Filippo Mambretti
Industrial Designer
Chiasso, Switzerland
Industrial Designer
Chiasso, Switzerland
Q & A
What was the inspiration for your light, Dulce?
Dulce sprang from my love of Streamline Moderne, a 1930s American style of design and architecture. It was a late type of Art Deco that emphasized curved edges, smooth surfaces, long horizontal lines, subdued colors, and sometimes maritime themes. It greatly influenced the evolution of contemporary design. I want my lamp to be an homage to those brilliant minds that disrupted the design world during the Great Depression. Their dreams and designs helped the economy and the people to recover.
What kind of atmosphere does the light create?
I think it conveys a relaxing and pleasant feeling by the way it diffuses soft light. It has a retro-futuristic shape which I think creates a little bit of intrigue. But mostly, I hope it will help people have a calm and intimate evening at home.
What is your design philosophy?
I believe that design is a mirror of society's desires. Every civilization has been identified by its styles, costumes, accessories, and products. Designers from 50,000 years ago until now have worked to solve the typical needs of their specific societies. The greatest designers were ones who could develop products that served their civilization, anticipate the needs of future societies, and maybe even change civilization for the better.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
Everywhere! I look for inspiration in everything—art exhibitions, people I see on the street, from empty beer glasses, the sky, or even dreams.
Why do you focus on furniture and interior design?
Because I live in a house! Also, my family has been making furniture for several generations, although I am the first university-trained designer. There’s a very prominent woodworking tradition where I come from in Brianza, at the foot of the Italian Alps. One of my grandfathers was a carpenter and neoclassical cabinetmaker, and the other was a decorator and sculptor of architectural plaster.
You were born in Italy. Why did you move to Switzerland?
Switzerland is a real cultural and stylistic bridge between Italian and Nordic design. You can see that cross-cultural “contamination” in the work of graphic designers like Max Huber or Lora Lamm. Plus, the people of Switzerland have believed in me and in my work, allowing me to grow personally and professionally.
What's one crazy dream you'd like to accomplish?
I'd love to go to Mars, or at least being able to make a trip into space. After all, it would be nice to go back to where we all come from.
I believe that design is a mirror of society's desires.