Patrizia Moroso

Patrizia Moroso answers a few questions on industrial design, education, and inspiration—using her thumbs.

Job description: I am the art director of the Moroso company, and I am also, of course, in the family. This is a family company.

Current projects: We are industrializing the prototypes that we presented in Milan this year, and at the same time, we are starting with the new collection, but in this moment just as ideas.

First step on a project: Usually the meeting to talk together with someone. Then, to see if I have the answer.

Last step on a project: This year the fair in Milan had already started, and I remained behind to finish an object from Doshi Levien. We carried it the second day of the fair.

Why do you do what you do? It’s a sort of destiny for me.

Education: I studied arts in Bologna.

Mentor: Ettore Sottsass was the person who influenced me most about design.

World-saving mission: My role is to make some link between creatives and consumers, and to give everyone something beautiful.

How do you break a creative block? It happens because you haven’t found the right material, you’re not working in a good way, or the energy of the project was not as strong as you imagined.

First act as “design czar”: Make better places to live. Ambience, inside or outside the house, is the thing that can change the quality of your life.

Dream team: Olafur Eliasson. He’s reflecting the out, in; and the in, out. And an architect who has a lot of relation with art, David Adjaye. If I had to add a designer—my God! That is a problem because I work with so many people. But Patricia Urquiola—she’s a girl, and it’s important to save the feminine side of the project. They would be the perfect consultants for the new world.

Office chair: My prototypes! At this moment, I’m sitting in a fantastic piece of production waste from the Supernatural chair, by Ross Lovegrove. It’s a waste, but it’s a beautiful waste.

Office sound track: Jazz or music like Eno. If we need energy, we put on African music.

Favorite tchotchke: A pebble that I have had for many years. We were working on a project with Patricia Urquiola, the Fjord stools, which are like big rocks cut in the middle. It was important that the outside give the visual experience of stones, so I went to the river and collected some. We went to the fabric producer and said, “Look at this texture. I want something like that.”

Most useful tool: I love materials. In my office, there is a terrible, beautiful confusion. I’m living under tons and tons of magazines and fabrics.

Best place to think: Many ideas came from driving on highways for hours. I’m alone, so to pass the time I start thinking of ideas and projects.

Something old: On a little island in Dalmatia, there’s a very old monastery from the Renaissance where I stayed for fifteen days. It was an incredible experience—to live there, to eat where the monks were eating, and to stay in this little, little room with all my family.

Something new: Eliasson is incredible, but also Takashi Murakami and Chris Ofili. Their work is not just one object but all the room.

Guilty pleasure: When I go to the city, I like to go to the wild side—if I can, with a friend.

Underrated: People don’t normally think an industrial building is something to save, and that is a pity because our city was full of old buildings. They give the city an interesting face.

Overrated: Malls. I like shopping, but I go in the center of a beautiful city, where I can drink a cup of coffee and visit the shops that I like.

Learned the hard way: In the first part of my life, I was really like a stupid baby, thinking that everything was pink. But now it’s not so pink. It’s probably more gray-pink.

Command-Z (undo): I think that in the end it’s not so important if you make mistakes.

Dream job: I could try to administrate a city and make it better. More than this is not in my power. God is God, and me, I am only Patrizia.

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