Driade appoints David Chipperfield as artistic director

Chipperfield’s appointment coincides with the opening of a new flagship   Driade   showroom this week in Milan’s Via Borgogna, which has been designed by Chipperfield. Chipperfield, whose minimalist style contrasts with Draide’s quirky back catalogue, will now take responsibility for all of the brand’s «creative processes», under the leadership of Stefano Core, the   head of Italian Creation Group and   Driade’s new CEO. News:   Italian furniture brand Driade has appointed British architect David Chipperfield as its artistic director, a year after it was rescued from financial collapse. Based in Fossadello near Piacenza, Driade has produced iconic pieces including Starck’s three-legged Costes cafe chair (1984) and Tokujin Yoshioka’s monobloc Tokyo-Pop collection (2001). Astori was named honorary president, and his daughter, Elisa Astori, was made creative director. The idiosyncratic brand was rescued from bankruptcy with a €7 million injection by private finance company Italian Creation Group last summer. Tokyo-Pop collection by Tokujin Yoshioka for Driade, 2001It developed a reputation for being one of Italy’s most glamorous design companies, but almost went under in 2012 with debts of €1.7 million. «Design expressed through the catalogue of Italian design factories was not any more Italian,» he said. Nemo by Fabio Novembre for Driade, 2010The announcement of Chipperfield’s appointment marks the brand’s relaunch under its new ownership. Driade said that the architect would work with Core and the Astori family to «oversee the careful merging together of past and future.»
«The confrontation between Driade’s eclecticism and David’s innovative minimalism will certainly give birth to amazing projects», said Core. Costes chair by Philippe Starck for Driade, 1984Chipperfield’s most high profile projects include the refurbishment of the Neues Museum in Germany and the Hepworth Gallery in the UK. The furniture, lighting and homewares company founded in 1968 by Enrico Astori has previously worked with designers including Philippe Starck, Fabio Novembre and Ross Lovegrove. Now, with Italy’s challenging economic climate and increasing pressure from foreign competition, Alessi warned that «maybe the second element, Italian production, will disappear.»
Driade is not the only well-known Italian brand to have undergone a change of leadership recently. Related story: Driade to relaunch after financial rescue»As artistic director, David Chipperfield will deal with all the creative processes and he will be responsible for conceiving, developing and implementing the Driade vision and focus, and for major decisions about the continuing development of the brand’s values and activities,» said a statement from Driade. And in September, Dezeen revealed that Italian lighting brand Flos was to be sold to a private equity fund for around €400 million.