Summing up craftsmanship and industrial production, Vero – generated by the encounter between Pasquale Apollonio, founder of Level Project, and the creative directors Simona Flacco and Riccardo Crenna of Simple Flair and Riviera Creative Space – reinvents everyday useful objects with an original image. Vero is a talent incubator that experiments with an innovative concept of the art of dwelling: stools, bookcases, mirrors, chairs and tables are transformed into unconventional works created by an international group of pioneering young designers: CARA \ DAVIDE, Frederik Paulsen, Marco Campardo, Natalia Criado, Federica Elmo, a617. Made in Galatina by local craftsmen, with a particular focus on quality and sustainability, the creations on view in Milan at Riviera look like true collectors’ items. A major challenge, as Apollonio explains.
When did Vero begin, and with what sort of philosophy?
The brand was launched on 7 April 2022, but it is a project I have had in mind for some time. I founded my first company 20 years ago, Level Project, for the production of furnishings by famous brands, and I had been thinking about how to bring our know-how into people’s homes. I met Simona Flacco and Riccardo Crenna, and we were immediately closely in tune. Their vision combined with my experience has given life to the project I had always dreamed about: Vero, a brand based on honesty, transparency and quality. My philosophy of life.
What is your idea of honesty in design?
To make products of value that last in time, and to be able to supply them in slightly less than one week, demonstrating the prowess of Made in Italy in Puglia. But there can be multiple answers, and I am sure that the creative directors or the head of production would have other ideas. That is the essence of Vero: every person has his or her own vision, and I think that is a positive aspect.
Do you think of your pieces as collectibles?
Though they look like gallery pieces, they are actually serial products. This was the big challenge for us: to offer the maximum quality of a crafted product and then to organize serial manufacture. We want to create items that can inhabit homes and transform them into contemporary settings.
Do you work with local artisans?
Vero is a contemporary brand based on the timeless values of Italian know-how. A brand that comes to life and develops in an established context, that of Level Project. We believe our company is traditional in terms of the sensations conveyed, the texture and aroma of a material, the application of exceptional techniques of workmanship. We believe in true crafts, based on experience and personal identity.
The second collection will be presented at the Salone del Mobile in Milan. Can you give us a preview?
We are looking for a location that will amaze people, and can become the home of Vero in the months to come… That’s all I can tell you for now!
Vero
Riviera Creative Space
via Gorani 4 – Milano
Until 6 May 2022
www.verointernational.com
Photo © Matteo Bianchessi, Federico Torra
