On 13 February Turkish furniture company Doğtaş hosted an open discussion with Italian architect and designer Federico Delrosso in their Heliopolis outlet. He designed the collection Cinquanta for the Turkish company in 2011 and also designed for brands such as Davide Groppi and Henry Timi.
Delrosso was born in Biella, Piemonte in 1964. He attended Milan Polytechnic University and graduated in 1996. He came to Egypt to meet other designers and share his vision with them. The event was a casual affair and designers were given a brief talk by Delrosso, followed by a light-hearted Q&A.
We met with Delrosso and asked him about his vision, designs and hopes for the future. He stressed that designers need to be very specific about their vision. He also advised designers to “first create your own portfolio and then choose work that interests you”. He went on to say that “design is a complex process” that involves many factors and people. His main piece of advice is “to stay strong and follow your vision” which he credits for his own success.
His own design vision revolves around simplicity. A fan of minimalism, he described his main goal when designing as “achieving equilibrium”. He tries to do this by using natural materials such as wood and stone. He noted that modern designers like to use a lot of plastic and other artificial materials but he does not like to use artificial materials in his designs.
When designing furniture, Delrosso likes to depend on the interior design of the building for ideas. He is first and foremost an architect and he designs the furniture to fit the space before him. The most important aspect for him is to design something that he likes and to which the client can feel connected.
He credited travelling as his main source of inspiration where he picks up new ideas from different cultures. While he admires and respects classical or historical designs, he does not like his designs to be repetitions or copies of something else. So, for inspiration, he depends on ideas from the fifties to the modern period. However, he stressed the importance of recognising global trends and “living in the now”.
While he does not have a favourite project, he still fondly remembered his first big project: “It was 15 years ago. I renovated a farm 50 kilometres outside of Milan.” Afterwards his career took off. Currently, he is focused on developing an international portfolio and has already completed projects in Monte Carlo, Miami and New York, where he recently opened a studio.
He is currently working on an installation that will be shown in New York City, called Dining by Design.
