Caffè Con, Legacy and Future of Design & Luxury Living

China is rapidly climbing ranks among the world's creative superpowers. While in the past the country found itself replicating paths already traveled and chasing the West, today the Asian giant competes in innovation and speed of change.

An air of change can also be felt in the design and architecture sectors, two fields where in the last 40 years China heavily relied on foreign personalities creative talent or in any case reproduced existing models designed in the West.

In our event series Caffè Con, with Carlo Colombo and Paolo Boffi – Legacy and Future of Design & Luxury Living – we tried to understand, thanks to two great characters of our time, in which direction design and luxury living are heading to.

The event was held on November 30th, 2021 both offline at House of Attila, in Shanghai, and online via Zoom.

Mr Carlo Colombo is an internationally renowned award-winning designer architect who has been teaching design at the University of Beijing since 2011 and who has cooperated in his career with well-known brands such as Flexform, Poliform, Giorgetti, Cappellini, Antoniolupi, Artemide, Flou, Bentley Home, Bugatti Home, Trussardi Casa, Elie Saab Maison, Olivari, Faber, Penta Light, to name a few. During our discussion, he helped us to track present and future design trends, which are emerging.

"The cultural component of the project is the essence that is able to distinguish what is considered a copy from an interpretation of signs belonging to the past. Respect for the rules is essential for the growth of the designer. The concept of memory, irony, function, are fundamental ingredients for the success of a project. I have always tried to treasure these 'rules' which are, for me, the object of reflection and growth."

Carlo Colombo

On the other hand, Mr Paolo Boffi, Honorary President of Boffi, told us the success story of his company, a brand linked to the world of design kitchen and bathrooms, with collections of a unique style and a strong personality that transform a kitchen or a bathroom into the centre of a home and of our daily life.

"Not only will design change our lives but it will make them better."

Paolo Boffi, referring to a famous quote from the 'Design Masterminds of the 1920's'

The meeting was moderated by Ms Alba Wang, Co-founder of AF Design Consulting, and active member of CICC Quality Council.

At the beginning of the event, Mr Mauro Maggioni, CEO Asia Pacific Golden Goose and CICC Board Member in Shanghai, gave a brief introduction of the CICC Quality Council. A council created by the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce on Luxury Living, Fashion, Luxury and Premium Goods, Design and Lifestyle, with the aim to support Italian companies in their business in China and helping them to tackle China and raise awareness about this market speed, magnitude and complexity.

Since its establishment, some of the activities promoted by the Council include the support of 2020 Business Dialogue; a live-streaming session held for Italian brands in occasion of 2020 Tmall Single Day commercial festival; a panel discussion along with Confindustria about entry strategies into China; various seminars in the areas of IP protection, e-commerce and digital ecosystem.

Quality Council is currently composed of a team of professionals and entrepreneurs who directly operate in luxury goods, fashion, digital, interior design. Shanghai office of the Chamber welcomes any proposal or request of information pertaining Quality Council at the email address QualityCouncil@cameraitacina.com.

The event concluded with the final remarks by CICC Chairman Mr Paolo Bazzoni.