Photography: Courtesy of ELIURPI
30 / 05 / 2023
The creative duo made up of Elisabete Urpí Ràfols, from Catalonia, and Nacho Umpiérrez Fripp, from Uruguay, live in Barcelona and since 2010 they have been creating a unique language together, in an interplay of light, form and movement — ELIURPI.
LUCIA RUMOR Tell us a bit about your history, experience and professional background. How did you meet? ELISABET URPÍ We met in the old city of Barcelona. Nacho used to work in a café and I would go there every day to have my coffee. I was always loaded with material and with many canvases. We formed a group of friends and in the meantime we started going out together. At that time, I was making small headdresses and when we met, Nacho started taking pictures of them, and that’s how we ended up creating things together.
The art of producing a piece with a functional character that conveys beauty at the same time must be quite challenging. How did you get involved in hat design? We create pieces that can be useful objects and we mix different techniques and concepts in each piece. We find inspiration in tradition, in art, in architecture and in folklore. What we most like about hats is that you can make many different shapes. We use everyday materials but give them a more contemporary feel. Our work is very close to the way of producing industrial design, since we use wood, fabrics, different types of straw, and we often mix different materials when creating a piece.
How did the idea of creating a hat brand come about and when did you feel the right moment had arrived? From the very beginning we decided to focus on the creation of the brand and create the pieces together. We set out by creating clothing and hat collections. Nowadays, we also create collections of clothes, hats, furniture, sculpture... We don’t identify ourselves as product creators. And today, we have a very open and coherent line of diverse pieces that make up our ELIURPI universe.
How do you balance functionality and aesthetics in your pieces, especially when designing such organic pieces that speak like a work of art? We love the idea of being able to create pieces that can be worn and displayed at the same time. There are pieces that are very wearable, others that offer both options — wearing and displaying — and others that are strictly for display. The latter are pieces that we take to the extreme, in a sculptural way, always using circular shapes that are reminiscent of hats.
The art of producing a piece with a functional character that conveys beauty at the same time must be quite challenging. How did you get involved in hat design? We create pieces that can be useful objects and we mix different techniques and concepts in each piece. We find inspiration in tradition, in art, in architecture and in folklore. What we most like about hats is that you can make many different shapes. We use everyday materials but give them a more contemporary feel. Our work is very close to the way of producing industrial design, since we use wood, fabrics, different types of straw, and we often mix different materials when creating a piece.
How did the idea of creating a hat brand come about and when did you feel the right moment had arrived? From the very beginning we decided to focus on the creation of the brand and create the pieces together. We set out by creating clothing and hat collections. Nowadays, we also create collections of clothes, hats, furniture, sculpture... We don’t identify ourselves as product creators. And today, we have a very open and coherent line of diverse pieces that make up our ELIURPI universe.
How do you balance functionality and aesthetics in your pieces, especially when designing such organic pieces that speak like a work of art? We love the idea of being able to create pieces that can be worn and displayed at the same time. There are pieces that are very wearable, others that offer both options — wearing and displaying — and others that are strictly for display. The latter are pieces that we take to the extreme, in a sculptural way, always using circular shapes that are reminiscent of hats.
Can you tell us about the creative process when you are designing a hat from scratch? What does it feel like to see it take shape, to witness the materialization of an idea — like a volume inserted into a space? Sometimes we start with a drawing or a painting of mine (Eli), or with an idea that comes up when looking for a new material, or an image that Nacho visualises for photographs. From then on, we start experimenting together until we arrive at the first prototype/product. This is when we materialize the idea and it’s one of the most rewarding moments of our work.
For more information, visit ELIURPI website.
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