Advertisement

TOUCH of class

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
0

Clean lines, sophisticated shapes, innovative materials - there's something about modern Italian design that sets it apart.

With the launch last month of 'Design Italiani: The Taste of Class' by the Italian Chamber of Commerce, the country's unique flair is having its moment in the spotlight.

'Italy has so much to say about design and we hope that people in Hong Kong, as well as buyers and designers in different fields, will appreciate the enthusiasm and innovation that goes into it,' says Manuele Bosetti, the chamber's general manager.

Modern Italian design, from Artemide, Kartell and B&B Italia, can be traced to the radical design movement of the late 1950s and 1960s, when architects, engineers and scientists in Milan started designing products with an eye to how they fit in with everyday life.

Over the years, it has become known for minimalist shapes, bold use of colour, advanced production techniques and innovative materials such as moulded plastic and die-cast aluminium.

'Italian design has three main pillars: technology, research and innovation,' says Santina Bonini, a native of Tuscany and co-founder of Hong Kong-based design consultancy firm Design-bs. 'And all of this is done with a very precise attitude towards humans, which comes from our humanistic background.'

Bonini cites Artemide co-founder Ernesto Gismondi, who began designing lamps by studying how light affects people. 'That's the way we think when making products,' Bonini says. 'That's probably the very point that makes the difference. Even [with] the most common product, like a light or a sofa, you have to see behind the scenes to understand Italian design.'

Advertisement