THE Embassy of Italy in Manila celebrated Italian Design Day, an annual thematic review that promotes the best of Italian creativity and talents, with a series of masterclasses dedicated to interior and product design, architecture and fashion at the prestigious showroom of Home Studio in San Juan City.
Themed “The quality that enlightens: The energy of design for people and the environment,”, the seventh edition welcomed local and visiting design ambassadors, which included Milan-based multidisciplinary designer Ilaria Bianchi, Filipino fashion design and merchandising expert Christine Cheryl Benet, and multi-awarded Italian architect Romolo V. Nati.
Bianchi specializes in product, furniture, and interior design. Her works have been shown in galleries, cultural centers and international fairs, such as Victoria & Albert Museum, Triennale di Milano, Galleria Luisa delle Piane, Chamber NYC, MiArt, Stockholm Design Fair, London Design Fair and Salone del Mobile.
Elle Décor named her as the Next Designer of the Year in 2018, with her Duo Shelf Project as one of the WallPaper 2018 Design Award Winners. In 2019, Ad Italia included her as one of the Seven Designers of the Future and Elle Décor hailed her as the Young Designer of the Year in 2020.
Benet has over 20 years of professional experience in merchandising and manufacturing. She is the consultant of the Philippine Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for the Creative Industry Sector Roadmap. She is the lead Curriculum Developer for the Textile Design Program in the Philippines.
Equipped with a passion for the academe, she mentors the promising style innovators of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. She is likewise the former Associate Dean of Benilde Environment Studies Cluster and Chairperson of Benilde Fashion Design and Merchandising Program.
Nati is currently the Executive Chairman and CEO of Italpinas Development Corp., a publicly listed Italian-Filipino real estate development company that specializes in the design and development of sustainable buildings in emerging cities across the Philippines.
He is the vice chairman of the Philippine renewable energy company Constellation Energy Corp. (CEC), which focuses on acquiring, financing and developing small- to medium-scale renewable energy projects across the Philippines. He is also the chairman of PRIMA Inc., a company engaged in Asset Management in the Philippines.
The event culminated with an awarding ceremony to honor 23 local designers who made a mark in their respective fields.
The Italian Design Day was launched in 2017 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture. This year’s edition was held in partnership with Home Studio Inc. and the Philippine Italian Association.
