When the limited edition of Fornasetti was unveiled last 18 December, the predominantly well-heeled audience that gathered at Opulence Design Concept shop at The Podium mall in Mandaluyong City got transfixed by the heart-shaped assemblage of fine porcelain that the Italian brand famously designs by hand.

This day, after all, marked the culmination of shop owners Gerry Sy and Jinky Tobiano-Sy's "dream project" for their brand ambassador, Heart Evangelista, who, apart from being a popular actress is also a talented visual artist and self-confessed Fornasetti fan. The Fornasetti design pieces, from homeware to accessories, are exclusively distributed in the Philippines by Opulence.

"We talked of having Fornasetti design a plate for her is our dream project," Gerry stated in his opening remarks. He went on recalling that while he and his wife were on a trip to Paris in early January 2023, they met up with Heart, who had also traveled to the French capital. The trio then had dinner with Fornasetti's chief executive officer Andrea Nannoni. The Filipino entrepreneurs took the opportunity to bring up the idea of their "dream project" that got Andrea so excited that he exclaimed, "Yes, let's do it!"

Concurring with her husband, Jinky said in her own speech, "The passion and excitement we felt during our visit to the Casa Fornasetti was beyond words. As we finally shared the fruit of our passion. I'm filled with gratitude and excitement, especially to everyone around here."

Heart likewise expressed her gratitude, especially to the Sy couple, when interviewed during the program. "I wasn't looking for it," she said of the collaboration with the Italian brand. "I'm such a huge fan of Fornasetti way, way back. Miss Jinky and Sir Gerry know this. Up to this day, I cannot believe they would consider me [for this dream project]."

She then shared how the final look for the collection came about, starting with the Fornasetti people showing her and the Sy couple "a few designs," which she described as "all beautiful and overwhelming." But when they were shown one particular design featuring the "iconic" face that has become Fornasetti's signature look, Heart knew it would be their final choice. The face, by the way, belongs to opera singer Lina Cavalier, who, at the peak of her popularity in the 1900s, captivated the heart of artist Piero Fornasetti and became his muse for masterpieces that later on defined his brand's aesthetics.

What made the launch of the collection more special was the auctioning off of a few pieces of wall plates to benefit the advocacy of Child Health in Life Development Foundation. It is an institution dedicated to raising funds for the pediatric department at the Philippine General Hospital. Entrepreneur Kim Abellar ended up claiming two wall plates for a combined bid of P400,000. Another entrepreneur, Jinnie Uy, extended the auction to one more wall plate for the winning bid of P150,000. In total, the event raised P550,000 for the chosen charity.

Dream collection

Heart, according to Jinky, has been a celebrity endorser for Opulence since 2022, representing not only Fornasetti but also the other European homeware brands that the luxury brand house carries. These include Versace Home, MisuraEmme, Dolce & Gabbana Casa, Stosa Cucine, Versace by Rosenthal, Swarovski by Rosenthal, Sambonet, Thomas and Vimar.

But the actress-artist really has a soft spot for Fornasetti, Jinky told DAILY TRIBUNE at the event, adding that Heart "really buys" pieces even when Opulence just opened its first store, located along Connecticut Street in Greenhills, San Juan, back in 2019.

Jinky talked more about Fornasetti's limited-edition collection that was made in collaboration with Opulence and Heart. She said the collection is comprised of wall plates, teacups, coasters and jewelry boxes. Only 200 pieces of wall plates were made and they can only be purchased at Opulence for P25,000 each. The other items, numbering only 100 per set, are likewise exclusively available in the Philippines. 

Visit www.opulencedesignconcept.com for details.