What is design if not a match of ingenuity, art, and craft? Recently, the sixth edition of Italian Design Day (IDD) was launched to showcase the excellence of Italian design, celebrating the nation’s deep connections to the design sector through the stories of some of the most prominent Italian brands.
Organised under the auspices of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, IDD 2022 demonstrated how design can be utilised to broaden knowledge and create business opportunities. Highlighting key components of the “Made in Italy” brand as a driving force of the Italian economic system, IDD 2022 proved that allure and functionality can converge into something that possesses reciprocal cultural influences, aesthetic subtlety, and artisanal craftsmanship. Held at Maristar, The Starhill, the endless creativity of Italian design was displayed at its fullest.
Guided by the theme, “Regeneration. Design and new technologies for a sustainable future”, IDD 2022 highlighted a timely challenge: functionality, sustainability and reduced environmental impact in lifestyle practices. Throughout the event, testimonials by prominent Italian brands were shared to emphasise on the convergence of Italy’s love for aesthetic, functionality, and sustainability. The 6th edition of the IDD in Malaysia, which is organised by the Italian Embassy and the Italian Trade Agency, was introduced by Ambassador Massimo Rustico—who masterminded a fresh new concepts for its 2022 rendition.
“The Italian Design Day has established itself as an effective tool for promoting Italian designs internationally, becoming a catalyst for our exports in various strategic sectors. The goal is to conceive new products and new processes based on sustainable technologies in accordance with the concept of promoting a circular economy,” Rustico added. He also lauded Malaysia as a great partner to Italy and aims to promote more bilateral ties in trade and investments. After a warm welcome by Rustico, the event introduced speakers from world-renowned Italian companies such as Ducati, Mangusta, Technogym, Armarior, and Permasteelisa.
IDD 2022 also saw the participation of renowned architect Franco Caimi, who is the founder of Caimi Brevetti, as the ‘ambassador of Italian Design in Malaysia’. Often regarded as one of the most important design-oriented producers of furniture and components in Europe, Caimi understood that environmental impact must be taken into consideration during the designing process. “Design is taking on important challenges, which is necessary to build a new, more responsible and sustainable world. I believe Italian design is making an essential contribution to combining aesthetics and functionality with new technologies, research and new materials, in playing a role in achieving environmental and social sustainability,” said Caimi.
Subsequently, director of Ducati Centro Stile Andrea Ferraresi took the floor to guide the audience through the exciting world of Ducati, introducing the company’s golden rules of design. On top of its commitment to excellence in performance and design, Ducati has also raced into the electric world with its electric racing motorcycles, with the goal of making electric motorcycles that are both high-performance and characterised by their mobility.
The Italian yachting industry as a whole is a crown jewel of the “Made in Italy” brand and a bright example of Italian excellence. Thanks to the Overmarine group’s commitment to luxurious experience, 300 super luxury yachts were released throughout its 30-year-run. During the presentation, the versatility and customisability of their designs and materials, which translate in unique vessels of ultimate taste, refinement, beauty and navigability were brilliantly showcased.
Italy is also home to highly skilled manufactures in the sector of construction, which brought on one of the most anticipated presentations from Permasteelisa, a renowned global player of high-tech glass facades for skyscrapers worldwide, like those of Merdeka 118, which has earned a triple platinum rating with international sustainability certifications including the prestigious Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) and GreenRE and Green Building Index (GBI), a first for Malaysia and, once completed, will be the second tallest skyscraper in the world (at the impressive height of 678.90 meters) after Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.
Italy hosts the largest furniture trade fair in the world, the ‘Salone Internazionale Del Mobile’ in Milan, which is considered a leading venue for showcasing new products and designers of furniture, lighting and other home furnishings around the world. To bring awareness to the 60th edition of the fair, scheduled this year on 7-12 June 2022, guests were treated to a short video clip of the 2021 edition of the ‘Salone Del Mobile’.
Other presentations played during the event included the Industrial Design Association Museum in Milan, and videos on the Italian fashion and jewelry clusters. Italian jewellery is renowned for their high quality of textiles and refinement of their construction. One of the video clips showcased illustrated the tremendous hype on the launching of Vicenzaoro, Europe’s first and largest international gold and jewellery fair which closed its doors on the 21st of March, after hosting over 1,000 brands and thousands of buyers from 50 countries worldwide.
During the closing minutes of the event, Rustico thanked all the speakers for their participation and invited Caimi to share a few words before concluding the event. “First of all I would like to thank the Ambassador Massimo Rustico and his team for organising the event. The companies whose presentations and beautiful videos you have had the opportunity to see today represent our country’s excellence and are examples of how Italian design is applied in different markets. Beauty, art and music have always united – and never divided – people, overcoming barriers. I sincerely hope that, with the combination of Italian design and humanity, we can contribute to achieving environmental and social sustainability”.
The Italian Design Day is a yearly initiative organised by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and its diplomatic network together with the Italian Trade Agency.
