Cini Boeri always believed that furniture should be able to engage with its users and evolve according to their needs. That philosophy is embedded in the DNA of the late Italian master’s most celebrated pieces, such as the Strips sofa system for Arflex, whose endless modularity revolutionized the furniture market and emerged as an instant classic upon its 1972 debut, even snagging the prestigious Compasso d’Oro accolade in 1979. Strips is now taking center stage at one of Milan Design Week’s most highly anticipated exhibitions thanks to Loro Piana, which mounted an expansive tribute to Boeri on her centenary year in the soaring atrium at its historic Cortile della Seta headquarters.
Conceived in collaboration with Archivio Cini Boeri, the showcase brings her greatest pieces to the fore: the plump Pecorelle sofa, the curvy Botolo high chairs, the blocky Strips bed. All are upholstered in refined Loro Piana Interiors cashmere, but at no cost to Boeri’s cheeky irreverence toward established design norms. She found boundless joy in that subversion, and attendees likely will too. In the back, an array of bright red Boborelax loungers are perched under a giant oblique mirror, providing the perfect selfie op. “Cini taught us to practice joy in life’s choices and future expectations,” say Giulia and Antonio Boeri, her grandchildren and the founders of her archive. They’re currently piecing together Boeri’s first major retrospective, which is slated to debut at Triennale di Milano in 2026.
