Incipit Lab
Collaborative, supportive, holistic. These are the words that come to mind when thinking of Incipit, a relatively new Milan-based creative lab, studio and business. While seemingly ambitious – to be a company with such breadth, the concept at its heart is actually quite simple: to nurture young talent. From there, founders Roberto Hoz and Marta Bernstein (two Italian designers and entrepreneurs) have created an environment that is about sharing skills, working with others and finally being seen.
Inspired by the workshops of the Italian Renaissance, the Incipit lab (established late 2013) is a very collaborative one. Young designers work not only with each other on a project, but get involved in all parties and areas related to the design profession – engineering and production, contracts and royalties, technical knowledge on materials and processes, prototyping. Students even collaborate with suppliers to ‘find the best possible solutions’. Incipit also manufactures and distributes its products, opening up yet another facet of the industry to the student.
In terms of design, Incipit’s products – mainly home accessories – are simple in form and playful in spirit. Made with natural materials, like glass, metal, marble and wood, and using clean lines, elegant curves and symmetry, each lamp, tray, clock, vase, mirror, has a sense of harmony to it, while at the same time possesses the whimsical, and often has a touch of irony. Smooth finishes and calming colour palettes sit with playful shapes and injections of colour, decadent materials and elegant lines meet organic forms and unlikely combinations.
What stands out in the designs from Incipit lab in particular though, some of which you might recognise from Milan this year, is an overall freshness and level of quality. The collection is highly polished, fully realised and beaming with new energy. There is no doubt this has something to do with the supportive environment of the lab itself – impressively committed to nurturing new talent in holistic manner.
Credits: Incipit Lab
