Giulio Cappellini, the Milan-based architect, is the founder of the Cappellini design studio, one of the world’s leading trendsetters. He is frequently sought out to serve as the art director for several significant design brands and to give lectures all over the world since he has a spirit and goals that are constantly evolving.
Collaborations with his brand have given rise to several well-known names, including Jasper Morrison, Marc Newson, Marcel Wanders, the Bouroullec brothers, and the Nendo brothers, to name a few. The work of Giulio Cappellini encompasses a wide range of furniture components. The recognizable Bong and Gong tables, the Break table series, and the Luxor cabinet units are among the most cherished.
How has the concept of design changed over the years according to you?
Design changed a lot over the years: in the past, you were asked to create a single product, and now you must build a family of products that have to live well together and in different architectural environments.
Another big change is the market you work for, if expanded from a local to an international scale, you must create products that you can also sell all over the world.
Could you share your experience and motivation behind your project – Cappellini Love?
I think that we can find interesting raw materials everywhere from around the world, it’s not true that to do a good design, you have to use rich materials. Cappellini Love is about that, we started by prototyping in Africa using local raw or waste materials that you can find on the street.
Another concept of Cappellini Love is to use the local craftmanship and artisanal way of working in some fragile countries (Perú, for example).
As a seasoned talent scout, what do you look for in a creative person?
There is not one right way to discover new talent, but I can say that, in my opinion, the most important thing is to look at the sensibility and the approach toward the design of these people. It’s also essential to respect the individuality of each designer because the approach to design is absolutely subjective; sometimes, we start a collaboration, and sometimes we don’t.
When I say the word design, which emotions do you relate to it?
Well, design is my life. I think it’s not something for a few people, you can find it everywhere and in everything. The designer’s job is to create something that gives beauty and improves people’s lives.
What is the future of design? What aspects of the design can future designers focus on to equip themselves better? Can you paint a bigger picture?
I consider that the biggest difference from the past is that now you must create something thinking more globally. You can’t just design a chair, a table, or whatever, you have to also consider what is going on outside and give answers to people’s needs.
For example, today, we want a cozier space, but in the past, we had mostly square objects, white strong lights, and so on. Now we have more rounded and soft objects, and warm lights, not only in our homes but in our offices too.
You have always collaborated with the Istituto Marangoni, as Ambassador and Art Director of the Design Campus, and now as a mentor for the Dubai school. What was your first impression after seeing projects from students of Interior Design, Product Design and Visual Design during your first mentoring experience?
My first experience with Marangoni’s Dubai campus was very interesting, I was surprised by the quality of the projects that I saw, especially when I thought that they were students at the beginning of their careers. High quality not only in terms of products but also in terms of concept., I always say that we don’t need new products on the market, we need new ideas, and I was genuinely surprised by the ideas and the way of working that Marangoni’s Dubai students showed in our first meeting.
What does it mean for you to be appointed as Mentor for the Design Courses at Istituto Marangoni Dubai? What is the secret to creating Future Designers?
To be a mentor means to try to give my experience to the students and to guide them appropriately because to make a good project, you must know well what has already been done.
Another important aspect of my work is to ensure that young designers are passionate and professional, they must learn about the theory behind design and also how to relate with a company.
In your perspective, how much ‘beauty’ is the most crucial facet of creativity?
Well, there is no creativity without beauty, but we can’t live without it. Living in a beautiful place makes your life so much better than living in a horrible place.
After many years of experience, where would you lean in the Quantity versus Quality debate?
I think Quality is more important. Every month you see thousands of projects and products, but after a while, you will remember only a few of them.
How do you balance Style and Comfort in your designs?
Comfort in design is essential, you must find a balance between comfort and style. You can create the most beautiful chair in the world, but if it’s uncomfortable, it makes no sense.
Please help me settle a debate. Is Design Art, or is Art, Design?
I think the contamination between the two is very strong in terms of shape, colors, and so on. Surely when we think of art, we think primarily of unique pieces, and when we think of design, we think mainly of mass-production products. That said, a design product can be beautiful and get closer to a piece of art, but a piece of art could be inspired by a design product.
The important thing is to try to understand the difference between a unique piece and a product we produce in quantity because we can’t replicate the spirit and the uniqueness in mass-production products.