The Artisans

Founded in 2020 by Giorgia Bartolini alongside art director Vincenzo Castellana, Orografie reinterprets centuries of Sicilian traditional craftsmanship in timeless and refined contemporary furnishing items. Fashioned of locally sourced wood, stone, and ceramics in minute detail following traditional techniques handed down generations by local artisans, Orografie transforms the natural essence of raw materials into singular, striking designs that will find a home in modern and traditional interiors.

Every year, seven master artisans at Francesco Maglia Ombrelli - Milano, a historic luxury brand established in 1854 and based in Milan since 1876, craft 3000 exclusive umbrellas. Named after its founder, the company is now run by Giorgio Maglia and Francesco Maglia, the fifth and sixth generations, respectively. Each umbrella embodies a commitment to tradition and versatility, reflected in the exceptional tailored details and bespoke designs. Made to withstand the test of time, these umbrellas will give a distinctive touch to formal and casual ensembles even on the gloomiest of days.

Created by architects Paolo d’Alessandro and Marco Malgarini, dAM Atelier is an innovative brand renowned for its minimalist aesthetic approach to furniture design. Pure and timeless, their design ethos embraces the continuous, iterative process of adding and subtracting information, one that combines different and contrasting raw elements into unexpectedly harmonious, modular compositions of bold geometric and architectural value.

Founded in response to the fears and restrictions emerging during the pandemic, Codega is a brand specialized in “multipurpose lamps” that seek to improve people’s quality of life. Enhancing comfort, safety, and well-being, the Serena Collection of indoor LED lamps bears a distinctive tech quality: combining the visual, biological, and emotional effects of light, each piece can synchronize people’s biological clocks or sanitize surfaces and environments.

In Casa by Paboy is a homeware social enterprise based in Naples, Italy. Born in Serrekunda, the Gambia, Paboy Bojang learned the secrets of weaving from his uncle as a child. Living under a brutal dictatorship, Bojang left home in search of a future, arriving in Italy in July 2015 after a harrowing two-year journey. Frustrated by the lockdown, in 2020 he began crafting cushion covers using repurposed fabrics and an old sewing machine. A year later, he now employs fellow migrants and hopes to be a torchbearer for others to escape exploitative labor and build bright futures.

Sara Forte is a Milan-based, self-taught artist renowned for the eclectic character of her art, drawing upon her research into various mediums, from graphite drawing and etching to oil painting. Balancing shapes, colors, tradition, and innovation, she has worked with Murano glassmakers and goldsmiths to create pieces decorated with her paintings. Currently, she uses Silicon discs as a canvas for her works. Used to create tech appliances, silicon is a symbolic embodiment of the evolution of communication and represents the synthesis of the complexity of postmodern life.

Inveloveritas - a play on words mixing Latin and Italian idioms meaning “truth in veil” - is a cutting-edge fashion brand that reinterprets traditional Sardinian patterns in a modern way. Based in Cagliari and collaborating with local artisans, designers Giuseppe Scalas and Maria Francesca Maniga craft textile collections drawing on his digital and freehand designs and her handpainted, stylized female silhouettes. Digital embroideries, silk-screen prints, and hand-painted subjects inspired by Sardinian culture blend tradition and innovation, the signature trait of the brand.

Born and raised in le Marche, artist Elisabetta Carli moved to Venice to pursue a career in restoration after receiving her degree from the Academy of Fine Arts. After a career pivot, Carli spent a decade as a visual designer in the fashion industry: her dual professional paths allowed her to synthesize seemingly distant artistic fields into a personal and poetic aesthetic. Her collections of hearts are deftly handcrafted using mineral clay, merging traditional references of devotional Ex-Voto sacred hearts with the more exotic “sagrados corazones” typical of Mexican culture.

In the late ‘90s, master glassblower Reno Schiavon transformed the ancient family business into a school where young Muranese artists could thrive and showcase their talents. Brothers Mattia and Silvio Toso are among his decorated pupils, the former working under the great master Pino Signoretto. The brothers’ fresh glassmaking approach employing cutting-edge techniques has led to collections that satisfy modern sensibilities while keeping the century-old tradition alive. The company is currently run by Reno’s daughter, Giorgia, who infused new energy into the brand.

With an artistic path originating in dance and theatre, Stella Battaglia went on to study sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. She delved into perspective and anamorphosis, focusing on optical distortions in sculpture (2D-3D). Her dynamic approach is reflected in the choice of materials and mediums in her collections, from traditional art to modern video installations. Her pieces have been showcased at museums the likes of the Museo Galileo, the Uffizi Gallery, at the Galerie BOA in Paris, and she collaborated with the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Florence.

Vaporetto is a project created in 2019 by Enrico Trabacchin, a Venetian entrepreneur with a deep passion for art, in collaboration with expert Murano glassmakers Ballarin brothers. Vaporetto creates limited-edition collections showcasing first-rate designs handcrafted in flame-worked borosilicate glass. Featuring decorative pieces, vases, and glasses, its collections celebrate century-old Venetian glassmaking without compromising on tradition or elegance.

I Cocci di Maria Giuliana Collu is an artistic ceramic workshop based in the city of Selargius in Sardinia founded by Giuliana Collu. Often collaborating with architects and interior designers, she creates handcrafted pieces of decor using only a dough sheeter and a hand-drawn template. Collu’s creations combine the passion for clay and for her homeland, describing the history and beauty through archaic symbols, the sea’s vibrant blue hues, and the fascinating textures of nature. Entirely molded by hand by using clays in different shades of colors and enamels.

Silvia Garau Liotti grew up in a home where art and storytelling blended, with illustrated tales from her father and uncle sparking her imagination. Her passion for sculpture began in high school, where she mastered metalworking, design, and engraving. At the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma, she explored wax modeling and plaster casting, later embracing clay for its immediacy. Inspired by travels to India and China, her work reflects flowing movement and tactile surfaces. Mentored by masters like Arnaldo Pomodoro and Giuseppe Spagnulo, her sculptures embody deep exploration.

A small workshop based in the heart of Florence, NIVA Design was founded in 2018 with the aim of understanding and reinterpreting interior design in an innovative, singular way. The studio is located in a house with a peculiar structure that inspires the collections of door handles, knobs, wallpapers, mirrors, and other products that capture the timeless synthesis of sculpture, fantasy, and the natural world.

Master glassmaker Paolo Zornetta established Specchi Veneziani in Mira, near Venice, where he crafts superb pieces using ancient glass-making techniques handed down generations. The artisan workshop is specialized in prized mirror designs, enchanting in their assortment of shapes and colors for the crystal and the etched detailing and finishes, celebrating authentic Venetian tradition. From designs in impeccable classic style to pieces with a fresh modern personality, each object crafted by Paolo Zornetta captures glass-making artistry and history.

Driven by passion and a rich family tradition, Cristina Busnelli is a skilled weaver and textile designer. Weaving entirely by hand on a loom, she creates singular fabrics, clothing, tapestries, and furniture items that have been exhibited and awarded both in Italy and abroad. Busnelli is known for experimenting with different techniques and materials to create mesmerizing three-dimensional optical and tactile canvases, allowing people to have a multi-sensorial experience of her art. She received a degree in Industrial Design from the Polytechnic Design School of Milan.

Established in the ‘60s in Samugheo and taken over by Marcella and Daniela Sanna in 2004, Tessile Medusa boasts a rich production of rugs, curtains, tablecloths, and upholstery fabrics. The development of mechanical weaving techniques alongside traditional, manual ones allowed the brand to improve production while remaining faithful to the local traditions kept alive by the master weavers. The designs - inspired by blooming gardens, emerald waters, and tones of an authentic, rural Sardinia - reinterpret ancient patterns with a refined modern sensibility.

Established in the 18th century, the Manifattura Ceramica Fratelli Stingo in Naples is one of the only historic ceramic production houses still active today. Run by Imma and Simona Stingo, each terracotta vase and tile is handcrafted following ancient techniques handed down generations, concretely synthesizing contemporary tastes and traditions. Known for crafting majolica tiles for Villa Rosebery - the residence of the Italian President - and the Miami Four Seasons Hotel, the house has won several awards for its artistic and cultural contribution over the centuries.

Italian painter and ceramist Mirkò is renowned for his novel interpretation of Cubism marked by modernist and classic influences. Particularly inspired by Dutch artist Frans Brugman, Mirkò uses ceramic and paint to develop historical, mythological, religious, and natural subjects, specifically that of the Amalfi Coast where he lives and works. Protagonist of various international exhibitions, his singular style makes him one of the foremost exponents of Italian contemporary art.

Bringing a piece of Positano and Amalfi Coast into refined homes is the mission of Ceramiche Casola, a family-run brand based in Campania that has been producing one-of-a-kind pottery pieces since 1925. Minutely fashioned and painted by hand, the collections include ceramic plates, pitchers, vases, cups and also precious tables with lava stone tops adorned with vibrant ceramic inserts. Each piece is a testament to the artistry of the master craftsmen who create and design them with utmost dedication and diligence.