Unfolding Made in Italy (1948-1962)

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Frontmatter

2. On the Uniqueness of Italian Design

   1. Frontmatter

   2. Instructions: Ensure “Made in Italy” Is Stamped on Every Single Item

      Paola Cordera

      Abstract

      This essay examines the role of cultural and promotional initiatives in consolidating the international reputation of Italian production in the postwar decades. From the late 1940s, national reconstruction depended on financial aid, industrial reorganization, and its ability to access foreign markets, particularly the United States. Customs regulations created obstacles, yet simultaneously contributed to affirming the Made in Italy brand as a recognizable mark of identity in the subsequent years. Through exhibitions in museums, department store events, and promotional programs across the US (and later in Europe), Italian goods were presented as both commodities and cultural artifacts, linking modern production with traditions of craftsmanship. Networks of institutions, entrepreneurs, artisans, artists, architects, critics, and designers fostered collaborations that transformed structural weaknesses into opportunities, shaping the Made in Italy brand as a symbolic and commercial presence abroad. By the 1960s, building on earlier efforts, Italian production had matured into both a commercial strategy and a cultural narrative, establishing a legacy that continues to shape the present.

   3. Made in Italy Written in the Stars (and Stripes): Italian Craft’s Global Influence in Vintage Newsreels and Documentaries

      Giampiero Bosoni, Marta Elisa Cecchi

      Abstract

      This essay offers a captivating exploration of how visual storytelling mediums, such as television and documentaries have played a pivotal role in shaping perceptions of Italian craftsmanship, design, and culture on both national and global stages. Notably, the inclusion of La Settimana Incom (or The Incom Weekly), an Italian newsreel distributed in cinemas from 1946 to 1965, highlights the influence of these media in promoting Italian design to a broader audience. These platforms not only showcased the elegance and innovation of Made in Italy products but also intertwined them with Italy’s cultural identity, creating a compelling narrative that positioned Italian design as a symbol of quality and sophistication. By examining these visual platforms, the essay reveals their lasting impact in solidifying Italy’s design legacy and fostering cultural appreciation both within the country and abroad. Additionally, it explores how these media helped establish a global recognition of Made in Italy as a brand that continues to influence contemporary design discourse.

   4. Icons of Memory and Modernity: Italian Hotels of the 1950s and the Promotion of Italian Lifestyle

      Francesco Scullica, Elena Elgani

      Abstract

      This essay examines the role of Italian hotels built in the 1950s as key promoters of Made in Italy design and lifestyle. These hotels, designed and furnished by iconic Italian designers, served as showcases of Italian craftsmanship and design nascent industry during the period of Reconstruction. Focusing on how interiors and spatial narratives, as well as the system of product-services, contributed to constructing a modern image of leisure, in particular during tourism experiences, supporting the affirmation of Made in Italy, the paper underlines the centrality of architect Gio Ponti. Through projects and writings, particularly the Parco dei Principi Hotel in Sorrento, blending research and innovation, he redefined hospitality spaces as a dynamic field of experimentation and as expressions of Italian creativity and savoir-faire. Reflecting a modern, aspirational Italian lifestyle to international guests, the hotels contributed to spreading values of Italianess and a desirable Italian lifestyle. Today, these hotels remain icons, bridging past and present by preserving their legacy while continuing to embody the enduring timelessness of Italian design.

3. Archives for the Memory and for the Future

   1. Frontmatter

   2. Design Archives, Made in Italy, and Communication in CASVA’s Recent Activities

      Maria Teresa Feraboli

      Abstract

      This essay explores communication strategies “Made in Italy” through the recent activities of the CASVA (Centro di Alti Studi sulle Arti Visive, or Centre for Advanced Studies in the Visual Arts), focusing on its design archives. The CASVA has been using modern tools, mainly social media (Facebook), to broaden its outreach and bring greater visibility to such iconic Italian designers as Luciano Baldessari, Enrico Freyrie, Augusto Magnaghi, Mario Terzaghi, and Roberto Sambonet. By curating digital content from its vast design archives, the CASVA has successfully let Italy’s rich design heritage reach a broader, global audience. Through social media platforms, it has created engaging virtual exhibitions and interactive features that celebrate Italian craftsmanship and make it accessible to contemporary audiences. This strategic use of digital communication marks a significant effort to democratize cultural heritage, ensuring that the “Made in Italy” legacy reaches a diverse, far-reaching audience.

   3. Valorization, Promotion and Communication of Made in Italy in the Archivio Progetti, Università Iuav di Venezia

      Rosa Chiesa, Teresita Scalco

      Abstract

      At the Università Iuav di Venezia belongs Archivio Progetti, a research and archival center, plays a pivotal role in the preservation and promotion of Italian design and craftsmanship culture, particularly through its extensive collections that include the works of Paolo De Poli, Giorgio Casali, and Luca Meda. These collections offer a comprehensive view of the evolution of Made in Italy, from the intersection of art, design, and photography to the broader cultural and economic implications of Italian creativity. De Poli’s archive reflects his innovative contribution to enamel art; Casali’s photographic archive documents key moments in Italian design, architecture, and urban transformations; Meda’s collection highlights his synthesis of architecture and design, revealing his contributions to iconic furniture and industrial design.

      The valorization of these archives involves a series of research projects, educational initiatives, exhibitions, and publications aimed at deepening the understanding of Italian design history, which include addition to the ApOnline, a digital strategy communication and the Petit Tour platform that offers an interactive and visual approach to digital heritage.

   4. The Tale of Made in Italy and the Massimo and Sonia Cirulli Foundation: The Relationship Between Collections and Exhibition Choices

      Sandra Costa, Irene Di Pietro

      Abstract

      The Cirulli Foundation was established in Bologna in February 2015 as the result of an important 30-year acquisitions activity aimed at enhancing Italian visual culture from the early twentieth century to the years of the economic boom. The Foundation’s collection is often regarded as the most important privately held collection devoted to post-World War II graphic art and design in Italy. The essay aims to explore the museographic and museological aspects of the collection: the building (originally created by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Dino Gavina) and its philological restoration, the exhibition of designed objects created as an “animated archive” of thematic explorations (the “capsule collections”), developed by US designer Jeffrey Schnapp, the collection and the temporary exhibitions (following a complementary narrative methodology, combining cues, storytelling, and scholarly research) and its enhancement and mediation.

4. Made in Italy on Display Inside and Outside Museums

   1. Frontmatter

   2. Identitalia. The Iconic Italian Brands: Notes on Exhibition Challenges

      Gianluca Carella, Francesco Zurlo, Carlo Martino

      Abstract

      This essay explores the curatorial strategy, research methodology, and cultural implications of Identitalia. The Iconic Italian Brands, an exhibition that showcases over 100 iconic Italian companies as expressions of national identity. Through the lens of design and public history, the chapter examines how historical sources—archival materials, product evolutions, corporate narratives—can serve as tools for constructing a collective memory rooted in industrial and cultural heritage. Emphasis is placed on the importance of material culture in narrating a nation’s identity and on the role of exhibitions as mediating devices between past, present, and future. The research process combined digital ethnography and direct engagement with companies, revealing three typologies of archival culture—Ideal, Ambiguous, and Dormant—that shaped the curatorial approach. The chapter also discusses the main challenges encountered, such as disparities in corporate archival practices, restricted digital access, and the tension between historical transparency and brand self-perception. In response, the team adopted a flexible and inclusive strategy that turned constraints into narrative opportunities. The Identitalia exhibition becomes a case study for reflecting on how design exhibitions can foster recognition, promote historical awareness, and renew the discourse on national identity in the contemporary age.

   3. Archives and Project: The Case of the Traveling Exhibition Coats! Max Mara

      Ico Migliore

      Abstract

      The essay aims to reflect on the transversality of Italian design, understood as a design process based on the encounter, in a kind of Renaissance vision of contamination between different disciplines, cultures, and contexts. At the center of the article is the case of Coats! Max Mara, the traveling exhibition designed by Migliore+Servetto studio which tells the story of the heritage and archive of the historic fashion company, and which has so far reached five stages (Berlin 2006, Tokyo 2007, Beijing 2009, Moscow 2011, and Seoul 2017). A project that demonstrates the deep connections in the dialectical relationship between industrial production, art, design, and communication, and where the archive proves to be a great opportunity for encounter. The essay also dedicates ample space to the link between design culture and industrial culture, defining design as the result of a continuous dialectical commitment and confrontation.

   4. Digital Technologies to Promote and Valorise Design Culture

      Mauro Ceconello, Davide Spallazzo

      Abstract

      Industrial design, seen as cultural heritage, reflects both material production and creative thought of its era, yet often remains underexplored. In the Milan area—birthplace of iconic Italian design—former studios still preserve the spirit of the golden age. Though inactive, these sites remain tied to the processes and ideas that shaped them. Design research plays a key role in unlocking archives to build narratives, inspire new interpretations, and foster experiential learning. This chapter presents two cases of digital heritage enhancement: the digitisation of Giovanni Sacchi’s archive, connecting sketches, drawings, photos, and prototypes to reconstruct design trajectories; and Looking for Achille Castiglioni, a mobile app offering a geolocated tour of Castiglioni’s works in Milan, recontextualising them in their original sites. These examples show how digital tools can preserve, interpret, and share design culture, turning archival traces into accessible, dynamic experiences.

   5. Milano and the Everyday Informal: Mapping the Intangible Heritage of Italian Design

      Ilaria Bollati, Luisa Collina

      Abstract

      Intangible cultural heritage, particularly oral traditions, is crucial for understanding Made in Italy, yet it risks fading away without proper documentation tools. In Italian design, ideas are born not only in studios but also in informal spaces like Bar Jamaica, Plastic, Caffè Craja, and Santa Tecla—historic Milanese venues from the postwar era where designers and creatives came together to exchange ideas and experiment, shaping the evolution of Italian design. Our research explores these hidden networks, mapping the memories and relationships that have contributed to the rise of Italian design. This project, part of the Changes program (PNRR, Politecnico di Milano—Department of Design) in Spoke 2-Creativity and Intangible Cultural Heritage, aims to map the intangible heritage of design and craftsmanship. Through digital technologies, these stories and connections can be captured, recorded, and shared, creating a repository of human memories that might otherwise be lost and offering new cultural experiences accessible not only to experts in the field.