Designer of the Gervasoni range

For over 30 years, Paola's unique architecture, interiors, furniture, tableware, and installations have impacted the design community. From the Italian avant-garde to contemporary mainstream, as well as the general public. For a lifetime of achievements, Paola has been inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame. Fifo are honoured to bring the work of this extraordinarily talented and accomplished designer to New Zealand.

Paola graduated with a degree in Architecture in 1973 from the Turin Politecnico. Between 1970 and 1980 she worked alongside a selection of the most progressive Italian designers on the scene including Alessandro Mendini, Ettore Sottsass Jr. and Andrea Branzi in the Alchimia group. Where she developed a highly productive and stimulating avant-garde stance which gained her, in 1983, the prestigious Osaka International Design Award.

Paola believes that everyone’s image of their ideal bed is unique and this should be catered for. The bed should be an intimate retreat for the night, but also the perfect place to regain energy and feel at home. Her collection is dedicated to joyfully elegant homes and are imaginative and timeless. Each bed is made with beautiful fabrics, whether natural linens or velvets, and with special tailored details of the highest quality.

Designer of Gilbert and George

Denis Santachiara has created works of art and design displayed in various Italian and international events and museums such as MOMA in New York, Musee des Arts Decoratifs in the Louvre, National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, Museum of Lyon, Museum of Frankfurt, Vitra Museum in Weil-am-Rhein Geramania and Philadelphia Museum Collection du Centre de Design Pompidou. Museum of Design, Milan Triennale. Denver Art Museum. 

He collaborates with Italian and international companies including: SniaViscosa, Centrostile Fiat, Progetto Cultura Montedison, B&B Ministero della Cultura Francese, Luceplan, Artemide, Swatch, Rosenthal, Panasonic, Domodinamica, Vitra, Campeggi, Superga, Bang-Olufsen, Banca Generali, De Padova, Chrysler/Benz, Foscarini, Marutomy, Baleri Italia, La Murrina, Serralunga, Koizumy, Erreti, Bonaldo, Magis, Zerodisegno, Post Design, Polsit, Naos, Fontana Arte, Isedit. Swaroschy, Guzzini casalinghi.

Denis is also a professor and lecturer holding courses and seminars in universities and institutions around the world.

Designer of Lazy Basketball

Emanuele Magini grew up in Arezzo, Italy and founded his own  studio  called Magini Design Studio. He was awarded a scholarship to study in Bezalel Academy of Jerusalem and graduated in Industrial Design at the Politecnico di Milano. In 2003 he was invited to the 11th Biennial Young Artist of the Mediterranean in Athens. 

He worked for several architectural and design studios including Albera Mountains Associati and Studio Rotella, participating in national and international projects such as: Casino of Campione d'Italy, Acqua Valverde, Campari, Banca Sella, Citroen.

Emanuele's projects have won national and international acclaim including Good Design Award from the Museum of Architecture and Design in Chicago, IF product design award, and the ADI design index.

He currently collaborates with the Politecnico di Milanom, Heineken, Seletti, Gruppo Sintesi,  and Verona Fair.

Designer of Giravolta

Born in 1952, graduated in 1976 in Architecture at Politecnico di Milano, Giulio Manzoni worked with various organizations including the University of Milan and Pavia, the Venice Biennale, the District 8 in Como, Intercommunale - Pordenone, and the Casino Campione d'Italia. 

Giulio holds several Italian and European patents for his works  in the field of industrial design. His work focuses on multi-functional products and new technologies to achieve this.

Over his career he has collaborated with Italian and international companies, including B&B Italia, Clei, Flexform, F.lli Longhi, Gruppo Euromobil, Panasonic, and Salice.

Designer of Dynamic Life

Matali is an industrial designer who started her own agency in Bellaville, Paris called Matali Crasset Productions after a successful career working with well renowned names such as  Denis Santachiara, Philippe Starck, alessi, danese, hi-matic hotels, le buisson, and nodus.

After graduating in industrial design at the Ateliers - ENSCI in 1990, she has continually sought and explored different and eclectic territories.  Rizzoli New York has just published a biography dedicated to her work.

Designer of Olga Puff

Born in Milan in 1972, Paolo Imperatori studied at the FAUP of Porto and later graduated at the Politecnico di Milano. In 2007 he opened his own interior Architecture studio in Milan and sketched the final design of the Magistretti's house in Lausanne (CH) and is currently designing a Manor in Bibbona, Tuscany and restructuring a Victorian house in London. 

Paolo has participated in numerous exhibition including Sensi Divini (Triennale 2005), Dolcevita (Milan 2006), Tavole meravigliose (Cosmit 2008), Meet Design (Rome 2011), Design for Charity (Triennale 2012), and Contemporaneità del tutto (Cologne 2012). In 2011 he designed the exhibition Gioielli per Milano and Giornata Xerra - Interfaces at the Triennale of Milan.

As well as partnering with Campeggi, Paolo produced designs for Diamantini & Domeniconi, Frag, Le Fablier, and Oluce.

Designer of Trick

Born in 1977 in Japan, Sakura operates out of her studio in Milan.

Sakura Adachi graduated from Musashino Art University in Industrial and Craft Design, specialising in woodwork. She then moved to London to complete her Masters in Industrial Design at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design graduating in 2004.

Since 2004, she has been living and working in Milan and has collaborated with important design studios such as Atelier Bellini, and Studio and Partners. In 2005, she participated in Copenhagen International Furniture Fair, and exhibited the bookcase CAVE. The fair was a great success and HRH The Crown Prince of Denmark visited her stand, which resulted in numerous publications of her works including an interview on the New York Times in 2007. In 2008 Sakura opened her studio in Milan.

 In 2010, she won RED DOT Design Award for her fruit bowls ECLIPSE. She is visiting lecturer at Instituto Europeo di Design in Milan.

Designer of Oblo

The late Vico Magistretti was born in Milan and graduated in Architecture at the Politecnico di Milano. He immediately started working in his father's studio, architect Piergiulio Magistretti.

The 1950s were a very busy and fruitful period for the young architect, who came up with lots of innovative ideas and, very quickly, emerged as one of the most brilliant exponents of the third generation. In these years Magistretti designed two of his most significant buildings in Milan: the Torre al Parco in via Revere (1953-56, working with Franco Longoni) and the office block in corso Europa (1955-57).

Over the next years he began working a lot more as a designer as well as an architect, creating furniture and objects which will always be classics of modern-day production for important companies, such as Artemide, Cassina, De Padova, Flou, Fontana Arte, Fritz Hansen, Kartell, Olivari, Oluce, Poggi, Schiffini Mobili Cucine, and Gebrüder Thonet Vienna.

His design works are on display in MOMA’s permanent collection in New York and in lots of other museums in America and Europe.