The Artisans

Rosaria Rattin studied architecture in Venice and then attended Marie Ruckié’s fashion classes in Paris. After several years working for world renowned fashion companies, she started Kose, rediscovering the charm of old crafts in the third millennium. This collection is entirely made by hand according to ancient techniques and features one-of-a-kind ethereal pieces characterized by pure and essential lines and a sophisticated design.

Monica Freitas Geronimi graduated in Architecture in Rio de Janeiro and in Architecture with an orientation towards Product Design in Politecnico di Milano and now works between Milan, with her brand MG12, and Brazil as the art director of the company Punto. With MG12, Geromini creates innovative pieces for design lovers, crafted by expert artisans who work with natural and eco-friendly materials. Highly customizable, her objects are designed to respond to the needs of private clients, along with hotels and spas.

Pierfrancesco Solimene comes from a family of master potters from the ceramic town of Vietri by the Amalfi Coast, dating back from the legendary figure of his great grand father Vincenzo. Continuing the tradition of hand-working the clay and glazing it according to ancient techniques, Solimene crafts one-of-a-kind, deliberately irregular bottles, bowls, and dishes that poetically evoke the simplicity of a lost time while bearing a contemporary essentiality that make them timeless.

For generations, Chelini has been known for the high quality of their luxury furniture creations. The company was originally founded in 1892 in Santo Spirito in Florence, inspired by the rich culture of their surroundings; and now operates in Scandicci, just outside Florence. Classical culture and Tuscan traditions are at the heart of Chelini design philosophies, only refined and enhanced by clever creativity. They take pride in being able to suit the needs of their customers therefore taking requests and producing handcrafted, one-of-a-kind, and valuable creations.

Roberto Falocci created Blueside in Perugia, following the tradition started by his father Luigi and their family business, Steroglass, international leader in the production of scientific tools in glass. Blueside was born in 2009 out of love for design and good food and its glass pieces are mouth-blown and hand-made by master artisans who devote themselves to this ancient and now rare craft. These one-of-a-kind objects are created in collaboration with talented international designers and are a celebration of minimalism while also capable of producing powerful emotions.

An independent designer based in Milano, Serena Confalonieri was born in 1980 and obtained a Master Degree in Interior Design. She started her career working in architecture and design firms in Milano, Barcelona, and Berlin. Her works on product, graphic and textile projects have been featured in important publications and exhibitions worldwide, earning her prizes such as special mentions at the Young&Design Awards 2014 and at the German Design Awards 2016. Her attention to texture makes her pieces sophisticated and contemporary, with a timeless allure.

A unique artist who lives and works in Milan, Giovanna la Falce started as a painter more than 20 years ago. Inspired by movement and the human body, she ventured into three-dimensionality with sculpture, using bronze and iron, till she started using clay and exploring the Raku technique. Her works have been exhibited in Italy and across Europe. Her strongly expressive collections featured here are entirely decorated by hand, with each piece being a one-of-a-kind handmade object.

Since 1970, the smithy of Fonderia Artistica Ruocco, just outside of Naples, proudly produces exquisite objects, using techniques that belong to the family tradition passed on from one generation to another. Each of these statuettes and sophisticated pieces of furniture is forged using the finest materials and exclusive molds made by the company. Harmony and elegance are at the core of this collection whose pieces are inspired by ancient Greek and Roman myths, Renaissance art, and baroque décor.

Ascanio Basile, a Sicilian working in Campania, made his first collection of furniture for his wife in 1830. For five generations, continuing the family tradition of mastering ebony work and exquisite custom carpentry, his family has been producing luxurious interior design pieces elaborating classic design with an elegant, contemporary charm. Every piece is a one-of-a-kind functional objet d’art that perfectly combines design and millenary artisanal techniques, using the finest materials.

Immediately following his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts of Brera in Milan, Gio Minelli has dedicated himself to design. He began creating his first collections collaborating with highly renowned craftsmen from the Lombardy territory. Since then his work has made an evolution, taking on a poetic form and evoking experiences of travel and soul searching, while always keeping a steady balance of three components: art, design and dialogue. He currently has ongoing collaborations with international galleries while simultaneously designing for major Italian design brands.

Corsi Design started off as a simple idea that grew into an international, visionary project. Gaetano Pesce and Andrea Corsi started collaborating in 2003, combining their business acumen and artistry to launch their first project, Fish Design, at the Milan Salone del Mobile in 2004. Officially renamed Corsi Design in 2010, the atelier started new collaborations with internationally renowned designers such as Enzo Mari, Paola Navone, and Alessandro Mendini. Each collection is made by master craftsmen who explore novel ways of interpreting resin.

Servomuto is a lighting design brand based in Milan. Since 2010 it has been pursuing an ambitious goal: to revisit a classic object such as the lampshade with a contemporary and sophisticated twist. The study and research behind each creation are visible in the continuous stylistic references to the world of architecture and distant places. Prestigious materials and fabrics are skillfully combined, experimenting with unusual colors and textures. The “Haute Couture” production deliberately contrasts with the mechanization of large-scale manufacturing processes. The playful and dreamy gaze with which Servomuto has always looked at light embraces the sartorial precision.

Since the 19th century, in Florence, the Mangani family has been sculpting and passing down their knowledge from father to son. In 1958, Alfiero Mangani opened a workshop where he restored porcelain, along with his sons. The small workshop attracted the interest of Tiffany, whose buyers noticed the exquisite quality of a porcelain demi-cup made by Ivan. They started a collaboration that lasted decades and lead to the creation of superb objects and lamps. Now, the new generation continues the family tradition of creating unique pieces of timeless allure and great quality.

Dale Italia, in the province of Verona, harmoniously mixes artisanal tradition, industrial experimentation, and customization to create furniture that features a great variety of woods such as walnut, oak, and alder along with steel, glass, marble, leather, and fabric. These modern pieces reinterpret traditional styles to create an interior décor designed to be touched, where objects blend in with pure matter.

Created in 1966 in the Veneto region, MM Lampadari has grown to be one of the most important interior lighting companies in the world. Its timeless pieces feature different materials such as Murano glass, all crafted using traditional methods, of which the most characteristic is iron, still hand-worked by expert artisans. Classic forms and modern allure coexist in these lamps that are unique and elegant works of art.

Mario Milana was born in Milan. After graduating from the European Institute of Design, he moved to New York City where he worked with Karim Rashid for eight years, collaborating with prestigious brands. In 2014 he founded his own eponymous studio based in New York and Milan. His collections of furniture are all handmade in and around Milan by expert craftsmen who hand-weld the steel and iron structures. The fine leather upholsteries are hand-stitched by a family of artisans. Artisanal methods, functionality, and simplicity are the staples of Milana’s sophisticated pieces.

Isabella Costantini, interior designer, has been designing high-end residential and hospitality spaces for the last 20 years. Over time, she has also specialized in furniture design, product development, styling and creative consultation. The years spent traveling throughout Europe to study the art and design, give various styles to her furniture pieces: not only she extracts the very best of it, but she brings a personal new perspective, inspired by the timeless designs of the 20th century.

CreArt was created in 1968 in Empoli, Tuscany, a city near Florence known for its artistic traditions and its production of glassworks since the 14th century. At CreArt, expert glass and crystal merchants, master craftsmen of metal casting and glass engravers come together, constantly researching and developing techniques for creating and embellishing their internationally sold artifacts. They gather from ancient Italian, French, and English palaces. High-quality materials, elegance, craftsmanship and superb customer service are what set CreArt apart.

For more than two decades, Valentina has been creating limited edition pieces of furniture and home décor entirely by hand with artisanal methods in her workshop in Sarzana. Her fascinating creations, with their unique point of view on lifestyle and design, combine the use of the finest fabrics with brass, iron, crystals, metal sheets, and fiberglass to evoke a distinct and alluring world.

This workshop opened in 1981 in Samugheo, Sardinia, and since then has been creating textiles with striking patterns, many passed down for generations. Each piece is manufactured using long-established techniques, including some that were almost forgotten. While rediscovering tradition, the brand constantly focuses on reinventing the ancient art of making fabric with an innovative and modern approach.