TASK FIVE

Intermediate Italian

Cultural Task

on

Italian Interior and Textile Design

Case Studies on:Mantero Seta Spa, Como

Bevilacqua, VeniceDedar, Milano

and

Interior Designer Alessandro Mendini, Milano

21st January 2013

by

Alice Fulton

Contents

Introduction..............................................................p.1

Case Studies on Italian Interior and Textile Design

Como: Mantero Seta Spa..........................................p.2Venezia: Bevilacqua..................................................p.4Milano: Dedar..........................................................p.5Milano: Alessandro Mendini.....................................p.7

Bibliography..............................................................p.8

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For my fifth task, I have chosen to do my cultural task. Upon consid-ering what aspect I would focus on within Italian culture, I decided to do a study on Italy’s textile design and also how it has been used in in-terior design. I am passionate about this topic because I am currently studying my interior design MA and had a previous work internship

in a textile company in Como a couple of year’s ago.

I have looked at 3 companies in northern Italy currently working in the textile industry but all have different production methods, uses

and clients for their fabric designs. I really enjoyed compiling together this task and have learnt much more about the history of silk produc-

tion in Como and have looked at family businesses that are genera-tions old. I have found information from books in the library, on the

internet and used largely my own photographs, as well as a couple from the company websites.

I have also done an online presentation of this information. To view this, please visit my blog: www.alicefulton.wordpress.com

Introduction

Case studies on

Italian Interior and Textile DesignItaly has a rich heritage of design and is internationally re-nown as a creative centre for architecture and urban, furniture, fashion, textile and interior design. With a key focus on textile design, I have looked at 3 design companies practicing today in northern Italy. These are:

Mantero Seta Spa in Como,Bevilacqua in Venice and Dedar in Milan.

The use of colour, pattern and fabrics within interior spaces can play an important role in the design, and the interior designer Alessandro Benini uses these elements in an inspiring way.

•••

ComoMantero Seta Spa

Mantero is one of the largest textile and silk manufacturing companies in Como. Today it is run by the fourth generation of the Mantero family and designs, produces and sells men’s and woman’s luxury textile ac-cessories and fabrics for the fashion indus-try. They also have a printing and weaving factory in nearby Como Grandate. In the headquarters in Como’s centre there is an incredible textile archive with thousands of fabric and patterns, which is a great source of inspiration for designer’s developing cur-rent company collections.

Como

Printed Scarves Fabrics used for print include: silk, cotton, wool, cashmere and velvet.

Venezia

Milano

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In Como, silk manufacturing began in the 16th century when mulberry seeds were planted in areas near Como to feed silkworms. Silkworms feed on the plant and envelope themselves in a cocoon made of excreted silk from their salivary glands. The cocoons are then boiled to kill the larvae inside before it grows into a moth and destroys the silk for production.

In the 18th century silk grew more rapidly due to technological developments in the industrial revolu- tion.

Como’s location beside the lake and nearby mountains brought a good supply of water to the farmlands in the Po Valley. Here the mulberry plants were growing well and had another practical use to divide fields.

As a result of this process, Como’s silk industry had a chance to develop and gain its position as a leader for silk production.

•

•

•

Como: why is it famous for silk production?

The exterior of the building in its neo-gothic style architecture is designed with decorative pattern and the wrought-iron railings add to its striking effect. Italy’s historic buildings, dis-played often with decoration and pattern detail-ing show great workmanship and design.

Mantero’s gardenThe Exterior of Mantero’s Headquarters

The Interior

3

Italy has not cultivated silkworms since WW2 because the process was too labori-ous to maintain. However, it did not effect silk manufacturing in Como. Instead it continued to develop and hundreds of businesses in the silk industry evolved.

Today, textile companies struggle more in the current economic difficulties but lets hope that industry has the opportunity to pick up again. I think we can be optimistic because Italy is able to offer fabrics that are ultimately luxurious, cre-ative and with a high quality. This is what is important and this is what Italy do best.

Bevilacqua

Bevilacqua is a fabric manufacturer specialising in hand-woven silk, velvet, cotton and linen for upholstery, interiors and furnishings. The company was established in 1875 by the Bevilacqua family but their tradition of weaving manufacturing dates back as far as 1700.

Over the course of 300 years, they have practiced the art and developed the skill and expertise of hand-weaving beautiful fabrics and continue to work on the 18th century looms and warpers.

Today fabric designs are used in repeat from their historical archive, which comprises of over 3,500 pattern designs. The company uses these historical patterns and re-interprets them with contemporary colour trends. The Bevilacqua fabrics are highly sought-after and are made for theatres, palaces and luxury-style homes.

Left: Bevilacqua’s Showroom in Venice

Venezia

4

Production 18th Century Hand Looms

Fabrics

Uccelli 34214omposition: 40% silk, 25% cotton, 35% viscose.Colours: blue, gold, light brown, sky blue, red, emerald green, ivory.

638 Rigato VeneziaComposition: 60% cotton - 40% viscose.Colours: multicolour.

Fiere 32973 30% silk, 42% linen, 28% viscose.Colours: gold, ivory, light brown, sky blue, red, pearl, antique gold, emerald green.

MilanoDedar

Dedar is a contemporary textile company specialising in the design and manufacturing of luxury fab-rics for interiors and upholstery.

Founded in 1976 by Caterina and Raffaele Fabrizio, it is a family business that continues to expand internationally. The company’s clients are often interior design-ers and over the years, they have themselves collaborated with well-known interior designers and styl-ists to inspire each other’s work.

Textile library in Milan’s showroom

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Showroom in Milan

Dedar fabric designs

Textile library in Milan’s showroom

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Alessandro MendiniAlessandro Mendini is an inspiring and influential contemporary designer. He is an architect, painter and graphic, interior and furniture designer. His style is bold and expressive with vibrant use of colour.

His concept sketch of the interior. I find his work exciting and inspiring due to the simple and bold style and bright use of colour. It feels a happy and creative space to be in.

Alessandro Mendini’s design of the Showroom Bisazza, New York, in 1998.

Fabric and Architecture

Here Mendini represents the importance of the use of fabric, colour and pattern within interior design. He plays with decoration to manipulate the way in which spaces can look and feel. Every surface has a pattern and he shows how it can be used to create atmosphere and sensation.

The architect and designer, Pietro Derossi, believes that there is a close relationship between fabric and architecture and that colours, designs and fabrics have a function to enhance interior spaces.

‘With regard to their form, colours and design, carpets, rugs and fabrics are for the specific environment to which they belong: they converse with the seat I designed, with the lamp, with the colour of the wall. If removed from their context, they become meaningless’. (Derossi, P (1990) Interni Annual: Tessuti ’90, p.18)

Installation of the exhibition, Dilmos, museo di Groniger, 19917

Bibliography

Books:

Andreini, L, Flora, N, Giardiello, P, Postiglione, G (2001) Ital-ian Interior Design, teNeues Verlag GmbH + Co KG, Kempen

Sabino, C (1988) Italian Country Living, Thames and Hudson Ltd, London

Magazine:

Bojardi, G (1990) Interni Annual - Tessuti’90 International Fur-nishing Fabrics, Elemond Editori Associati, Milano

Websites:

http://www.mantero.com

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/silken-treasure-como-italy.html?c=y&page=3

http://www.luigi-bevilacqua.com

http://www.dedar.com

http://blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?blogId=inartch&logNo=70033620502

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