The incredible quantity and variety of Italian design and design brands makes this a tricky list. Considering it follows on from my other ode to Italian design Top 10: Italian Design Classics, perhaps the best place to start is with Milanese designer Elena Salmistraro’s Most Illustrious collection for Bosa Ceramiche, which pays tribute to four of the greats of Italian design – Achille Castiglioni, Riccardo Dalisi, Michele De Lucchi and Alessandro Mendini. I love the contemporary detailing, the mix of forms and textures, and the sheer humour of it.
It is wonderful to have women designers in this list, since it was tricky to find any women to include in my previous post. Another beautiful piece by a female designer is the Gilda Fringe Sofa by Milanese designer Lorenza Bozzoli for Editions Milano. Wooden-framed, goose-feathered and brass-footed, this sofa draws on 1950s glamour, with a reference to fashion via a playful fringe.
Also heavily inspired by fashion is Patricia Urquiola’s new Lud’o Lounge chair for Cappellini, which launched this year. A rigid core made of PET plastic features a removable cover made from recycled PET bottles that has the sensibility of a tailored coat. It is also reported to be extremely comfortable.
Maybe just as comfy and certainly as stylish is the Nap sofa designed by Andra Steidl for LaCividina. Named after that most wonderful of sofa activities – the nap – this piece is structured as a series of comfortable pillows reinterpreted as simple forms with beautiful detailing, hidden zips and feet that recede from view. Almost like napping on a pink cloud (other colours also available).
From extreme comfort to extreme durability, the Rio R50 series (dining chair and armchair, lounge armchair, swing armchair, stool and coffee table) for Emu uses the latest in engineering and construction processes. The high quality steel tubing has top notch mechanical performance and high resistance to weight, while the structural weldings are extra strong and the net is fused with electro-welding.
The Rio R50 series was designed by design studio Gargano Cristell, a partnership of Emanuel Gargano, who was born in Assisi but has a studio in London, and Anton Cristell, who was born in New York but is based in Rome.
Another outdoor chair design is the Vigna by Italian / British designer Martino Gamper for Magis – this time, the chair features a frame in steel rod and a seat in bi-injection-moulded plastic. Where the frame is joined, a swirl creates a structural feature as well as a decorative element that recalls the twists of a climbing plant or vine. Interestingly, this is Martino Gamper’s first industrial design – the Italian-born designer studied sculpture in Vienna before moving to London to study at the Royal College of Art, where he is still based. He is known for his experimental works such as 100 Chairs in 100 Days.
Another outstanding new Italian chair is the Pippi, designed by Roberto Paoli. It was inspired by Pippi Longstocking because its curved tubular metal is dressed in closely-fitting fabric that resembles “long socks”. Metal feet offer a contrast – and both chair and feet are available in a range of bright colours. Listen to Paoli describe the design on video here.
Is putting in another chair just one too many? Maybe, but the leather on this Lazy Bones armchair designed by Italian duo Arianna Lelli Mami and Chiara Di Pinto from Milanese Studiopepe is just too luscious to leave out.
From luxurious leather to luxurious marble, the Joaquim table was designed by Giorgio Bonaguro as an opportunity salvage and upcycle off-cuts of marble. The simple linear and geometric shapes pay homage to the simple, elegant lines of Brazilian designer Joaquim Tenreiro, a reference to Bonaguro’s Brazilian heritage – he studied in Milan and splits his time between Brazil and Italy.
Moving away from furniture, the Missoni Yvette towel is a masterpiece of subtle elegant patterning and is one of the signature designs from the 2020 collection of the luxury brand, which was launched in 1953 by Ottavio (“Tai”) and Rosita Missoni. While their signature patterns are instantly recognisable, every year they offer variations on the theme, and always manage to get it so right.
And one extra, even though it’s not strictly a “product”, I couldn’t finish a post about contemporary Italian design without mentioning the incredible talent of Paola Navone. Check out these images of the Como Castello Del Nero hotel and restaurants in the rolling hills of Tuscany for some truly beautiful interior design set within a 12th Century castle.
