This year, Gorenje surprised the European markets with a new range of household appliances, called the Gorenje Ora-Ïto Collection.
This trendy range of technologically perfected household appliances from Gorenje is signed by the world-famous designer of the younger generation, Ora-Ïto.
The Gorenje Ora-Ïto Collection is a result of the company's desire to offer the contemporary consumer superiorly designed yet reasonably priced appliances, affordable for a wider population. The Gorenje Ora-Ïto Collection will be launched in two color combinations: completely black and black & silver. Gorenje is proud to present this product range as the new classic for the kitchen of the future.
The result of Gorenje's cooperation with Ora-Ïto, the designer who dubs his style Simplexity - the combination of simplicity and complexity - was nothing short of a new trend in arranging and designing the kitchens of tomorrow. "By being so bold, so different, and so intrepid in his wading against the mainstream, Ora-Ïto is the perfect choice for Gorenje. He combined the simple shapes that surround us into an image of a futuristic kitchen of today, tomorrow, and the day after. I am convinced that the new product range designed in his distinctive minimalist style and featuring the cutting-edge technology of Gorenje appliances, will indeed enchant numerous consumers across Europe, and remain the trend for quite some time" says Mr. Franjo Bobinac, president and CEO of Gorenje, d.d., on the new range of household appliances with which Gorenje has assumed the role of the visionary setting the design trends of the future.
The Gorenje Ora-Ïto Collection combines the latest technology, excellent and distinctive design, and superior quality. In line with its ambition to become the most innovative design-oriented household appliance manufacturer in the world, Gorenje seeks to impress with originality, technological superlatives, refined elegance, and ecological accountability. Thus it follows its vision in the field of design with great confidence and constantly improves its distinctiveness among users across Europe.
Ora-Ïto, the creative rebel of the industrial design who was invited to team up with Gorenje for the company's most recent effort, started his career by creating his own virtual brand. This greatly boosted his distinctiveness and soon he started to work with numerous internationally renowned brands. Here is how Ora-Ïto sees his cooperation with Gorenje, a company distinctive above all for the quality of its products: "We have taken a great opportunity to combine creative talent and technology, thus creating a kitchen that sets a milestone in kitchen design. I am delighted to work with a partner that realizes the importance of design in its products. The design aspect of the appliances that we use daily, and this also includes household appliances, is often completely neglected. As the designer of the collection created in cooperation with Gorenje I believe that this product range will become a global reference for the kitchens of tomorrow, a new classic for the kitchen of the future." In his interviews, Ora-Ïto often emphasizes how much he enjoys seeing his products function in different environments: "I like to imagine how the products that I design are integrated into different settings and how they perform in them. When creating the new collection, I wanted to design appliances fit for any kitchen. I omitted everything redundant, only the pure essence of the product remained. I believe we have succeeded..." Ora-Ïto concludes with satisfaction.
Also satisfied with the results of this cooperation is Mr. Aleksander Uranc, Head of Marketing in Gorenje, d.d.: "This Gorenje product range primarily addresses the trend-oriented urban consumers looking for high quality appliances with superior and distinctive design, along with reasonable pricing that will make them accessible to a wider population. The collection is appealing mainly because it is different; it is entirely based on black color, which is a rather new approach in household appliances."
The Gorenje Ora-Ïto Collection consists of a series of fridge freezers, multi functional ovens, ceramic hobs, ducting kitchen hoods, and decorative panels that round up the consistency of the entire collection's design. The appliances of the Gorenje Ora-Ïto Collection are classified in energy class A and they feature all contemporary user functions. One of their key distinguishing features is the uniform appearance of the front decoration panels covered completely with black glass, and brushed aluminum handles available either in stainless steel or black. The new Gorenje Ora-Ïto Collection of household appliances is the right choice for anyone who - like its designer Ora-Ïto - appreciates pure and simple design lines and multi-functional household appliances.
Ora-Ïto, a name that gives many people the impression that he is of Japanese descent, is actually a young Frenchman, born in 1977 in Marseille. In the language of the Sioux his name, Ito, means 'building the imaginary'. Is it merely coincidence or a predestined name for an artist that has always sought new paths and a unique expression? Ito has grown up in a family whose name has been associated with the world of design and architecture for several generations; however, Ito did not want to be known only as 'somebody's son'. He decided to venture out on his own, under a new name, synonymous with the label he has since created: Ora-Ïto.
Already at an early age, the young designer knew exactly what he wanted. At the age of ten he adored the work of the French designer Philippe Starck and the French architect Le Corbusier. His idol, however, was the American painter Keith Haring. "If I could have been someone else, I would have been him..." Ora-Ïto admired him because he found Haring to be one of the artists who had actually invented an original look, like Van Gogh or Picasso.
In 1996, he quickly enrolled in Ecole de creation et de design, now known as Creapole, only to leave it a few months later, too eager to start creating for real. While he was interning at the department of architecture, he met Roger Vivier at the opening of an art exhibition. Vivier wanted Ito to help him rejuvenate his brand and Ito created a 3D computer model of a dancing shoe. Vivier was enthusiastic about the model, in particular since at that time virtual design as a tool was only being used in car and aircraft industries.
When a Simple French Guy Becomes the World's First Brand of Design
When he dropped out of school at the age of 21, he decided to design his own label. He started by designing products virtually using 3D creation tools, for various brands of his generation such as Nike, Louis Vuitton, Bic, Apple ...
Simultaneously, he created corresponding fake advertisements for each product. Even though none of these products existed in reality, Ora-Ïto published them in the press as full-page ads, using the brand's actual name and logo to make it appear more realistic!
With the development of Internet and the success lead by underground French magazines, the collection of fictitious products circled the globe and became regarded as the first genuine virtual label. Fiction became reality when people from all over the world started ordering these non-existing products.
Large brands found this experiment original and witty. They contacted Ora-Ïto and adopted the "piracy artwork" that he had done on their brands. Thus, many famous brands became familiar with this new exciting project that linked image and advertising with the future of the Internet. That is how Ora-Ïto got the chance to cooperate with the biggest brands in the world and turned from virtuality to reality...
A World Famous Know-how on Transversal Brand Styling
Ora-Ïto is now a media celebrity; every week, he gives numerous interviews to TV stations and to the press, including The New York Times, Vogue, or Washington Post, while his brand, Ora-Ïto, made its way around the world. OraÏto is actually the very first brand of design: able to sign with the same design philosophy a pair of stilettos or a fridge freezer.
Ora-Ïto is regarded as a multiple artist since he has made his mark in architecture, interior design, product design, the Internet, audiovisual and in graphic design; equally notable were his comprehensive advertising and PR campaigns for individual brands. In his state-of-the-art studio in Paris he and his team of specialists - experts in individual fields - are developing consulting and strategic product design for international trademarks such as Heineken, Adidas, l'Oreal, Levi's, Sagem, Toyota, Nike, Guerlain, Davidoff, Danone, Lacie and Christofle...
Ora-Ïto is currently working with some of the world's finest contemporary furniture makers such as Cappellini, Magis, Zanotta, B&B Italia, and Artemide. Furthermore, he has recently teamed up with one of the leading European household appliance manufacturers, Gorenje; together they are developing extraordinary products for the future.
It is All About Being Simple and Complex at the Same Time
"Design must incorporate a good idea, solve a problem, complement the project in the way, and give it something extra. The design has to enhance the brand. In order to do that, one has to become one with the brand, understand what it's about and express that in the language of design. What I'm interested in is the future and how the idea will survive in the future.
And the brand with it." Ora-Ïto characterizes his style as Simplexity, i.e. an integration of simplicity and complexity. His concepts are bold, defying the established norms. He has received numerous international awards for his designs. His time is spent on trains and planes, giving interviews from the US to China.
Today the largest brands he works with put his logo next to theirs - which is exactly the opposite of how things were at the beginning. He selects his projects intuitively. His potential business partners must first sign a special document prohibiting child labour. After that, he only accepts the best projects.
