There are stories that carry with them the scent of the land where they are born. And they are extraordinary stories, of commitment, tenacity, of love for their land. They are stories of beauty and enthusiasm, of those who are capable of transforming and shaping matter, to make it a message of thanks.
This is the story of Luigi Capuano, young designer from a small village in the province of Naples, Monte di Procida, of just over 12,600 souls, once known for being the terrace of the Phlegraean Fields and a village in the ancient city of Cuma.
And it was the promontory overlooking the Gulf of Naples that inspired Luigi Capuano - who recently attended the Master in Interior Design by Italian Design Institute - to inspire the project of 'misé', the Campi Flegrei puff-armchair, a tribute to his homeland. An opportunity to revive in an object of everyday spaces, a land rich in vitality and charm.
Right from the headland, where Luigi Capuano often admired the surrounding landscape, this puff was born, which recalls, both in name and form, a geographical element dear to all locals. The sinuosity of the slopes of Cape Misenowhich, with its extraordinary beauty has enchanted poets, sailors and writers over the past centuries, now lives again in a design object with clean, soft lines.
Its rigid wooden frame presents a body entirely covered in sponge. The upholstery fabric is velvet that tells, with its softness to the eye and to the touch and with the nuances of the weave, the irregularities of the rocky promontory, lending elegance to the seat that is suitable for furnishing the spaces not only of an exclusive flat, but also a restaurant or the hall and rooms of a hotel or a studio.
The colour chosen for the 'zero' edition is aquamarine green, as Capuano himself said, "is the colour of the shades of the sea of my land'.
"The project," he continues, "was born out of a great love for the place where I was born, an object that recalls its forms and for me is an expression of a sense of belonging to a place that is both home and inspiration.
How was 'misé' born in your head?
Looking at an image of the promontory of Capo Miseno seen from above, like a thunderbolt I saw a cosy armchair there. It came into the world as a piece of furniture, a short break armchair that could furnish a restaurant, the entrance of a flat or the living room of a house as an armchair. The colour, aquamarine green, is a clear reference to the sea and its hues. The headland has always been part of my life and creating a design object to represent it was just an extension of my sense of belonging. The upholstery is made of velvet, to continue the effect of softness to the touch and to the eye by highlighting the irregularities of the rocky promontory through the nuances of the weave, while at the same time giving it the elegance that it already embodies. The name misè evokes the promontory, but the play on words also recalls the "mise", because this armchair, like a dress, celebrates the shapes, caresses the slopes and enhances the sinuosity, exalting the beauty of the place that has enchanted sailors over time and inspired poets, myths and legends.
What do you like most about your land?
I love everything about my land. Over the years I have had many opportunities to leave, but I have never wanted to accept the idea because I believe in the strength that this land conveys and in its beauty. It is a place of strong inspiration, and I hope in time to be able to contribute in enhancing it more and more.
How was the news received by the inhabitants of your village?
Taking into account the particular period, where a state of concern and fear for the future is perceived, Misè had a positive outcome. The message I wanted to send was to be united as a community and I saw Misè as the right way to express my closeness to my land through design. It is a project that was born a few months ago, but before publishing it I wanted to get the advice of those who helped me in its realisation, friends among Graphic Designers, Architects, Fashion and Communication Experts and Artisans whom I would like to thank enormously, because I believe a lot in sharing and I am sure that without their contribution Misè would have remained just an idea. Now we are working together on how to present it through an event that at the same time can enhance the territory.
How was the IDI Master in interior design that you attended?
To date I think it has been the most exciting and concrete training experience of my life, both from a professional and relational point of view. I was able to interface with colleagues, who have now become friends, from all over Italy, and from each of them I received something useful for achieving the common goal: communicating design.
How were the teachers and what is the most important lesson they left you?
Professionalism and being able to communicate one's educational and work experience I think is the perfect mix. I attended the master's degree in Interior Design in Rome where I had the good fortune to meet Architects, Designers and Engineers who were a great source of teaching, reference points and continuous inspiration.
What awaits you in the immediate future?
Despite the historical moment in which we find ourselves, I try to live the present with the positivity that has always characterised me. My aim is to try to reflect people's feelings through design. Every single project must always be an expression of the customer.
What does it take, in your opinion, to become an excellent professional in this field?
You have to aim more and more for specialisation and I say this because my path has led me to it. My professional career began about 10 years ago, when I graduated as a surveyor at the age of 19. I started out as an intern in a studio in my home town, but from the very beginning "in wrapping up" bureaucratic paperwork, I would always dwell on the plan and many times, for fun, I would redesign it because I felt the need to do so, to express myself. With the support of my family and my partner, who have always believed in me, I decided to enrol in the Master's programme that offered IDI in order to increase my knowledge of design and specialise. To date, one year after the Master's degree, I have started a design studio together with an architect friend where I work in the field of Design and Communication. What I can say to people like me who feel the need to express themselves is not to be afraid to do it, to try, because if you really believe in what you do, results always come.
A dream you had as a child?
My dream was to become a theatre actor. To this day, I am convinced that my sensitivity and my need to communicate stem from my many years of participation in theatre groups.
A project you would like to work on in the future?
I am using this period of quarantine to dedicate myself to studying and increasing my design-related knowledge. This has led to many interesting ideas about furniture and how to live spaces. I have some projects in progress and others in the pipeline, but all I hope for in the future is encapsulated in a quote by Steve Jobs: 'What it represents is as important as what it is.
It is an object that aims at the heart, and when you can get to someone's heart, there is no limit."
Whatever my future project will be, it will have to convey emotions.
