Today I’m going to talk about a very influential character in the Italian object design scene: Stefano Giovannoni.
Stefano Giovannoni was born in 1954 in La Spezia and his career has seen the creation of many design pieces for everyday use.
In particular, it’s easy to associate his name with two very famous realities: Alessi, for which he has created many pieces in the collection, and Qeeboo, a recent design reality I’ve mentioned and founded by Giovannoni himself.
Giovannoni graduated in architecture in Florence and taught in the following years. From here he began his career as an industrial and interior designer, which led him to create many pieces, many of them for Alessi.
His vision is ironic and childlike, every object has a creative and sympathetic meaning and must somehow bring joy and happiness.
A striking example of his inner joy can be seen in Merdolino: a toilet brush, apparently not a noble object at all, to which he wanted to give a nice and unconventional look.
In addition to this there is the whole collection of bunnies and animals for Alessi, also very ironic and funny.
And also with Qeeboo the story continues: all the objects are inspired by animals or very particular and grotesque subjects, the design can be defined a bit kitsch, but it certainly makes you remember.
Among his most beautiful and well-known products we can mention Girotondo, the Mami series, and Magic Bunny for Alessi, and then Rabbit chair, Kong and Teddy Lamp for Qeeboo and Bombo for Magis.
The animal world is a world of pure and total inspiration for the designer, who relies on these subjects almost for his design products today.
A visionary, alternative and colorful designer, who has amazed and continues to amaze with his creations.
CURIOSITY:
“Stefano Giovannoni is an excellent designer, extremely contemporary. If we look at what’s happening at the level of research in design, he is a leader” – this is what Alessandro Mendini said about him.