Meeting at 4pm. Some connect from Amsterdam, others from New York, and I from Milan. Right from the start, you perceive the essence of Controvento: a cosmopolitan spirit, innovative design, and a smart approach. The studio, founded by Gabriele Chiave and Verdiana Vannini, goes beyond the traditional concept of an interdisciplinary creative studio: it is a true “collective 2.0.” A team of designers with diverse backgrounds, experiences lived in opposite corners of the world, united by the ability to merge ideas and cultures into a common vision. Controvento redefines the role of the designer: more fluid, contemporary, always listening to global changes. Every intuition becomes an opportunity, every inspiration transforms into creations that leave their mark.
How did the idea of Controvento and its “distributed” reality come about?
Verdiana Vannini: Controvento was born in 2022, after years of experience in Marcel Wanders’ studio, where Gabriele was creative director and I managed the design of the product and graphics departments. When the studio closed, we felt the need to give continuity to the team and the talent that made it unique. However, Gabriele was leaving for New York, while I would remain in Amsterdam. That distance, instead of being an obstacle, became an opportunity. We transformed geography into a strength, building a global network of talent. Each project comes to life thanks to the best professionals, chosen based on their background and their vision. That’s how Controvento’s journey began.
What are the advantages of having a nomadic studio?
VV: We are a young but rapidly growing studio. Today we collaborate with professionals from Italy, Paris, Poland, Portugal, London, and Amsterdam. The beauty of this model is being able to work wherever you prefer, without sacrificing private life, on the contrary, integrating it into the creative process. Being immersed in different contexts exposes us to new stimuli and cultural influences, enriching each project with fresh visions and new perspectives. This approach allows us to select the right designer for each challenge, not only based on background but also on geographical location. And then, we like to experiment: we mix skills, we bring together minds with different technical, creative, and cultural experiences. It is this flexibility that makes our way of working dynamic.
Does Gabriele’s experience in New York fit into this vision?
Gabriele Chiave: For over two years, I was Vice President and Director of Creativity, Design, and Innovation for the Estée Lauder Group, working on innovation in luxury beauty globally, within an 18 billion dollar giant. It is this openness to innovation that I intend to transmit together with Controvento to the world of design.
What does “innovation” mean to you?
GC: Talking about innovation is simple, truly achieving it is another story. Innovation is essential for human evolution, but in an increasingly frenetic and distraction-filled world, it becomes increasingly complex to achieve. Even in design, projects are developed and launched on the market with impossible timelines, often unethical for the quality of a product. But innovating requires time, investment, resources, and above all, thought. To create something truly lasting, a design cycle of at least a year and a half, if not two, would be needed. Innovation, then, is not a unique concept: there are multiple forms of innovation, and the more levels are combined, the more value the product acquires. In addition to technical and technological innovation, there is sustainable, cultural, social, functional, and emotional innovation. It is no longer enough to think only about performance; today, innovating means weaving together function, aesthetics, emotion, and cultural relevance. Only in this way can you create projects that last and leave their mark.
Today, innovation also passes through technology and AI: what do you think?
GC: Artificial intelligence is a tool that we often integrate into our work, but always as a support, never as a substitute for creativity. We see it as a means to refine an idea, to give shape and clean a rough gem, without ever touching the most authentic essence: human intuition. Today there is much talk of new technologies and their impact on design. AI is now an integral part of the creative process, but its role remains to amplify, not to replace. For us, true innovation always comes from the sensitivity and vision of people.
Let’s take a step back then. What is your research based on?
GC: It all depends on the context. There is basic research, but when working for a client, the process becomes much more in-depth. Before designing anything, you need to understand every nuance: not only the product itself, but also the brand identity, distribution, production, positioning compared to the competition. And then there are special collaborations, such as with Barovier&Toso or Baccarat, where history becomes an integral part of the project. Leafing through centuries-old archives, discovering sketches made by hand 400 years ago… in those moments digital innovation disappears, leaving room for pure craftsmanship and manual skill. This makes us understand that we do not invent anything from nothing. We are connectors of ideas, materials, stories, and traditions.
Our work starts from the study of the client, but also from the world around them. On a personal level, my research is nourished by everything that is not directly related to the product: art and photography, events such as the Venice Biennale, Miami, Basel. But above all, I observe how the new generations are changing, their desires and their way of experiencing luxury. The codes are changing, consumption is accelerating, and the real challenge is this: to interpret speed with a design thought that does not chase consumption, but makes it more ethical and conscious.
So what are you working on, also in view of MDW?
VV: We cannot reveal everything yet, but we can anticipate that we are working on a wide and complete collection for the home, from floors to accessories, to upholstered furniture. We have created new collections for Fendi Casa, a brand that has always believed in us, and started new collaborations, such as with Busnelli and Contardi, for whom we have designed a collection of lamps. There will be other launches during the year. We can also already reveal that we are exploring the idea of creating self-produced limited editions, exploiting the technologies and connections we have to design, produce, and bring to market products signed directly by us.
