, I simply translated to the furniture what I have developed throughout the years in the objects I’ve built, keeping the integrity of the design and being influenced by my inspirations and life experiences.
The collaboration is a result of many years of admiration for Florense craftsmanship.
Our families are Italian immigrants who carried in their veins a passion for artisanal yet functional objects.
The approach was very organic, when Helio and his wife bought a house in Bedford NY, they decided to renovate it completely and Florense was their first choice for the remodeling of their kitchen. Visiting their showroom in Manhattan, Helio couldn’t stop thinking about the endless possibilities he had and how this could be a great opportunity for him to explore his creativity, craftsmanship and also to design a selection of items.
Florense appreciates the quality of raw materials. We combine sustainable principles with craftsmanship and high technology to translate those materials into fine furniture. When Florense learned about Helio's work and his choice of materials it made sense to create something together.
Concept for collaboration:
Helio: My grandfather was a craftsman, he used to make weave baskets for a living. He was my biggest inspiration when developing Ascari Bicycles and the leather wrapping technique I apply in my crafts.
Furthermore, the truth is I started working on a furniture factory at a very young age, and was always fascinated and curious by the process of building an object. I guess I always knew - and wished - that at some point in my life I was going to explore the furniture world in a creative way.
So, for this collaboration, I simply translated to the furniture what I have developed throughout the years in the objects I’ve built, keeping the integrity of the design and being influenced by my inspirations and life experiences.
About Helio Ascari
Designer, Maker and CEO of Ascari Bicycles
Still in his childhood Helio Ascari found out his great passion: restoring antiques goods, such as clocks, phonographs and, of course, bicycles. When he was a teenager, he worked at furniture and steel factories, where he gained experience in handcraft work, as well as leather shoe factories, where he started to develop attention to details. But it was his time working in the fashion industry that he developed his style, and where he had the opportunity to introduce a bicycle project to a fashion house that was successfully launched as part of a larger environmental project. By living in different countries and experiencing different cultures he acquired his unique taste and discovered a life style that united practicality, environmental awareness and style.
The Ascari name came with an amazing heritage which gave him the narrative to write his own story. Growing up in a small Italian village south of Brazil, ha was surrounded by vintage objects brought over from Italian immigrants. Fascinated by the durability and craftsmanship of those items, the passion shown in the beautiful details, and the quality of the materials, he felt the spirit in the objects. Today Helio brings this spirit to his work.
Ascari Bicycles developed into an expression of the desire to create something new and unique. His craft is demonstrated by outstanding precision, attention to details and remarkable finishes, which he translates to all his creations.
Florense is a Brazilian Company with an Italian heritage. At Florense state of the art technology and craftsmanship operate hand in hand to produce furniture of impeccable quality. As a leader in the international design community, Florense is proud to employ ecologically conscious production processes. Florense has mastered industrial fabrication and yet is able to customize each project as if made by an artisanal cabinetmaker. It offers flexibility in dimensions, materials and hundreds of finishes. The “fatto a mano” (handmade) culture has been present since the foundation of the Company in 1953 and that is the culture that drives Florense to make each project truly unique. All this makes Florense one of the world players in its field and justifies its acquired credibility for fine furniture.
