He also refused the materiality of steel, because he was letting his senses guide its formal definition. He wanted them to be stimulated by a soft, sensual shape that was pleasant to the touch, and a material that was warm, almost buttery. And finally, his aim was for the handle to be a mark, thanks to the use of colour
These were the requirements that engendered the Chelsea. It is modelled after the print of a hand gripping it, and made in soft, black rubber.
In the factory, when we engineered it for serial production, we experimented with Nouvel using different materials like wood and glass, until we decided to use porcelain in matte black and shiny white. Both are lively objects with great communicative. — Antonio Olivari