Foscarini
55
About shedding light
Chap. 2 — The defi nition of an identity
A linear image underscored by the use of colour, where the process of simplifi cation
of all the technical components achieves a perfect synthesis: from the simple, inge-
nious solution for height adjustment using a system of small counterweights,
to the ample support at the base, transformed into a graphic feature that references
the circularity of the diffuser, where the stem takes on stability with its insertion,
like a fi shing rod anchored to the terrain. It is here that the Foscarini’s know-how in
the fi eld of project development comes into play: to make things as simple as possible
while respecting the idea and the contents of the design itself. Nevertheless, the sim-
plicity does not coincide with easiness: the technical side is never displayed, but that
doesn’t mean it isn’t there, formulated to offer users the image of a clean, immedia-
tely comprehensible object.
In those years Caboche and Twiggy generated not only a certain visibility, but also
a remarkable doubling of the company’s sales, from 2006 to 2007, while relying on the
same number of employees, confi rming the ongoing effi cacy of the working methods
developed by the brand. The proportional leap called for new modes of organization,
and hence the decision to vertically divide the roles of the two partners, while conti-
nuing to work together on the choices of products and strategies. Alessandro Vecchia-
to took charge of development/engineering and communication, while Carlo Urbinati
has focused on commercial and administrative factors.
Among the actions implemented in this period, it is interesting to mention the
launch in 2007 of MyFoscarini, an online customer service platform for dealers, with
the aim of improving dialogue with distributors. The innovative platform provides
real time responses to all the operative needs of dealers, from information on the
availability of products to the possibility of inserting orders, tracing shipments and
downloading invoices, every day on a 24-hour basis in an approach of total tran-
sparency with clients, eliminating physical and temporal distances. A solution that
demonstrates the holistic design approach of Foscarini, with the ability to respond
in a creative way to any requirements, at all the levels of the company.
The second half of the 2000s was marked by a certain concentration on products:
new ideas, for example, that suggested the choice of plastic for the development of
new creations. The exploration of moulding technologies led to the production of
lamps like See You (2007) by Marc Sadler, featuring an interesting optical solution and
characteristic surfaces; the Tropico (2008) modular system based on a concept of
55
Photographic story of Giulio Iacchetti
assembling a Tropico lamp, the volume of which
is obtained through the repetitive composition of
a single lozenge element. The collection consisted
of four distinct models: Bell, Ellipse, Sphera and
Vertical.
