The new collections by Federica Biasi for Gervasoni

It began very naturally, they asked me to design an outdoor collection. In the end, I presented two, thinking that only one of them would be produced, but then they liked both of them.

I forged a relationship with Concetta Giannangeli on the spot, which sparked a wonderful synergy: she believed in my ideas right from the off. It led to the project, but I think the real added value lay in the joint efforts of the designer and the company. When I came up with an idea, there was an immediate desire to get on with it and do a rework or come up with a counter-proposal. Plus, the company felt the need to be open to other styles. There was a desire for something different to the classic Gervasoni model, something new.

When I couldn’t hit the nail on the head, they did – there was instantly an amazing pooling of ideas. For example, they wanted a woven sofa, but then we thought around the target price and immediately thought about producing a fabric one, which sparked the idea for the loungers. The back is entirely made of woven polypropylene, drawing on both Japanese and vintage Thirties Italian style.

We wanted to mix different styles together to shape a new Gervasoni language, in a bid to communicate through a new style, without compromising the company’s identity or history. Gervasoni started out with weaves and wicker, we wanted to narrate that aspect too.

Hashi is a sofa system with a rocking chair. It’s composed of modules with a wooden frame wrapped in a polypropylene fabric.

The second collection Brise, is a family of small tables, but much larger, around 12 pieces, made up of ceramic and metal bistro chairs and tables, also compatible with other collections. I generally like designing a family of products, it helps you see whether or not you can single out an iconic piece or a different family of products.

I always try to be true to what I like myself, I try to design simple, not ostentatious products. With details in the materials and in the textures and that won’t be passé in five years or so. I love the idea of a product with an evergreen design; as far as influences go, I like Nordic and Oriental lines, but I always try to put something of myself into it.

We went for just one colour for Gervasoni, blue. Then we inserted a woven part that would tell the story of Gervasoni. Here, my approach took the form of adding things that were stylistically pleasing as we went along, and the company did too. I think it’s up to the designer to take a different angle, otherwise collaborations would be pointless.

They’ve been strange, we’ve seen lots of products but handled very few in real life. There’s a huge difference: when you see a product with your own eyes you note the detail, feel the material and get to know the people. I’ve missed the human input, as well as seeing things from incredibly close to and gauging the added value of a particular company, the differences between companies. Digital flattens this side of things, particularly in the design sector.

We’re working on a new collection of glasses, then furniture, but that’s not all. Handles, chairs and sofas: we’re taking on different scales too.