His design is creative yet meticulous, thanks to his past collaboration with both design studios and actual firms: this is Mario Alessiani, born in 1989, the latest winner of the “Suspended” award by Formabilio. The winning project is Bloemi, a suspended lamp merging the designer’s style and Formabilio’s philosophy, aimed at emphasizing Italian handicraft. Bloemi features essential lines and just a few simple elements: lacquered wood, recycled fabric and polyurethane foam. It also presents a tulip-inspired shaper (“Bloem” is the Dutch word for “tulip”), with overlapping petal-shaped panels to reproduce the actual flower. We reached Mario Alessiani to talk about this design object as well as his work.

What’s the ideal setting for this lamp?
Bloemi is inspired to tulips, I’d love to see many of this lamps within a venue, to give the sense of a flower field.

Who are your favorite designers?
I’m often inspired by the Bouroullec brothers, because of their ability to reproduce nature in their design objects, creating poetical yet functional pieces. Bloemi is inspired to nature as well, therefore I would say I was subconsciously influenced by them.

Is it hard to be innovative nowadays?
Actually it is all but difficult. To me, innovation comes from association of ideas, and today we have lots of images and info available, therefore we can get inspired easily. The hard part is to find the courage to make innovation happen.

How would you describe your design style?
It is instinctive yet rational. My creations must have a meaning, a sense, I don’t want to produce things that can’t answer the “Why?” question. Design stands for personality, therefore it’s the designer’s instinct to make the difference.

Which is your favorite material?
I think plastic is great because of its versatility. It is the key to the future, as proved by its importance in the recent past.

INFO: www.marioalessiani.com

PHOTO COURTESY: Mario Alessiani