Studiopepe

Studiopepe
Name	Studiopepe
Industry	Design and Architecture
Founded	2006
Headquarters	Milan, Italy
Founders	Elena _(see below)_ and Andrea _(see below)_
Services	Interior design, product design, scenography

Studiopepe Studiopepe is an Italian multidisciplinary design practice known for interiors, product design, and scenography that bridges contemporary Milan design culture with international art and fashion networks. The studio's work has appeared alongside institutions such as Fondazione Prada, Triennale Milano, and Palazzo Reale, Milan and in collaborations with brands including Fendi, Gucci, and Rimowa. Operating at the intersection of exhibition design, commercial interiors, and collectible objects, the studio engages with curators, photographers, and galleries from Venice Biennale circuits to biennials in Rotterdam and Lisbon.

History

Founded in 2006 in Milan, the practice emerged during a period of renewed interest in Italian design signaled by events at Salone del Mobile and exhibitions at Fondazione Prada. Early projects included shop interiors and product commissions linked to showrooms in Brera and collaborations with ateliers in Via Montenapoleone. By the 2010s the studio expanded to scenographic commissions for museums and cultural institutions such as Triennale di Milano and public programs associated with La Biennale di Venezia. Their work traces influences from postwar Italian design movements exhibited at Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna and dialogues with contemporary practices seen at Tate Modern and MoMA.

Founders and Team

The founding partners trained across Italian and European institutions associated with Politecnico di Milano and postgraduate programs tied to Domus Academy and exchanges with studios in London and Berlin. Their network includes collaborators who have held residencies at Villa Medici, taught at IED Milano, or worked with ateliers tied to Armani/Silos and fashion houses such as Prada and Bottega Veneta. Project teams often integrate curators formerly associated with MAXXI Roma, product specialists connected to Kartell and Cassina, and photographers from agencies used by Vogue Italia and Wallpaper*.

Design Philosophy and Style

The studio's aesthetic references histories documented by institutions like Museo del Novecento and archives such as Archivio Storico Olivetti, while engaging with contemporary practices promoted by Design Museum London and exhibitions at Centre Pompidou. Their approach juxtaposes material experimentation—drawing on techniques showcased at SaloneSatellite and technical partnerships with manufacturers such as Artemide and Flos—with scenographic strategies used at Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and Serpentine Galleries. Projects articulate a tension between artisanal traditions visible in Murano glassmaking and industrial processes championed by firms like Alessi and IKEA collaborators, often referencing spatial narratives seen in works displayed at Pinacoteca di Brera.

Notable Projects and Collaborations

Commissions include interiors and installations for retailers and cultural patrons linked to Fendi boutiques, conceptual spaces for Gucci pop-ups, and product series developed with manufacturers akin to Rimowa and boutique producers comparable to Lema. Scenographic works have been produced for exhibition programs at Triennale Milano, site-specific pieces presented during Venice Architecture Biennale, and temporary installations experienced at galleries operating within the Fondazione Prada network. Collaborative efforts extend to designers and artists associated with Giorgio Armani, curators from Fondazione Maxxi, photographers who have worked for Dazed and i-D, and typographers familiar from commissions for Moncler campaigns.

Exhibitions and Publications

The studio's projects have been included in group shows at institutions such as Triennale di Milano and displayed in curated sections of fairs like Salone del Mobile and Design Miami/Basel. Works and essays have been reproduced in periodicals associated with Domus, Wallpaper*, ELLE Decor, Dezeen, and catalogues produced by galleries exhibiting contemporaries including Patricia Urquiola and Martino Gamper. Publications documenting their installations appear alongside monographs on practitioners exhibited at MAXXI and referenced in academic symposia held at universities like Politecnico di Milano and University College London.

Awards and Recognition

Recognition for the studio includes mentions and shortlistings in awards connected to ADI and selections for special projects during Salone del Mobile and Milan Design Week. Critical attention from editors of Domus and juries at festivals such as Biennale Interieur and prizes administered by institutions like Triennale Milano and Fondazione Prada situate their work within contemporary discourse. Projects have been featured in curated lists and retrospectives at venues akin to Fondazione Querini Stampalia and cited in surveys of 21st-century Italian design alongside names represented in collections at MoMA and Victoria and Albert Museum.

Category:Design firms of Italy