This new adventure of the Romagna-based company has been firmly etched, we might say, and with the arrival of Diesel Living the scenarios that open up are numerous, and very interesting. The setting created in the Milan showroom intertwines the new collections, divided by torn portions that send a strong, clear signal about how Diesel Living can interpret – with the total complicity of Wall&decò – the wallpaper as object, both in graphic choices and in actual use.
At the opening, IFDM met the management of Wall&fecò (Christian Benini and Christian Tomadini) and Andrea Rosso, creative director of Diesel Licenses.
Organization (Tomadini) and creativity (Benini) contaminated by a different kind of creativity (Rosso) and a global vision. What are your views on the prospects that are opening up?
C. Tomadini: I think the entry of Diesel Living in Wall&decò will be forceful, a presence that will allow us – among other things – to approach markets that are marginal for us at the moment: especially Asia and the USA. Personally, I have always believed that Diesel Living, among all the lifestyle projects connected to a fashion brand, is the most appealing and fresh initiative, from all viewpoints.
C. Benini: For me, the collaboration is exciting in relation to what’s to come, beyond what we are presenting today. We have been in touch with Diesel for a few years, we’ve had time to swap views and to foster this relationship. I have always admired the touch of Andrea (Rosso) in the Diesel collections; their identity is always very recognizable.
A. Rosso: The visual impact you see here today is very strong, memorable. Not everyone can express such visual power. The way the wallpaper has been placed on the walls is not banal. These rips that introduce a different subject are a novelty, the overlay has a truly intriguing communicative force. We have also inserted some photographs of our travels, memories of vivid experiences. In short, a way of thinking about wallpaper that differs from the norm.
Firmly etched, an indelible image. But will the volume be boosted, from one day to the next?
A. Rosso: First of all, I must say that experimentation doesn’t frighten us. We are aware of the risks of such a wild, aggressive proposal, but we all believe in it, and we have our feet firmly planted on the ground… so I think the idea of getting it “down on wallpaper” will expand…
A big rip in the market, another wall that comes tumbling down?
C. Benini: For us that sums it up. There is a new philosophy, a product ready for use, in rolls. We will approach the market and distribution with a different proposal.
Internal and external human resources, and the commercial chain: is this a change that will lead to more change?
C. Tomadini: In recent years Wall&decò has gone through many changes. The partnership with Diesel Living will clearly bring energy with which to approach channels that have not yet been explored – I am talking above all about the digital and e-commerce area – and this will inevitably alter our strategies of promotion and sales. As a result, those in commercial roles will have to take on a different guise with respect to the present.
Everyone wants to get into the digital, but the furnishings sector in general doesn’t seem to grasp its true appeal. What do you think about this?
A. Rosso: I was born in 1977, so for me – to get back to our fil rouge – things still need to be “down on paper,” but with an openness to new developments. When Marilù Benini (Head of Marketing & Communication) showed me WeMu, the virtual pathway launched last fall, I thought it was exciting and effective. In short: if the web lets me choose things better, and faster, hopefully with the help of suitable customer service, then that’s my tool. We should not get bogged down in nostalgia or stereotypes that inhibit innovation.
Wall&decò will have relationships of synergy with all the other partners of Diesel Living; the nature of the product will embrace the settings, and the interactions will be many. And every new development will be “down on paper.”
