This special limited edition illy Art Collection was designed by renown Spanish film director Pedro Almodóvar to coincide with the release of his latest film, Los Abrazos Rotos (Broken Embraces).

Dating to 1992, the leading Italian coffee company’s collaborations with eminent visual contemporary artists have produced striking, much-sought-after cups, designed to enhance the enjoyment of coffee in pairing it with beautiful objects. Illy’s passion for the beautiful and well-made, its love for the world of contemporary art and its exceptionally high quality are the driving passions behind the illy Art Collection series.

Available starting October 2009 at www.illyusa.com, Almodóvar’s six-cup series, each entry paired with an equally vivid saucer, takes inspiration from six of the famed Spanish director’s most admired films; Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990), High Heels (1991), The Flower of My Secret (1995), Bad Education (2004) and Volver (2006).

“We are honored that Pedro Almodóvar has graced the illy collection with such a strikingly vivid series of cups, quite unlike any other we’ve seen,” says Carlo Bach, art director of illycaffè.

“Each cup at once celebrates his own past artistry, while being completely original on its own. Each tells a memorable story, just as his films, in his signature, wonderfully unconventional style.”

Bach said Almodóvar has long been a fan of illy, been known to keep it on hand while filming. That gave Bach impetus to approach the director about creating a collection for illy.