Who are the “Valentines”? by Valentina Iannazzone

04 Jul, 2014

Animated by wanting to bring the world of design, Valentina begins her travel from the Faculty of Architecture in Florence, where she graduated with a thesis on a sailboat very special. A sailboat for disabled Freewave, designed with the architect Clara Gambelli, which is published on the historical design magazine “Modo”.

In 2003 The objective of the design becomes more concrete when returning home after graduation, she won a scholarship with the BBC for the Domus Academy in Milan.

A big dream is coming true: the master is at the forefront, there is studying the advanced concepts of space products and objects, which briefly conquered the conception of an object, space, or an interface based on an analysis of the interactions present and the prediction of future. Here V.I. know creative people round the world and follows the lessons of the most important Italian and international designers. The strategic aspect that captures at the “Domus Academy” never abandons his vision where maths, scenery and communication are always in admixture. During the master Valentina won the third prize in a design competition with the Swiss company Tag Heuer watches. After the experience of the master finds herself in the Italian realty of Milan, many futuristic visions acquired in the master degree in interactive design, are briefly set aside. Is returning to the original matter of the architecture so after a few months, a visual installation at the Museum of Science and Technology of Milan, with “Milan Well Tech” and collaboration with strategic design agency Giulio Ceppi‘s “Total Tool” (with whom she collaborated even then as a tutor for the Master of Business design at Domus Academy) she began to work regularly with the study Marco Piva. During this first important experience in a studio in Milan, where architecture, interior design and communication intersect continuously, Valentina wins a prize for participating in a group of designers for a workshop on the future of Buenos Aires chosen from a shortlist of 15 young designers and creative Europe. She continues the experience by Piva, she approaches to interior design in an area where it can complete her declination,the hotel design. So she along sides various designers in the design of suites, rooms apartments, bars and so on, developing a very refined eye both with regard to the search for materials that objects. She starts to specialize in that matter so called “FF & E” (furniture, finishes and equipment) then everything related to the choice of materials, colors and finishes and objects, anything that creates a visual world in the interior.

The design of the hotel is a complex and interesting world, it is ranging from the presentation of the concept to the definition of every little detail that will define the pluses of the hotel design. Is on 2006 and the Italian design is in full bloom. Valentina’s desire is to arrive to Patricia Urquiola, the woman designers most famous of the moment, fully on the crest of the wave, she is presented to Urquiola’s study, it is the lucky moment, is working on the hotel and she is looking for architects with experience interior. After a few days V.I. is smack in the full project at the Mandarin Hotel in Barcelona, a fantastic, innovative project, where for the first time the great Spanish designer is approached in a large-scale and important in the world of interior. This project is at the same time blessing time, they come out all the trouble of having to always be at best, and at the same time thousands of opportunities. Valentina works alongside talented designers, as Rodrigo Izquierdo and Martino Berghinz collaborators of Patricia Urquiola, the only being in the presence of Patricia it makes learning new things every day and refined. The experience of the hotel makes she closer and closer to the taste of Patricia Urquiola, she begins to understand their preferences, she begins to propose materials, objects and everything about the styling or the appearance of objects. Valentina becomes the head of research of materials and companies for the study.

Often the materials become the object of new projects as in the case of ceramics company Mutina. In a short time by the architectural profile of VI it begins to draw on the research and commercial. The collaboration with Patricia ends after nearly three years. It’s time to look around and see each other to build her own test. Is on 2009 when crisis began to be felt. It does not matter. Valentina does freelance projects with architects like Terri Pecora and agencies as “EuroMilano” to design collaboration with Daniela Galassi and teaching with the” IED” in Florence where she has a teaching post at the “CMF”, colors, materials and finishes for architecture. Some private project allows her to finally experience firsthand her style and her capabilities. An apartment in Rh, one in Santa Giulia, the styling of a shop in “Corso Vercelli area”, The study of the coordinated imagine and the interior lines for a new brand of children’s clothing with the architect Laura Lampugnale, the image for a life coach. So many experiments, so many races. In the meantime, an interesting collaboration with the design firm LAGO that selects her in a designers workshop to outline the fundamental aspects of the potential of interior design for the company itself, with the guidance of Daniele Lago.

A few months later is called by the same company to moderate a workshop on the future of Workshop retail. We’ll try to find out what could be the new store Lake of the future, the tutor will be the arch. Alessandro Corrò, as responsible for the design of the Lago outlets and Valentina Iannazzone architect responsible for projects within larger international studies.Retail at Stand the furniture fair during the week of the Salone del Mobile 2013, along with designer Alessandro Corrò.

When going up and down and come to Milan in Benevento she rediscovers the Slow-life and she takes a moment for herself. At this time she explores the concept of “lighting design” spending a course at the University Federico II in Naples and of the important of lighting design experience with a lighting studio with great experience.