When you’re in the business of creating interior decorations like Kisa Harrison is, it stands to reason that aesthetics, form and function are the tenets you live by. So when she first clapped eyes on the new Ferrari Portofino M, Kisa was already sold on the taut, fluid lines of its body. Slipping behind the wheel, she ran her fingers over the swathes of leather, her eyes lighting up with excitement at the throaty roar when she started the engine.
“To me, details matter in something that is well designed,” she enthused. “It looks good, it feels solid to the touch and is well made.”
No stranger to the Italian marque, Kisa tells us, “My late husband, Christopher, used to own two Ferraris and he loved driving them. It was one of his greatest joys.” At her home in Ladyhill Road, photographs of Christopher are given pride of place alongside dramatic furnishing and interior décor items designed by his eponymous international company, which Kisa is now managing as CEO.
“At our company, I am very fortunate to be able to take part in creating fabulous lifestyle and furniture concepts,” Kisa shares. “I’m inspired by new techniques, software, and technologies being created. I’m excited when I witness crossovers between art and science. Right now, we are working on design projects that incorporate cutting-edge technology, such as our ‘smart mirror’ – which incorporates cutting edge technology that allows you to do things like view the weather, you’re your calendar, and even take selfies, all while you’re doing your makeup in the morning.”
In the same spirit of innovation, the new Ferrari Portofino M can be described as a tauter, fresher, better version of its former self – much like it has been to the gym and emerged more toned.
At our invitation, Kisa took the car for a spin around her favourite futuristic spots around Singapore – from the Thomas Heatherwick-designed The Hive at Nanyang Technological University to Helix Bridge and Marina One Residences. Here, she tells us more about her journey.