Traditionally, the Rising Talent section it’s one of the biggest and most important elements of any Maison et Objet. The January edition of the event (from 19 to 23 January) will feature, once again, this section and will highlight the work of six promising designers, but this time they all hail from beautiful Italy, one of the main focus of the next year’s edition. Influential Italian design figures Andrea Branzi, Piero Lissoni, Luca Nichetto, Giulio Cappellini, Rossana Orlandi and Rosita Missoni were all asked to nominate and mentor one Italian Rising Talent each. They made their choice and now it’s time for their official introduction.
Famous architect and designer Andrea Branzi chose the only female Rising Talent among the six: Frederica Biasi. Despite being only twenty-eight years old, Frederica as a vast curriculum, having worked in several design brands and art companies, such as Mingardo or Fratelli Guzzini. In his own words, Branzi chose her “quintessential design and poetic ideas, which deliver subtle, yet very particular messages”. This is a strong statement by such an illustrious designer, however, this bold affirmation manages to capture the essence of the fabulous work of Frederica. For her showing at Maison et Objet 2018 she will present a selection of iconic products from her past but with an exciting twist, because all of them will be revisited using unexpected materials. She will also present a series of exclusive objects designed especially for the event.
Frederica Biasi may be the only female designer among the Rising Talents, but among the mentors, there are two strong female presences. One of them is Rosita Missoni, the talented and hardworking eighty-five year-old matriarch and co-founder of Missone, one of the world’s greatest luxury fashion brands. Her nominee is Marco Lavit Nicora, an Italian but Paris based rising talent designer that stands out due to his strong creative proximity to classic Italian craftsmanship. This was, in fact, one of the reasons that led to Missoni’s endorsement. They both share the love for pure Italian craftsmanship and they both understand it’s importance in the design industry. We can expect a lot of pieces with this strong cultural identity from Marco at Maison et Objet 2018.
The other female mentor is contemporary design icon Rossana Orlandi that, without surprised, chose a Rising Talent with similar design vison. His name is Guigliemo Poletti and, just like Orlandy, he has a strong passion for two things: Modern Design and The Netherlands. His dynamic pieces combine the complexity of design but the simplicity of modernity. Without any surprise his collection it’s called Equillibrium! We can definitely expect a fantastic showing from this promising designer at Paris in January.
The oldest Rising Talent is Kensaku Oshiro. He was born in Japan, but studied Design in Milan and has established his career in Italy. He’s already a solid name in young design, in fact he won first place for Design Report Award at the 2016 Milan Salone Satellite, as well as other prestigious awards. Nonetheless, he’s still considered a rising talent. He’s the choice of architect and designer Piero Lissoni, who has worked with him for eight years and, because of that collaboration, recognizes the full potential of his young pupil. It’s no surprise that Oshiro’s design has a strong Asian inspiration, namely a clear approximation to the classic japanese clean style, but he also inputs a notable western inspiration to all of his pieces. It’s this cultural duality that we can expect from Oshiro’s exhibition at Maison et Objet 2018!
The youngest competitor of this section is twenty-six years old Antonio Facco. Despite being the youngest of the group, this Milanese designer is clearly a force to be recon with. His work as dazzled the attention of Giulio Cappellini, the famous art director of the Italian design firm Cappellini. He approached Facco and, together, started a process of collaboration that culminated in the release of a whole collection in 2017. A sort of professional mix between rising talent and proved talent. Of all six exhibitions of the Rising Talent event at Maison et Objetc 2018, Facco’s will be the most unique. He’s preparing a multidisciplinary and participative exhibition that will engage visitors in the singular metaphysical world of his work.
Last but not least let’s present Federico Peri. Chosen by designer Luca Nichieto, the youngest among the mentors, Peri has worked in several galleries and design companies around Europe and, with his work, has gained a considerable amount of experience that allowed him to develop his passion for multifunctionality. Perri is also a lighting fixtures aficionado, so you can expect to see a powerful collection full of pieces that appeal to multifunctionality with the help/collaboration of light. Will it be enough to take the Rising Talent award home? We’ll find out in January….
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