"The natural spirit of the cork is a perfect starting point: it allows you to explore new forms for everyday needs." This is how James Irvine, the late great British industrial designer, described cork. SIX, one of his final works, was specially designed for wine lovers and collectors, enabling bottles to be stored, displayed and carried.
Bearing MATERIA's signature, SIX is the latest design piece to come to the market since the collection was launched in 2011. Featuring an unprecedented range of cork objects for everyday use, MATERIA's collection combines functionality with personality, while being able to evolve and to adapt to market expectations.
With SIX, James Irvine expanded the use of cork and strengthened the ancient connection between this natural product and wine. According to the designer himself, the idea of designing an object has emerged after an excellent dinner by the sea, an amazing experience combining the magnificent Portuguese cuisine with a great Vintage Port wine tasting. As James Irvine said: "So I started thinking that these wonderful bottles need to be cuddled and carried with the greatest of care. That is how I thought up Six."
SIX combines the softness of cork with the simplicity of a strong but elegant aluminum handle, a solution specifically designed to carry wine or spirit bottles. SIX can be used for decorative purposes, for collecting bottles and also for carrying wine bottles to a friend's house in a surprising manner.
Manufactured from agglomerated natural cork, SIX is the perfect size for accommodating six bottles and has the major advantage of absorbing shocks, thereby protecting the bottles from breakage.
As Carlos de Jesus, Corticeira Amorim's Head of Marketing & Communication said: "The MATERIA collection reflects a clear change in people's awareness of cork as a premium quality material. The launch of this new product designed by the prestigious and late James Irvine, boosted designers and architects already considerable interest in natural cork as a unique material, featuring great technical, aesthetic and sensory properties."
