“In terms of design, there is no recipe and no, I don’t have a favorite color. Design must respond to its own needs, and the material, texture, shape and color all must meet these needs. Italy has long tradition in furniture making, but Italian design today is suffering more than other countries because it is tied to an old business model (one that focuses on previous successes from the eighties and nineties). Everything has changed over the past fifteen years – new technology that produces innovative forms of e-commerce. It’s things like pressure to sell globally that have radically changed the industry. There are so many needs and directions to explore, so I always try to project everything I design onto an international scenario.
I love to travel, to open-up to new experiences – but I never forget my roots. Traveling gives me energy and allows me see where the world is going. It also enables me to be inspired, which is hugely important. When I travel I always have a sketchbook, pen, iPad and phone. I’m in constant communication with my collaborators in Stockholm and Venice. Sharing with them in realtime has become important. I usually carry my leather attaché with me. I’ve always got my favorite Byredo fragrance on me and like to travel wearing jackets made by my wife, who is a designer at the oldest atelier in Sweden, A.W. Bauer.
In Scandinavia, particularly Sweden, design is part of everyday life. It has become democratized. This idea of design being for everyone has been a huge source of inspiration. It’s made me change the way I see design, and how I design myself.”
– Luca Nichetto, photographed at the Casamania showroom in New York by Alexander Atkins. Shop a selection of Luca’s favorite Byredo perfumes below.
