Arty Cool

Dolce & Gabbana x Smeg in a range of wondrous fridges

Fridges are utilitarian. They keep things cool and cold. That’s their purpose. Rarely do their designs exceed that function. Smeg, with its range of retro-esque fridges, is probably the closest these kitchen appliances come to the proverbial cool instead of the literal. And now, it is taking that cache and blasting off into the stratosphere of art by collaborating with fashion powerhouse Dolce & Gabbana.

Debuting today at the Salone del Mobile in Milan, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana directed a handpicked team of Sicilian artists, including mother/daughter team Adriana Zambonelli and Tiziana Nicosia, to hand paint a hundred FAB28 Smeg fridges. Each piece is unique, drawing up historical Italian and Sicilian motifs and stories, including the Sicilian barrows, the Trinacria symbol, marionettes, Italian lemons and medieval knights. Moving into this realm of artistry involves a matching price; each of the fridges will sell for US$34,000 (RM133,000). A pretty penny, but with fridges this unique, definitely worth it. The Sultan of Qatar reportedly agrees, having been the first in the world to purchase one.