FIAM has been the world leader in curved glass products for 40 years; back in 1973, Vittorio Livi made his dream come true - he turned glass into the "star" of the design world.
FIAM views the designer's ability to take risks with shapes as a challenge to their technical competence. The company even created one-off technologies to make certain items (for example, the Hydra coffee table by Massimo Morozzi and the Illusion table by Philippe Starck).
FIAM hired a designer to create a 3D mirror Leonardo Dainelli from Dainelle Design Studio, whose hallmarks of creativity are graceful forms, simplicity of lines and attention to detail.
Is it difficult to work with companies like FIAM? Do you sometimes have to find a compromise?
Working with FIAM is simple and easy - people who are open to everything new and able to accept interesting ideas from a designer work there. Unfortunately, this is not always the case with other companies.
Who decides in principle what the new model will be: a guest designer or a company?
As for the Reverso mirror, a brief was given to me indicating what was expected of me: the main thing is that the mirror should be in 3D. Based on this brief, the idea was born. She came to me at night, as it usually happens in my work: I often wake up at night and write down some thoughts; the memory of them is fleeting at night, they can slip away; so I always have a notebook on my bedside table. In the morning I revise my sketches, and some of them turn out to be very interesting.
Is it more difficult to design a mirror than, for example, a chair design? Or is there no fundamental difference for you?
Working on mirrors is very difficult. Although to some it may seem like a couple of trifles: you have a mirror finish, which means the issue with functionality has already been resolved. But if we are talking about a mirror model with a pronounced personality, then this is not so - it is rather difficult to come up with it. Reverso is a fantastic mirror in terms of functionality: thanks to the slanted surfaces, you can see yourself from different angles at the same time.
Do you have the same mirror hanging at home?
Not. First, because I don't really like to stand in front of a mirror. Secondly, I do not have a single production model that I have created for this or that factory.
How do you choose furniture for yourself?
It's very simple: I only have my prototypes at home or some vintage things: for example, from Werner Panton, Joe Ponty, Charles Eames …
Were the designers better before?
Maybe yes. But it used to be easier to invent a new product; and now, when there are already many objects in different styles, it is very difficult to find an original idea.
What else would you like to design?
Scooter. Such as Vespa. But this is a dream, but for now I continue to make furniture and I must admit that I really like it.
FIAM factory in Russia is represented by ARCHI STUDIO >>>
