A very special visit.
Studiopepe, one of Milan’s most multifaceted and acclaimed studios, visited us for an intimate breakfast at COLAB, our Madrid showroom. Surrounded by their designs for Sancal, Arianna Lelli Mami and Chiara Di Pinto shared with friends and industry professionals their unique vision of design: a precise blend of emotion, materiality and visual narrative.
Some designs do more than simply serve a function, they stir emotions. That’s the essence of Studiopepe’s world, where the poetry of form meets an innate elegance and a deep sensitivity to space. Arianna and Chiara, the creative duo behind the Milanese studio, understand design as an exercise in balance: between structure and fluidity, the rational and the intuitive, the geometric and the organic.
Those who meet them in person discover two designers whose quiet presence conceals a powerful creative force. Their work speaks for them, with clarity and sophistication that transcends words. As a creative duo, they approach every project through dialogue, a preliminary stage they consider fundamental.
Their imagination draws on many sources, including the aesthetic energy of the 1970s, a time of creative effervescence when design became more emotional, expressive and free. This influence filters into their projects as an attitude they have embraced with their own alphabet in daily practice.
Their first collaboration with Sancal was Milanese Splendour as part of our Escenas stand in 2023. “This project was inspired by the ’70s, as we found great affinity with Sancal’s designs.”
Colour as an alphabet. Radical utopia. This is how they define their creative approach, in which every shape and every tone acquires almost symbolic significance. For Studiopepe, colour is not a mere finish, but a tool to tell stories, to provoke, to move. Their use of it is bold and daring, as seen in the Bold table in high-gloss Lima, a personal contribution to their Campo Base installation during the 2023 Fuorisalone. A chromatic statement that brought energy and character to the exhibition space, resonating naturally with Sancal’s emotional and audacious design language.
With a strong background in interior design, Arianna and Chiara have developed a holistic perspective. They don’t create isolated objects, but pieces that interact with their surroundings. That’s why their products are versatile, able to adapt to different atmospheres through finishes and materials that enhance their formal language.
This search for balance is evident in both their concepts and their shapes. Their creations for Sancal, the Bold tables and the Vesta sofa, are a clear reflection of their aesthetic sensitivity and ability to fuse the radical with the inviting, as they shared during their visit to Madrid.
Bold: a radical tribute.
Bold is a family of sculptural tables that pays tribute to the radical Italian movements of the 1970s and 80s. Arianna and Chiara cite references such as Archizoom, Superstudio and Memphis as inspirations for this charismatic piece that challenges functionality through art.
In the coffee tables, the use of a laminated surface designed by Ettore Sottsass reinforces this Memphis connection, adding a vibrant and playful visual rhythm.
Vesta: elegance and warmth.
Vesta, on the other hand, leads us into a more intimate space. Named after the Roman goddess of the hearth, it translates that symbolism into a sofa that embraces you. Its silhouette blends soft curves with clean lines, resulting in a piece that conveys balance, emotion and character.
The aesthetic of Vesta is serene but not neutral, refined yet approachable, expressing an idea of comfort where beauty is in the service of wellbeing.
Both designs encapsulate the Studiopepe universe: a fusion of elegance, sensitivity and poetry that transforms design into a deeply emotional and human experience.
It’s no surprise that this distinctive approach has earned them the International Award at ROOM Magazine’s Awards. A well-deserved recognition of their unique creative voice.
