Among the many cities I have visited, Italian and beyond, Matera is one of the ones that most impressed me from the moment I arrived. I had the opportunity to visit Matera during the first week of October last year for a business meeting organized by the company Egoitaliano, to see for myself the new headquarters which were inaugurated last January in Matera. (If you follow me on Instagram, I’m sure you will remember what I’m talking about).
Piero Stano and Nino Scarcella opened the doors to their company and allowed me to see all the areas of production: from the “creative rooms” where everything is born, to the production laboratories where their unique products take shape, all through the warehouses and more laboratories, right up to their showroom. Meeting with their designers, seamstresses and other workers and sales people was a full immersion in the reality of contemporary design. Really interesting, but above all it allowed me to understand the philosophy that guides Egoitaliano: the know-how.
How can I forget the moment when I personally assembled an armchair?
I’m not joking: I can say that I actually built a Namy armchair with my own hands. Obviously, to avoid damage I was accompanied by Pasquale, the manager of pre production for Egoitaliano, who assisted and helped me throughout the process.
Going behind the scenes and seeing what happens when we are used to only seeing a finished product was the concrete, interesting and memorable parts of the experience. This experience is one where design is really made by hand.
After having worked with Egoitaliano when they contributed to furnishing my studio in Siena with their own products, and after having met them at the Salone del Mobile last year, I felt it was right to get to know the origins of Egoitaliano – which is a proudly Made in Italy company – and for me this experience was the icing on the cake.
The first thing that comes to mind when I describe Egoitaliano is the word family, because basically this is what Egoitaliano is: a group of people closely linked together and united by a passion that goes beyond the purely working sphere. Egoitaliano has traditional craftsmanship that has been handed down over the years, a passion that is pursued with the expert know-how which is perfected year after year with the passage of time.
A special thank you goes to Simona Scarcella, who during the morning personally accompanied me to discover the beautiful and famous heart of her city. Simona pointed out to me how in the central streets of Matera there were many Egoitaliano armchairs to be seen: the Namy model in armchairs and sofas – and also the Lia armchairs, both covered in a special celebratory material created specially for the city by the artist Antonella Mazzilli. This special version of the Namy and the Lia, is the gift that the company made to it’s land, for the occasion of Matera Capitale Europea della Cultura 2019.
A beautiful example, don’t you think?
Matera is a magical place, enchanting, characterised by incredible views. The view of the Sassi, the old houses carved out of stone is a spectacular panorama at anytime of the day. By day, the sunlight plays on the white stone of the houses to create impressive light effects. During the night the atmosphere created by the lights is breathtaking.
