After that, I completed a degree from the Istituto Superiore di Scienza dell’Automobile di Modena (Advanced Institute of Science Automobile Modena), known as ISSAM, where I gained a deeper understanding of car design. It’s something that strongly influences my manner and thinking.
What were your aims and ambitions when you first established your studio?
Of course, I strived to design successful and recognisable products while respecting the brand identity of clients. I like to design for the brand, not through it.
Looking back to 1992, how has your business evolved, and what has surprised you along the way?
I began with a strong orientation toward automotive design. Nevertheless, encounters and circumstances drove me to yacht design and, a decade later, architectural design. I have always appreciated those challenges, and noticed that all the skills and instruments I’ve used in one field are able to influence the others – this is what I appreciate most about cross-pollination.
What are some of your professional highlights from the past 30 years?
I’ve had the good fortune to meet true protagonists of design, style and fashion.
I’m especially thankful to Anna Fendi, who I met a few years ago.
Working with such a personality adds immense value to my personal experience as a designer and as an individual, besides assuring very special results.
I also had the opportunity to redesign the interiors of an exquisite hotel in Northern Italy – a magnificent building from the 1930s, where history and innovation have reached an astonishing balance.
How many design professionals now work at your studio? And do you have offices in other locations besides Parma?
Currently, we comprise 16 professionals – they are all specialists in order to manage projects in a matrix organisation. At the moment, our headquarters and offices are in Parma only.
What are the other arenas you design for?
I can say we work worldwide, but I would especially mention Boavista, in Portugal, for villas and resorts, together with Greece for large vessels.
What are your most recent or notable projects?
I’m always very glad to recall the Sessa Marine C52, which gained a first prize and a special mention shortly after its launch in 2008. It was the first acknowledgment we got as a studio, and it stands as a turning point for both my studio and the shipyard.
What proportion of your work is yachting?
Currently, yacht design stands for more or less 50 percent of our work overall.
What attracted you to working with Invictus? What are the synergies with your own skill set and style?
From the beginning, I loved the chance to work on everything – the brand, the positioning, the identity. Everything that deals not only with the product but marketing and communication as well. This resonates a lot with my profile since I have a strong orientation toward marketing. Now, it is marketing that decides product development.
Having a clear strategy is fundamental, and the success of Invictus passes through this awareness, together with the premium quality of final products.