The Artisans

A sublime union of Mesoamerican symbolism and Italian ceramic tradition, Zuma Ceramiche is the brainchild of Salerno-born ceramist Lucia Carpentieri. Carpentieri was exposed to painting and ceramics as a child in her mentor-father’s workshop; over the years, she’s worked on fresco restorations and wall decorations in homes and public places all the while experimenting with her personal aesthetic. In 2009, she opened Zuma Ceramiche in Avellino’s historic district and then moved to Vietri, where she creates pieces, from plates to jewelry, whose elegance sublimates their ordinary nature.

The brainchild of Donatella Casiraghi, Laab is a brand defined by a singular mix of Western and Eastern stylistic influences. A trained architect with over a decade of experience, Casiraghi obtained her Master in Feng Shui in Bangkok, an ancient Chinese art that she applies to both her interior design ensembles and Raku ceramics. Inspired by the Tao concept of ”the void inside defines the essence”, her sublime creations emerge from purity of forms and effortlessly exude energy and expressiveness. Laab is located in Monza, Lombardy.

Showcased in international design and art magazines, Le Meduse is an exclusive brand founded by Gianfranco Coltella in 1993, who was inspired by the ethereal quality and sinuous shapes of jellyfish (“meduse” in Italian). Coltella initially worked for architecture and industrial design firms in Milan, where he consolidated his concept of functional and sustainable designs, favoring natural, recycled materials and finishes. All products are handcrafted in a laboratory located in Saluzzo (Cuneo) using specially designed tools for glass to obtain original shapes and effects.

Founded in 2002, SITIA is an Italian furniture brand renowned for its contract and residential furnishings. Guided by the ethos of “the human contract”, it focuses on creating spaces that evoke emotions and foster connections. Specializing in high-quality Italian upholstery, SITIA collaborates with designers and artisans to craft pieces that transcend functionality, telling captivating stories and enhancing well-being. Committed to handcrafted quality and environmental sustainability, SITIA strives to contribute to a more sustainable world through its innovative designs.

Chicago-born, trained-architect Felicia Ferrone’s style bridges the gap between the minimalistic and the whimsical, the everyday and the remarkable. Based in both Chicago and Milan, her international eponymous brand is known for its minimalist aesthetic and innovative use of materials and production techniques. Her contemporary glassware and tableware collections created in collaborations with master artisans combine delicately fluted borosilicate glass and Nero Marquina and Carrara marbles to bring a stylish element to both luxury and everyday tables.

Crafting bespoke furniture since 1953, the Druetta family has been keeping alive a high-end upholstering tradition for three generations. Based in Moretta, a small town near Cuneo, the family-run company has developed into a centre for artisanal design and production, also offering all-round furniture repairing and restoration services. Strongly rooted in the local community, the company creates unique pieces using a variety of artisan and modern processing techniques, ranging from the traditional intarsia and gilding to cutting-edge leather processing and textile digital printing.

StudioNotte is a Milan-based, product design studio founded in 2019 by Luisa Alpeggiani and Camila Campos, who met while obtaining their Master’s in Product Design for Innovation at il Politecnico di Milano. Driven by a shared passion for exploring the roots of Italian craftsmanship and the possibilities offered by technology and new materials, the studio creates original designs handcrafted by local artisans in small series that combine functional aspects and refined aesthetics intended to make everyday life more enjoyable.

Established in Campodarsego, Padua, Innova has crafted upholstered furniture since 1982. Founded by Livio Moro, Innova is currently under the artistic direction of Marta and Matteo Moro, who follow in their father’s footsteps by merging technology and craftsmanship tradition with a focus on aesthetics and functionality. Customization is at the core of the company, which fosters a productive relationship between designers, artisans and customers to fashion products of unparalleled quality for all tastes and needs.

Este Ceramiche Porcellane, established in the 18th century in its present location, is one of the oldest manufacturers of ceramics in Europe. In 1953, Giovanni Battista Giorgini, already world famous as an “inventor” of the great Italian Fashion Shows in Palazzo Pitti in Florence in 1951, discovered, during one of his trips to Veneto, an old semi-abandoned ceramics factory in Este. The company is currently led by G.B. Fadigati, Giorgini’s nephew. Este Ceramiche Porcellane has created successful and fruitful collaborations with some of the greatest contemporary stylist to bestow on its new collections the “fashion content” that interpret high quality household goods and ornaments with modern trompe l’oeil technique, inspired by old eighteenth century models.

Offering a range of bathroom products and accessories, Agapecasa celebrates 40 years of excellence marked by meticulous craftsmanship and sustainable production practices. Founded in 1973 by the Benedini family and today under the direction of brothers Giampaolo and Emanuele, the Mantua-based company has achieved renown on the international stage thanks to collaborations with acclaimed international designers. Conceptualizing the bathroom as an architectural space, Agapecasa’s collections combine functionality and style to provide distinctive solutions centered around well-being.

Based in Florence, InternoItaliano started in 2012 as a “factory network”, an equal partnership between the designer and a network of artisan workshops spread across Italy. Spearheaded by industrial designer Giulio Iacchetti, the project celebrates Italian artisan traditions realized using natural materials: contemporary sophistication retains a sense of history, with the focus on quality and durability rather than trends. Firmly established on the international design scene, Internoitaliano was acquired by MyHome Collection in 2019 with Iacchetti serving as Artistic Director.

A portmanteau of the words “picture” and “room”, Pictoom is a brand based in Zanè (Vicenza) that has been designing and manufacturing luxury furniture since the late 1920s. The company today is guided by third-generation Magda and Flavio Marogna who have consolidated the brand identity, creating innovative ways of experiencing art through a balance of technology and tradition. Neither art nor furniture, each piece is dressed in a decorative image that represents the life, passion, memories, and emotions of the individual customer, becoming the protagonist of the space.

Located in London’s Belgravia district, Maison Arabella is an architectural interior design studio founded in 2016 by Arabella Bassadone, a trained interior designer who credits her family roots and background for her sensibility and eclectic style. Believing that design should convey new meanings while also focusing on functionality and wellbeing, Maison Arabella’s pieces energize an environment in the same way a painting or sculpture does. The firm’s unique approach lies in an immersive understanding of clients’ personality and lifestyle to determine their design identity.

Alessandro Di Marco’s background in dance, fashion design and interior decorating has shaped his multifaceted style of creating. His unique aesthetic combines harsh physical discipline with the perfection of high quality interior design. The end result is a luxurious line of home textiles which displays the highest quality of workmanship, materials, and detail.

Rubelli, a Venice family business now in its fifth generation, has been creating, manufacturing and marketing high-quality furnishing products since 1889, in particular fabrics for residential and contract use, as well as wall coverings and furniture collections. Today Rubelli sells its collections all over the world. In Italy, in addition to the headquarters in Marghera and the showroom and historical archive in Venice, also home to the Fondazione Rubelli, Rubelli has its own showrooms in Milan and Rome, and is present in 84 countries worldwide.

Born out of founder Raffaella Gemiti’s passion for embroidery and love for tradition and family, CiBelle produces handmade tablecloths and accessories. Characterized by lively designs inspired by nature and Apulian traditions, the Andria-based brand’s mission is to create high-quality, durable, exclusive linens that merge sustainability and luxury to infuse sophistication to any table setting or dining occasion. The name of the brand, from the Apulian dialect “ci bello” meaning “how beautiful”, pays homage to Gemiti’s grandmother, her inspiration and mentor.

Founded in 2001, Ashanti has been dedicated to creating cutlery as an alternative to traditional silver flatware and everyday cutlery without renouncing elegance. Located in Piacenza, Ashanti’s handcrafted collections are made with resin, a material used exclusively in high fashion for accessories and ornaments. Dedicated to sustainability, in 2020 the brand started a collaboration with the internationally certified leading company Meba to use MEBA BIORESINE®, a special plant-based resin with notable technical and aesthetic qualities, in all of its collections.

Specialized in entirely handcrafted and decorated pieces made using traditional techniques, Amodino Milano ceramics arise from the combination of art, music, and design. A meeting point for artists from diverse backgrounds, the House Laboratory is a creative space where artisans can freely create following their own style, mood, and inspiration, with each piece characterized by irregular shapes, bold colors, and irregularities to be cherished as a mark of individuality.

Sbittarte was founded in late 2015 by Leonardo Collanega inspired by the word "sbittare" ("lift the cleat, untie the moorings"), a practice that nourishes the creativity of individuals in the spirit of free expression. The Marostica-based workshop specializes in majolica using ancient techniques passed down by artisans from Nove, Bassano, and Marostica. Since the beginning, Collanega has been experimenting with new forms using clay, stoneware, refractory and semi-refractory, and porcelain, working in collaboration with Stefano Bertoncello for the finishing details.

Located in Settignano, a small town on the hills overlooking Florence, White Porcelain Florence is an artisan workshop where master ceramist Nerina Martinelli creates porcelain tableware pieces inspired by the surrounding natural landscapes. A former restaurateur, Martinelli attended the workshop of renowned Florentine artist Romano Pampaloni and subsequently decided to pursue her passion for porcelain. Each of her pieces is meticulously handcrafted, defined by essential lines and finished with a layer of crystalline to heighten the natural porcelain color.