The winner of the inaugural Fendi Design Prize has been announced, marking the launch of a new initiative by the Roman maison dedicated to discovering and nurturing emerging talent while celebrating design and craftsmanship. This first edition sees young Swedish designer Gustav Craft, a student at Istituto Marangoni in Milan, recognised for his project ‘Via’. ‘We are honoured to introduce the Fendi Design Prize. Fendi has historically nurtured talents, and through this initiative we wish to keep on building on this inspiring path,’ says Ramon Ros, Fendi chairman and CEO.
The inspiration behind the ‘Via’ chairs is clearly linked to sampietrini, the small basalt blocks that have paved the streets of Rome for centuries
A specific brief was shared with leading global design schools: participants, both individuals and groups, were invited to present a living environment comprising different elements, including furniture pieces and accessories. Among the key guidelines was the use of upcycled Fendi leather or fur, alongside the integration of signature house elements such as Selleria and the brand’s colour palette, while maintaining a strong connection to Rome and a commitment to exceptional craftsmanship.
The response, with over 70 applications presenting renderings of projects still at prototype stage, surprised the jury itself, chaired by the designer Giulio Cappellini and including several prominent figures from the design world such as Cristina Celestino, Joseph Grima, Neri & Hu, Rossana Orlandi, Josh Owen and Patricia Urquiola. They were tasked with narrowing the field down to six finalists whose proposals drew inspiration from ancient Roman domestic rituals, its colonnades, or the classical elements of its most celebrated monuments.
The mirror from the collection rests on a single sampietrino block
The winning project, ‘Via’ (‘street’ in Italian), instead stems from the sampietrino, the small basalt block that has paved the streets of Rome for centuries: ‘I love Rome. I've been there way too many and I always see how people look up at the beautiful buildings, the Colosseum, but a lot of people forget to look down at this beautiful road that's been there for 2,000 years,’ says Craft, a 25-year-old Stockholm native who previously worked as a shipyard builder before relocating to Milan.
Leather and aluminium emerged as the defining materials of its project: ‘The choice was quite clear for me, because when I think about Fendi, I think about craftsmanship, I think about their leather. Also, Rome is the leather paradise,’ explains Craft. ‘After that, I knew that I want my pieces to last for generations so stainless steel was my final choice. I always love stainless steel and aluminium, I consider myself quite a minimalistic designer’.
‘Via’ collection stems from Fendi’s brief, which called for maintaining a strong connection to Rome
The result? A woven leather seat whose interlacing recalls the sampietrini of Roman roads, paired with a clean steel frame. This is accompanied by a rug evoking the aerial view of the Eternal City, a mirror composed of an extremely thin steel frame resting on a single sampietrino block, and finally a side table in steel.