Do we really need more products to evolve design? Or would it be better to focus on something else? And what is the secret behind the most perfect furniture?
The “In Conversation With…” event hosted by Istituto Marangoni London with guests Giulio Cappellini, Tom Dixon and Jay Osgerby. It was moderated by Wallpaper* magazine editor-in-chief Sarah Douglas
During the London Design Festival 2023, Istituto Marangoni London hosted an event from the “In Conversation With…” series that brought together mavericks, experts and cultural disruptors to discuss the “Future landscapes” of interior design.
On stage were three world-renowned designers: Giulio Cappellini, a prominent figure on the global design stage as well as a long-time art director for Istituto Marangoni Milano and now a mentor for the Dubai school; Tom Dixon, a British authority in furniture design; and Jay Osgerby, co-founder with Edward Barber of the London-based industrial design studio Barber Osgerby. The discussion, filled with unforgettable learning moments and insights, was moderated by Wallpaper* magazine editor-in-chief Sarah Douglas.
We could certainly not miss this unique event. The Maze35 team was there in the front row for you. So, please take a sit, read through this article, and imagine the exciting future of design along with these pro players and trailblazers.
The future of interior design is a wonderful chaos of humanity and multiculturalism
“The contemporary workspace has become more human,” said design entrepreneur and living legend Giulio Capplellini, introduced by Sarah Douglas, who wanted him as guest editor of October 2023’s Wallpaper*.
Cappellini SpA design pieces on display at Istituto Marangoni in London for London Design Festival 2023
Cappellini, an architect trained in Milan, has dedicated his career to design, offering his vision both by transforming his family furniture-making business in Brianza into a global brand and by serving as an art director for other major brands. At 69, Cappellini has a body of work that covers a wide range of furniture elements, including the iconic Bong and Gong tables, the Break table collection and the Luxor furniture line. Additionally, he is widely recognised as a talent scout for young professionals, having launched the careers of numerous designers such as Jasper Morrison, Marc Newson, Marcel Wanders, Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec and Nendo, to name but a few.
Wallpaper* October 2023 issue cover by guest editor Giulio Cappellini
As art director of Cappellini, he played a crucial role in elevating the career of Barber Osgerby and the restless innovator Tom Dixon, who designed the widely acclaimed S-Chair while working for him.
“It is very difficult to select the products you like,” stated Giulio Cappellini. “I often change my mind and move things around. My idea is to create a kind of landscape with different products, like my home, which is a chaos of different design pieces made by different people all over the world.”
In search of ideas for customised spaces of freedom, at work and at home
But how has interior design evolved? “In the past, people lived in similar spaces or worked in offices that were all the same,” argued Cappellini. “Now the concept has evolved to spaces that reflect their own identity; freedom of concept is driving the future of design.”
A moment from the latest Istituto Marangoni London event with Giulio Cappellini, Tom Dixon and Jay Osgerby
When asked what design needs today, the maestro replies: “It’s all a matter of passion: there are still thousands of things to do in design, and we need new ideas. There are more prototypes than products that don’t work in the end, but that’s the interesting thing.” In a universal scenario, Cappellini stated that “everything is changing; a designer’s heritage is part of their concept because people come from all over the world with absolutely different designs.”
A collaborative approach to design – and a doodle of a chicken turned into an idea for a chair
“I have had this fantastic opportunity in my life to meet incredible people among young designers,” Capellini shared. “A multicultural design idea, that is my dream. When people ask me what the trend is today, I say: it is the freedom to mix all these different stories.”
This is how Giulio Cappellini discovered and mentored Tom Dixon in the 1990s. “I remember the first time I met Tom in his studio. It was dark, full of prototypes, with a team of ten people and only one cup of coffee. Do you remember, Tom?” he asked Dixon – Dixon shook his head, smiling. That was when Cappellini saw the prototype of what would become Dixon’s acclaimed S-chair, still produced by Cappellini in Italy: it was made of welded steel and rushed in a post-punk do-it-yourself spirit. As stated on the Victoria&Albert Museum website, Dixon made furniture and decorative objects from scrap metals at the time, and his favourite technique was welding.
Tom Dixon’s acclaimed S-chair, still produced by Cappellini in Italy, on display at Istituto Marangoni London for LDF23
“My slightly more successful designs seem to be ones that can be read in different ways, quite opposite to their original intent,” says Tom Dixon on his website. “If my original departure point for the S-Chair was a chicken, it has often been described by others as a female form. I have often been asked what the inspiration was behind the S-Chair, and, honestly, the only memory I have is of drawing a small doodle of a chicken […] and thinking that I could make a chair from it.”
The Italianness of Design
Jay Osgerby recognises the power of the Italian design community. “Italian design was created by a group of entrepreneurs who formed a business,” he said during the conversation.
For Tom Dixon, the design scenario was different: “In the UK, design didn’t exist like it does today. There were no places for students, such as the Design Museum. At that time, I wasn’t even sure what I was doing,” he admitted. “The Italian design industry was doing something we had never seen before. People were open. Italians were designing luxury goods, where luxury meant very good, interesting objects.”
Are you happy when creating, but the next day, you want to change everything? Don’t worry; even Giulio Cappellini, Tom Dixon and Jay Osgerby feel the same
“How do you feel when you design something?” asked an alumnus of the MA in Interior Design at Istituto Marangoni London. Yes, man, that’s the question!
An alumnus of the MA in Interior Design at Istituto Marangoni London, who attended the event
“I feel upset and disparate when I design, as I always want to change things a bit, but it’s too late,” replied Tom Dixon. “I have never been satisfied because design is all about improvement.”
Then Giulio Cappellini added: “I can always do better when I present a new collection. I am happy when I create, but the next day, I want to change it all. This is key in contemporary design; you can always do better. Our goal is to make people dream and smile. Beauty is OK, but the most important thing is what people feel about design. We don’t need new products in the future; we need new ideas and concepts, so let’s work on that.”
Last came Jay Osgerby’s advice: “I would suggest thinking less about aesthetics and more about finding a new solution to some issue you have observed in society. And it is about the joy of creating an object that is a representation of yourself.”
Silvia De Vecchi
University Librarian, London