Watch Studio Pepe’s otherworldly design manifesto
The Milanese design duo have gathered their inspirations and pieces from the past year into a magical video
![Modernist architecture building in the middle of the desert](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JhDAu6YpWL9ecggXbc9BqP-415-80.jpg)
Designers Arianna Lelli Mami and Chiara Di Pinto of Milanese design practice Studio Pepe spent the past year wondering about ‘the use of public or domestic spaces and our ever changing relationship with objects.’
The result of these explorations is summed up in a poetic video manifesto titled Desiderio. ‘In these challenging times, questions are necessary and of a different kind,’ they say. ‘The sociality and the use of collective spaces have radically changed. For this reason, this year Studiopepe focused the attention on a concept related to a more mental dimension.’
Watch: Studio Pepe’s Desiderio
Meaning ‘desire', the origin of the word ‘desiderio' intrigued the designers: ‘The word is composed of the Latin prefix de-, meaning "lack of", and the word sidus,
which means "star",’ they note. ‘To desire something literally means, “to lack stars”, to “feel a lack of stars”, or in other words to feel that something is wanting, and therefore foster a sentiment of passionate seeking,’ a feeling that well encapsulates much of 2020 so far.
The word became the central focus of the pair’s ‘imagined constellation’, a compendium of their most recent projects and an opportunity to present them away from a physical design week setting. ‘[The project] involved formal research and research on materials, analysis of signs and language, all aspects that are characteristic of our design vision. It’s no longer a physical place that reflects our projects, but an imaginary architecture.’
A sketch from Desiderio
Located in a mysterious place (a modernist structure dropped onto a desert on earth, or on the surface of a new planet), the imagined building contains Studio Pepe’s rugs designed for CC Tapis, lights and furnishings for Baxter and pieces for Gallotti e Radice among others. Images of the space are interspersed with a rich collection of visual references, ranging from classical sculpture to contemporary architecture, as well as line drawings by Di Pinto and Lelli Mami.
‘De-siderio is what moves our soul and keeps us constantly curious,’ they say. ‘In the passionate and very human research for conjunction and beauty.
A sketch of the Azzal shelving for Baxter
The sketches enrich the video, which also feature found imagery depicting art, design and architecture inspirations. Pictured here, Studio Pepe's Lazybones chair, designed for Baxter
A pair of sculptures created for Tacchini, titled Pablo & Dora
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Baxter’s Lake Como retreat is ‘a home for design connoisseurs’
Italian furniture brand Baxter showcases its 2024 collection at Casa sul Lago, a 20th-century Lake Como villa
By Simon Mills Published
-
BAFTA 2024 stage design pays tribute to the history of film animation
The 2024 BAFTA Film Awards celebrated the best of the past year’s films, with an elegant stage by Yellow Studio, which pays tribute to the history of film animation
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Oscar-nominated Killers of the Flower Moon puts Native American clothing design centre stage
How Osage ribbon work got top billing in Oscar-nominated Killers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorsese’s true-crime epic
By Caragh McKay Published
-
Alcova announces two historical locations for its 2024 edition
Prepare to discover two iconic gems, as Alcova 2024 will take place at Villa Borsani and Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, just outside Milan (15 – 21 April 2024)
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Lake Como Design Festival 2023, across historic venues, shows the diverse roles design plays in shaping our world
Lake Como Design Festival 2023 (until 24 September 2023) features a series of exhibitions inspired by Pliny the Elder's Natural History
By Maria Cristina Didero Published
-
Inside Volumnia gallery: design in a Renaissance church
Piacenza’s Volumnia Gallery is the brainchild of art dealer Enrica De Micheli, who created an art and design hub and restaurant in a Renaissance basilica
By Maria Cristina Didero Published
-
India Mahdavi animates Villa Medici with a colourful and contemporary restyling
At Rome’s Villa Medici, India Mahdavi's intervention is the latest in a series of ‘re-enchantments’ of the 16th-century architecture and interiors
By Laura May Todd Published
-
Giorgetti Spiga – The Place opens in Milan’s fashion quarter
The new Giorgetti Spiga – The Place transforms a 17th-century palazzo in Milan, showcasing the furniture company's full offering over four floors
By Maria Cristina Didero Published