Stories and Matters
2018
33
32
Style
G
io Ponti described style as a “a highly
demanding word1”. And he should
know as it was his continuous, magnifi-
cent obsession throughout his entire
working life.
I
t was 1941: almost 80 years have gone
by since then and those who have
reached the same number in age, today are
still called “young”; and yet considering
the history of design, the forties are another
era: those intensely dense decades flew
by, they are part of a history celebrated in
manuals. This is just to highlight that
“demanding” sounds rather like an elegant
euphemism, given that this subject has
always been up for debate, at times blatant
and conspicuous at others hidden and
underground, depending on the period and
therefore, as yet, has not given any defini-
tive answers. Style is most probably the
vexata quaestio par excellence, generating
discussions and disputes in which artists,
architects, critics, theorists, philosophers
even politicians took part in – lets say from
Periclean Athens times, but can actually
be traced back even further – discussing
everything that related to the arts and
aesthetics, the definition of beauty, its
perception and how it influences daily
life. From Vitruvio to Gottfried Semper,
and in the twentieth century everybody
did – in Italy idealist and post idealist
philosophers such as Croce and his brilliant
counterparts such as Dino Formaggio, and
architects such as Ettore Sottsass in primis,
the list of those who wished to define what
Treccani describes as “the complex of specific
natures and ways, responding to a particular
aesthetic type, a piece of clothing, a piece
of furniture, an object and similar”,
is endless. As is the concept of “similar”.
So “style” really is a difficult word, because
it is uncontainable and malleable, able to
go through time, leave its imprint and then
take leave. Its malleability has allowed it
to forge the most diverse labels with equal
enthusiasm: so, to give just two examples
– here it is young and lively, endorsing the
liberty style with that floral and avantgarde
tone, fragrant of Art Nouveau and Arts&
Crafts; then some years later, it dries out
and while still being young and avantgarde
transforms itself into geometric, orthogo-
nal austere De Stijl. In the twentieth century
it has appeared in tandem with “modern”
a sort of locomotive that has dragged
numerous wagons of all shapes and sizes
to thousands of destinations.
H
owever, there seems to be a common
feature from the dawn of time until
today. For the Greek pottery workshop
artisan and for Praxiteles, for the architect
of the Gothic cathedral and for the stone-
mason of a remote parish church, for the
Renaissance genius and for his smeared
canvas, for the baroque virtuoso’s gouging
and for a local town carpenter, the idea
of creating a style – or even imitating one
– has been and still is, something that
is deeply connected to identity, something
that has to do with telling their story to
others, building the present and the imprint
it will leave for the future.
S
tyle is therefore connected to the many
aspects of time passing because in every
era different ones can co-exist.
The search for a particular style and its
statement is in fact the interpretation of a
certain historical period- the best interpre-
tation is hoped for but that has not always
been the case. And moreover, style must
go beyond that moment in time to excel
hic et nunc (here and now) and to last: that
is an essential point. Speaking of produc-
tion, style, well, its part of their DNA, that
particular that has been formed and devel-
oped thanks to processes shared with other
companies, as well as experimenting
individual and original paths. It is a genetic
patrimony that, just as any other, must
continue to progress to avoid any risk of
extinction. There is something Darwinian
in this discussion between originality and
evolution: these two words are also
“demanding” and as qualifying adjectives
– original and advanced – give each style
their own magic or wanting to bring the
distinguished Walter Benjamin2 into
the discussion, aura. Changing without
transforming: it is not “superficiality”,
but for industry it means constantly being
aware of its objectives, knowing how to
be modern with a dual and contemporary
vision: with an eye to the future and its
feet deeply rooted in its history. It seems
a simple formula but actually requires
daily attention. The proud statement of their
own roots and a clear vision of today that
immediately becomes tomorrow, or rather
an “active” style (that have the imprint of
time, are able to master it and manage any
contrasts or unforeseen events) is the basis
on which the most important brands,
regardless of their size, are founded.
And this is true in every sector. Just look
at the different, classic examples in the
automotive industry; Porsche is the only
one who has produced what substantially
is the same car since 1931, perfecting its
line and continuously updating its technical
mechanics. Audi is a case study to reflect
on. The historic manufacturer, known
for its reliable yet aesthetically anonymous
cars, knew how to develop and evolve
technically (think about its innovation as a
four wheel drive) and aesthetically (redefin-
ing its aesthetic “limits” and transforming
them into refined understatement) speak-
ing at an outstanding level: an operation
that has enabled the brand to be visionary
and to capture and above all to bridge a gap
at the high-end of the automotive sector.
Another classic example is Alfa Romeo3,
that has always been a racing brand par
excellence, and has reconfirmed its sporting
style by returning to Formula 1: a clear,
appealing message for the brand’s loyal
appraisers, a way to enhance the loyalty
of the older followers as well as to find
new ones.
All of this against a backdrop of an automo-
tive industry trying to rise up to the
epoch-making challenges of the progres-
sive popularity of electrically driven
vehicles. A technological issue the big car
brands have long been working on,
redefining the stylistic codes of the car body
design as well as the complex system
of symbols and language that regulate the
processes of communication.
But that is not all. The probable use of
assisted driving on a large scale, which
is now in the advanced testing phase,
(just like the concept of dealing with smart
cities that are totally interconnected)
will have a number of consequences on
the nature of the vehicle itself as we know
it: from the inevitable reduction in speed
and therefore to the sportslike aspect of
the car, to the shape and function of their
insides, increasingly less car-like and
increasingly more similar to an extension
of our living spaces or offices. Considering
the speed of the technological evolution,
it is essential to define the necessary
strategies: how to reinvent yourself and with
what style you continue to be the leader.
T
here are similar examples to be found
in fashion, offering a wide range
of extremely varied examples and stories.
If the great founders of some of the iconic
brands of the fifties are no longer with us,
and if their vision seems not to have left
any trace in the collections of new design-
ers, they do however remain a strong
point of reference for the public. Here too,
the sophisticated strategies necessary to
preserve style are stimulated and sped up
by technological innovation. In this sector
they are represented by the popularity of
digital technologies. On-line shopping is in
fact transforming the distribution system
making the showrooms functional places
that are necessary for enhancing the value
of the brand, places where you live “the
experience” of style, while the more physical
process of buying is carried out in more
comfortable surroundings and in handier
ways. An extraordinary example is that
of Steve Jobs, who many people consider
to be “the” maverick; who, defining the
aesthetic standards for consumer electronic
goods made them a must-have for every-
one, everywhere. The small i – iPad, iMac,
iPhone – is a sign of belonging to a style
that simply has no equals, no offence to their
Asian competitors... “Fashion changes,
Style endures”, Coco Chanel once said.
“Fashion reflects the times we live in,
even if, when the times are dull we prefer
to forget about it”. There are different and
equally significant examples of brands
active in specific sectors of fashion who
then branched out into the clothing sector
with enormous success4. Marketing
activities that have been able to tap into new
sectors successfully “exporting” if you
were, their reputation for the original
excellence of materials and workmanship.
Reflecting on style and production you
inevitably end up talking about the market.
The fourth industrial revolution is close at
hand; the production norms are in continu-
ous development as are, consequently,
commercial relations. The big names previ-
ously mentioned remind us that capitalism
reveals itself with has new dynamics, new
forms of aggregation and for any company
the knowledge of being original, today,
more than ever before, has to do with its
brand identity and the storytelling of the
brand and its products. Or rather the
telling of stories because the design
industries (fashion, furniture and technolo-
gies) channel within theirs, next to their
own, numerous others that they must
make their own or in one way or another
cannot not consider. Stories about people
who reflect the company and vice versa,
the so-called testimonials, or others that
inspirit the key growth stages, consistent
interpreters of a style.
T
he production houses that, considering
the current complex and competitive
market conditions need to retain their clients,
having been won over and having enhanced
their loyalty thanks to a well defined style,
need to acquire new market share (export
and contract clients play an essential part
in their turnover) without however shaking
up their image or the style they have chosen.
At the same time immobility is lethal. “It
does not matter how slowly you go as long
as you do not stop” Confucio5 said. Taking
time, on the other hand, today, is undoubt-
edly a luxury, but it is indispensable in order
to fully create a style that is not simply
a passing fad, but a well thought out,
evolutionary step. A requirement urgently
required by a culturally elusive target, the
one that refers to the so-called new markets,
where it is necessary to define new languag-
es and different forms of communication.
I
f the fashion system, with its incredibly
fast-paced rhythms, almost seems
not to have the time to be afraid, in other
sectors the story is different: producing
a new product requires time and testing, in
other words big investments. This is the
reason why the evolution in style takes
longer, while the contest on details and
materials seems more evident. A challenge,
that means in any case, research. And that
is something that gives style its dynamism.
Research and innovation are not clichés.
It is team work that makes a company grow
and excel. The design industries are produc-
tive and highly technological industries.
Research and the use of new materials, just as
the ability to lend new performance to
traditional ones, are fundamental conditions
for the evolution of styles, to enhance them
and to make the aesthetic invariants of every
industry more attractive. Speaking about
the style of a product actually means
speaking about the company’s production
style, how it has been able to organize its
production processes, in short therefore,
the environment, sustainability, recycling.
Three difficult words that even the less
knowledgeable members of the public
have become sensitive to. Today we can
affirm that certificates, traceability, limited
energy consumption for production, low
environmental impact, staff health and
safety all affect the definition of style for
a company and consequently the approval
of its products.
T
he style of production actually deter-
mines a new relationship between the
company and the client. It is no longer
simply a commercial relationship, one that
is smart or friendly, call it what you will,
but it is one of real esteem and affection.
If the client is informed about the company’s
awareness on matters like the environment
and the well-being of its staff, they are
naturally more inclined to become loyal.
The “style of production” is therefore
another important message that is conveyed.
Clients purchase because they share certain
company ethical values. Taking this idea to
extremes, the client becomes, in a certain
way, a new member of the family, compa-
ny. The general public are a mysterious lot:
multilayered, difficult, fickle, absent-mind-
ed, international; their bio-economic clock
is tachycardic and beats to the upbeat rhythm
of trends6, which, says Deyan Sudjic,
Director of the Design Museum in London
“is the most developed form of planned
obsolescence” and so, the so-called public,
once their attention has been captured,
can just as easily get bored. Because, as
Alberto Bassi, essayist and teacher at the
IUAV in Venice, points out “along with
the main reasons that have long been the
basis of our choices, namely the function-
al, technical and performance qualities on
one hand and aesthetics, on the other, there
is now also the need to show off a status
symbol-testifying a certain social-economic
condition or a style symbol showing a
particular cultural and existential condition”.
What style then do we decide to commu-
nicate a new product with? If style is connect-
ed to the storytelling of the product and
the company, it is imperative nowadays to
know how to choose what way or ways to
operate: that is to say determine the style
that describes that identity in the best
possible way. The creation and the diffusion
of the current large network of new media
on a global scale means that companies
have to reflect on a new, different type of
communication of their style. It is a new
challenge because the web structure itself,
being a spurious relative of the television,
the radio and the written word, compel
companies to invent new forms, where it is
not often easy to adopt a new style. The
web is, without doubt, fast and superficial,
it is to be watched. Words live on but
images are prevalent.
I
n order to “communicate style” a “new
style of communication is required”,
or rather, the current existing one needs to
be updated, integrated and adapted.
Because style in its essence is always
present, a set of physical and immaterial
factors, its form and vision, the life of an
object and the hype or aura that surrounds
is what often makes it desirable. Today
it is no longer enough just to describe an
object, to show every slight detail. It is
said that everyone wants to live an experi-
ence, and a unique one at that. The two
dimensional and immobile world of photos,
even the more artistic ones, has become
small and in order to get themselves known
and be experienced, products of design
must find other places, other worlds or at
least images of other worlds, to position
themselves in.
T
he direction of cultural experience is
a desirable choice of style for commu-
nication as a medium/ long term invest-
ment. In order to have significant results
there is, however, from the outset, a
discriminating factor, that is to say, that
that experience must merge into the
company’s stylistic DNA, into a pre-exist-
ing wealth of authentic experiences and
visions. An essential condition so that the
activities of cultural promotion can then
be a starting point for reflection and a
further incentive. Only time will enable us
to recognise its concrete effects. So it
seems increasingly clear that style today is
more than ever a distinctive imprint of
cultural tradition.
The evolution of style:
the research, the design,
the cultural experience.
Curated by Rimadesio
1. “Under the aegis of an extremely demanding word,
‘Style’, begins an indication of architectural works
and furnishings, as well as drawings, paintings and
sculptures”. That is how Gio Ponti, in January
1941, presented the fi rst issue of Lo Stile nella casa e
nell’arredamento, the monthly publication “on ideas,
on life, on the future and above all on art”. The publi-
cation that he created and managed until 1947.
2. The German philosopher Walter Benjamin
refl ected on the aura of a work of art being devalued
by mechanical reproduction, such as photography in
his famous essay The Work of Art in the Age of Mecha-
nical Reproduction, Nuovo Politecnico, Einaudi 1966.
3. Sergio Marchionne announced the partnership
between Alfa Romeo and the Swiss Formula One team
Sauber in December, formalising the return of the
automotive brand to car racing after over 30 years.
4. Illuminating examples from the luxury leather
goods industry: Louis Vuitton, Prada, Fendi, Trussardi.
5. Confucio (551 a.C.–479 a.C.), there are no texts
written directly by him, his renown phrases and
aphorisms have been put together in The Dialogues,
analects by his disciples who collected fragments
of dialogues.
6. Fashion. We are entering a wide ranging area of
discussion: if we accept the literal translation of
design as “project” then we have to say that the entire
system of objects and symbols in which we live are
elements of design, because they have all be “designed”
to do certain tasks. But is it only that? And is it
enough to describe fashion as a dominant and passing
trend that infl uences the lives and habits of a certain
period? Paraphrasing Dino Formaggio who said “Art
is everything that man calls art”, raises the question
is fashion all that man calls fashion? not wanting to
solve the question with a joke, but rather emphasize
that fashion, just like art and design is closely related
to the historical periods in which it lives, develops,
and eventually dies out, to then comes back different-
ly but at the same time the same.
