Filippo Cristina talks about his early inclination towards design, his friendship with the descendants of the most famous Milanese architects and the inception of his brand TATO ITALIA.
Alzabile – A reading lamp which can also become a floor lamp, designed by Ignazio Gardella
As an Italian designer what would you say makes Italian design an attractive proposition globally?
Italian design is rooted in “historical production”, it looks back on projects of great value, in a way that has become a school of thought for the rest of the world. I believe that in Italy there is an intrinsic value in every object, an almost visceral know-how that is impossible to ignore. In addition, craftsmanship and ‘Made in Italy’ production is globally recognized, so many brands choose to produce in our country.
Wallie Piantana – Floor Lamp designed by Lorenza Bozzoli
What do you make of the contemporary design taste and how does it impact the design of your products?
It is always difficult to analyze taste in the moment in which one is experiencing it, we only achieve a more complete vision of any given period after at least a decade. For example, when we were in the ’00s there seemed to be no defined taste, while if we look back on those years today, certain objects can easily be placed in that era and are considered to have defined its style. As Gae Aulenti said, I believe there is nothing worse than being fashionable. It’s better to have your own style and follow it consistently. With TATO I always do my best to be in this second category.
The Monforte Armchair designed by Alessandro Pasinelli Studio
As an individual were you always drawn to light and furniture design, what led to the inception of TATO ITALIA?
I can say that I have breathed design since I was a child, I grew up among lovers of design, art and beauty. My family has guided and supported me… When I was a child, my parents didn’t take me to the beach but to Finland to see the work of Alvar Aalto! When I entered the job market, I was allowed to choose what I wanted to do, so I went on to carve my own niche. Thanks to my friendship with the descendants of the most famous Milanese architects and my good relations with a series of highly talented contemporary designers, I began to create the TATO catalog and kept on expanding it, year on year, in a very consistent way.
Will you be a part of the upcoming edition of Salone Del Mobile in September 2021? As a design entrepreneur, what does an event like Salone mean to you?
The project curated by Stefano Boeri for the September Supersalone has just been presented. We’re still in the evaluation phase, but it’s certainly a great sign for the city of Milan – a new beginning for the undisputed capital of world design. I’m sure that the April 2022 edition will be the true rebirth of the phoenix, the 2021 event in my opinion, is the much-needed revival which will lead us there.
The Icones Table Lamp by Lorenza Bozzoli
The year 2020 has been an exception for many and exceptional for a few, what is your take, what have the key takeaways been?
Everyone learned a lot from last year. 2020 forced us to slow down, and rethink our strategy. In a saturated marketplace full of offers, we thought that service, and in particular, a higher attention towards the end customer, could be a plus for our brand. We chose to put this at the center of our business operations.
‘Paolina’ – A hanging lamp designed by Ignazio Gardella
As a design connoisseur when you look at the evolution and developments in light and furniture design scene, is it all good or are there shortcomings which need to be addressed? How is your brand addressing them?
As mentioned, in my opinion there is an over-production of any kind of good today. What we try to do is to develop products with the highest possible design value in collaboration with designers and architects. All it takes is a small detail to catch the eye and make people fall in love. We also encourage design ideas which do not conform to a precise style. Design ideas based on just trends alone have a very rapid “decadence”. At the same time, we recover the projects of the great Masters of the ’50s. We have Alzabile by Ignazio Gardella and Luna by Gio Ponti in our catalogue, two simple lamps but with an almost obsessive attention to even the smallest detail. This is why they have been contemporary for over half a century!
The ‘Stand’ Coffee Table by Ignazio Gardella
From the yesteryears till date, who are some of you favourite designers?
Post-war Italian design is what I grew up with, I’ve always been surrounded by the most iconic pieces in my grandparents’ and parents’ homes, they are objects that have a domestic flavor and make me feel comfortable even when I find them in my friends’ apartments! Achille Castiglioni, Ignazio Gardella, Gio Ponti, Vico Magistretti, famous names that belong to my background and to the background of many other people. They are the Masters.
The new Sella pouf originally designed in 1961 by Corrado Corradi Dell’Acqua
Going forward what kind of design collaborations and product launches have you planned for the year?
TATO continues its exploration of the most important design pieces by 20th century Italian designers and enriches its already vast catalogue with two re-editions of historical products by Ignazio Gardella: Paolina, a pendant lamp with an immediately familiar look, composed by an essential volume with soft lines that envelops the underlying diffuser, and Stand, a side table that is a clear example of the architect’s skill in creating avant-garde pieces by combining elements from other products. It is distinguished by a handle which is a design virtuosity as well as a highly useful element.
Finally, I would like to point out the new Sella pouf, originally designed in 1961 by Corrado Corradi Dell’Acqua, available in three versions with a backrest of different heights and covered in velvet, felt or other fabric.In parallel, the brand continues its collaboration with the best names in the world of contemporary design. With Matteo Nunziati the brand is presenting Leina, an alternative version of the Lea table lamp. Both models are directly related by their essential shape created by two intersecting cylinders, but Leina is smaller in size and displays a yet unseen and modern combination between the base in marble and the satin-finish polycarbonate shade.
Icones lamp by Lorenza Bozzoli, first presented as a table lamp, has now been declined into an actual family which also includes a floor and a suspension lamp. All models have a pure geometric line and are characterised by a well-balanced interplay of different finishes, with brass and aluminium structure and lampshade in white opaline plastic.
Another new product is Monforte chair by Alessandro Pasinelli Studio, a homage to Milan and to the architects who, in the post-war period, redefined the city’s image with an unparalleled creative force. Declined in two versions with or without armrests, the chair has a metal tubular structure which resonates with the Bauhaus philosophy and is proposed in black or satin gold finish.
Leina table lamp designed by Matteo Nunziati
In your words, what is the uniqueness of Brand TATO ITALIA?
The love of good design, attention to detail, and certainly the people who work for TATO. Never forget that companies are made of people, not things!
Connect Online@ www.tatoitalia.com
