What was the starting point for developing
COSTUME?
SD: Magis came to me with the
question: “What if we completely rethought
the sofa?“
What was your answer?
SD: We set out together with Magis
to develop a sofa system that could be
completely dismantled. With as little
polyurethane foam as possible and a textile
cover that is washable and can be replaced.
The system was to consist of only a few parts.
At the beginning, it all seemed quite
complicated, almost impossible. In the end,
we worked on it for four years and invested a
lot of time in studying it.
Was it worth the effort?
SD: I think we got the concept down
to a really good point in the end. Dominik
Hammer from my studio put a lot of energy
into it just as the team from Magis around
Enrico Perin did. COSTUME has become
a typical Magis project, very much in the
tradition of northern Italian manufacturers. In
the start and development phase, all those
involved have to show a lot of imagination and
confidence; later, the risk of failure has to be
borne. Eugenio Perazza has become a legend
with his idea of design. We in the studio are
therefore really happy about the collaboration
and the result.
How important is the system approach to
you?
SD: Systems are something like
an alphabet. For me, it’s not so much about
providing ready-made answers, but about
building bricks with which you can formulate
words, sentences and stories. Systems are
not static, but can always be reinterpreted.
The individual building units can be further
developed and improved separately. I see
an interesting logic behind this, which fully
exploits the potential of industrial production
and industrial design.
And what does that mean in practical terms
for COSTUME?
SD: The modular structure of
COSTUME means that individual components
can be easily replaced. For example, when
they get dirty or worn out. Even the thin PUR
foam insert can be cleaned. The cover, too, of
course. A sofa has to withstand a lot,
especially in families. The fact that the core of
our sofa can be easily separated from its
cover is not only an advantage for the user,
by the way. A sofa only becomes recyclable
through its modular construction.
What else is important to you in the project?
SD: The fact that we make the sofa
bodies from recycled plastic - that is entirely
in the spirit of the circular economy. At the
moment, industrial waste is recycled for the
production of the sofa bodies. In the near
future, Magis will also have old packaging
shredded and processed to make new
COSTUME elements.
How would you describe your co-operation
with Magis?
SD: A project is always a
journey together. Magis understands like few
others in the industry how to make the journey
itself the goal and to skilfully steer the view
between details and perspective.
What does Magis contribute to the partner-
ship with a designer?
SD: Magis is
one of the very few companies that puts real
innovation before marketing concepts. “What
if we did things in a completely different way?”
Eugenio Perazza and his team is curious,
constantly searching. Together with Enrico
Perin, they manage to keep opening up new
perspectives through discoveries along the
way, so to speak. Enthusiasm and passion are
the driving force at Magis. That’s why we value
the collaboration so much.
And how would you yourself describe
your studio’s work?
SD: We prefer
to get involved in projects where the result is
unpredictable. We want to be surprised at
work and get to know new things. We believe
that the way to innovative solutions is through
technical know-how, the right instinct and a
lot of experimentation. The results may be
complex, but never complicated.
