On 20 June, the Associazione per il Disegno Industriale celebrated the 28th edition of the Compasso d’Oro and the 70th anniversary of the award created by Gio Ponti. Among the 20 winning products was MrX, designed by Marco Acerbis for Talenti, “a new type of architectural accessory with a variable shape”, according to the jury’s motivation, “capable of becoming an organizing element in the space as well as an efficient functional response to the need for shade”.
“Winning the Compasso d’Oro is a dream come true,” said the designer. “It is the confirmation of years of hard work and dedication to pushing the boundaries of design”. The award also has a special value for Talenti, a company that celebrates its first 20 years this year. We talked to Fabrizio Cameli, the company’s founder and CEO, about it.
A Compasso d’Oro is a great way to celebrate your first 20 years. Thoughts, emotions?
I would say great pride. On the one hand, congratulations to Marco Acerbis for his great work, his intuition and his ability to always look for new solutions. On the other hand, the satisfaction of having created a product that is a revolution in a world where there are fewer and fewer inventions. A constant for our company since it was founded exactly twenty years ago. Since then, our aim has always been to innovate, to raise outdoor design to an ever higher level by investing in talent. It is a team effort with my wife, my children and a staff that works very hard to keep the company on the cutting edge.
What would you like for your next big birthday?
After the first 20, every anniversary is important. Let’s say that for our silver anniversary we would like to be well positioned in some international markets, such as the United States, and to have been successful with our new Talenti Home line, about which I can’t reveal anything yet. But in general, we would like to continue to reap the success we have worked for over the past two decades. Seeing our products in the world’s most prestigious projects confirms that we are on the right track.
In 2004, few people were making outdoor furniture and it was very often technical. What led you down this path? And how do you explain the buoyancy of the sector today?
As I said, our goal was clear from the start. To go against the trend, to bet on outdoor design when no one else was doing it, relying on names like Marco Acerbis, Ludovica Serafini and Roberto Palomba, Ramon Esteve and many others. We understood that the future of design would come from the home, because the human soul needs to breathe, to live in contact with nature. The pandemic has only accelerated this process exponentially, turning a trend into a necessity. The ability to use a terrace or garden to cook, relax and spend time with friends or on one’s own has become a must, and design can make a decisive contribution to creating solutions that meet every need. If we also consider the world of hospitality, we are only at the beginning of the outdoor revolution.
What has changed, what has stayed the same?
Everything and nothing. Since then, Talenti has grown not only in terms of turnover, but also in terms of the souls that make up the company. In the beginning it was just me and my wife, now it is my children, Federica and Edoardo, who have turned the company around. Opening up new sales channels, modernizing communications and updating my vision, which necessarily had to be updated by the new generations. Different but equal, as they say. The spirit and passion are still the same, as is the desire to be involved. Back then it was all about form, now it is also about materials, sustainability and efficiency. Twenty years ago, these terms had a different meaning, but today they underline the focus on protecting the planet that a brand like Talenti has in its DNA. In all these years, tastes have changed and we have evolved, but we have often gone against the grain, anticipating trends and opening up new avenues that others have then followed.
You are present in 65 countries around the world. Which are your target markets? And which ones are you not yet present in (but would like to be)?
Apart from Italy, which is still our main market, the markets in which we are most successful internationally are divided between Europe (France and Spain first) and the rest of the world, with an increase in the USA, the Middle East and Australia. We are present on every continent and the aim, rather than expansion, is to establish a stronger foothold by opening flagship stores in each country to create an authentic bond with the territory and give as many people as possible the opportunity to touch the quality of our products and live the experience of designing top-quality outdoor products in presence.
What is the ‘perfect recipe’ for an item of outdoor furniture?
We offer such a wide range of products that it is difficult to come up with a single recipe. Let’s say that the common denominator is the combination of quality and aesthetics, i.e. the use of high quality materials that have been shaped by the minds of the world’s most renowned designers. It is a winning combination, which in recent years has also focused on the aspect of sustainability, leading us to experiment from a production point of view to the point of creating a truly dedicated dossier.
When you add up the various ingredients that make up one of your products, how much does the design weigh? And how do you choose the designers you work with?
As I said, the choice of designers is fundamental, it is the hand that draws an idea, that transforms a concept into a concrete object. With this in mind, we surround ourselves with talents (it is no coincidence that we chose this word as the name for the company) who share our vision. Names such as Marco Acerbis, the studio Palomba Serafini Associati, Karim Rashid, Nicola De Pellegrini, Jean-Philippe Nuel, Christophe Pillet, Christian Visentin or Carlo Colombo, each bring their own contribution and style to the brand, completing a puzzle that is constantly being defined.
What are your dreams for the future?
Personally, becoming a grandfather is the best thing of all, and it gives new life to my projects! Many of them have come to fruition, even those that looked complicated, thanks to the group that Talenti was able to form and the courage of those who have led it beyond the boundaries: twenty years of work, top-class partnerships, a Compasso d’Oro prize, an incredibly elegant exhibition space in the center of Milan that we are proud of. Today we want to raise the bar even higher, to be present, as expected, with flagship stores in more countries, to optimize production with a view to increasing sustainability, to replicate the same success in the indoor sector and to make Talenti Home a point of reference for our current and new partners all over the world.
