For the prodigious Italian illumination firm Slamp, everything started in the era of Swatch—hence, the addition of a capital S to modify an object. I love the Snotion! And since the creation of the design house dedicated to Slighting (that makes an unfortunate double entendre), we have seen much from them in the way of innovation. Their successful Fiorella and Mimi lamps launched a Slamp series of catalogues and children’s collections all of which showcase Slamp’s signature whimsy. Cutting-edge materials, inventive shapes, and exquisite colors have come to define Slamp—a company that’s sought to represent Italian design style through lighting.

Goccia Tetra. Designed by Slamp.

New for this season is Goccia, or drop, a pendant light designed by Stefano Papi. Constructed of Opalflex®, Goccia interprets a drop of water using sinuous shapes carved from Slamp’s patented material, a combination of polymers and additives that has the sheen of glass and the unbreakability of plastic. Opalflex® also allows for a gradation of color—an effect which suits Goccia quite well, given that water drops shine prismatically when caught by light. The overall shape of Goccia resembles a droplet, but the carved pieces that create that shape are each different, creating a play of positive and negative space that also echoes water’s undulating quality (think of snowmelt falls, how changes in speed and light alter the color and shapes of the gushing streams).

Goccia Opal. Designed by Slamp.

Goccia Collection. Designed by Slamp.

Goccia Jet. Designed by Slamp.

And as the shape of falling water shifts, so does its color, which mutates with every sunbeam and cloud-shadow. Designer Papi gets across the beautiful fluctuation with Goccia’s colors. Aqua, Fire, Tetra, and Opal use various colors within each drop of light: Aqua has an icy blue center; Fire features a burning core of red, orange, and yellow; Opal uses the nacreous hues of the gem; and Tetra plays with the pinks, yellows, and blues typical of the colorful fish. While Snow and Jet are solid white and black, their cut-out shapes allow passing light to snake through—a variability that mimics the shifting colors typical of water. Slamp has once again succeeded in this Ssuspension lamp: Goccia captures the eSsential qualities of Sliquid (slick water–now that’s innuendo that works).