neri. a new family of writing instruments from internoitaliano.
internoitaliao presents neri, a family of pens and mechanical pencils designed by giulio iacchetti. neri represents the inaugural venture into the world of stationery, a new market sector for internoitaliano, a brand whose founding spirit is distinctive for being based in equal measure on italian design and italian craftsmanship. for this project, internoitaliano has partnered with parafernalia, the only historical italian company that produces contemporary writing instruments.
“always a passion of mine, i feel pens and mechanical pencils epitomize objects that can fully express the essence of design: sophistication, simplicity, the archetype of a technical tool, a prothesis of the hand and mind. having your own pen and pencil with you is already a statement of intent: the will and ability to leave a tangible written sign, to begin a story, sketch out a new project … ” ~giulio iacchetti
these writing instruments are an exercise in absolute minimalism for design junkies and aficionados of writing and falls outside the usual automatic opening/closing systems and the classic cap. indeed, the placement of the leads and ability to regulate their length — and also that of the pen refills, a highly unique feature — is done by simply turning the contrasting brass thumbscrew, a technique derived from the gesture for adjusting the points of compasses used in technical drawing.
the pens and mechanical pencils are made of anodized aluminum, made from a solid aluminum rod, lathed and bored. the surface is anodized and then sand-blasted. in both the mechanical pencil and pen, the size, velvety touch and screw placement have been specifically designed for ease of grip and maximum ergonomic comfort.
[ neri ] [ giulio iacchetti ]
above> guilo iacchetti in milan last spring pitching new internoitaliano products from a rooftop installation. this is designapplause’s fourth visit with the designer. in the past we have met him at alessi’s booth. in addition to his creative and thoughtful product solutions he also conceived a unique contemporary italian design business model in internoitaliano. a glimpse of the designer and the company in the video below.
above> click on image to engage lightbox | 12 images
below> the official 2012 launch press release
[ Internoitaliano ] was born officially in november 2012, in turin at operae, in essence, a new system for the production and sale of designer furnishings, created by italian designer giulio iacchetti.
the new system brings contemporary italian design to the worldwide marketplace via the internet, providing the quality and technical know-how of traditional italian craftsmanship to products sold exclusively online.
the new system brings contemporary italian design to the worldwide marketplace via the internet, providing the quality and technical know-how of traditional italian craftsmanship to products sold exclusively online.
[ design statement ] internoitaliano’s ambition is to restore a sense of normality to design. its products are designed to be long-lasting and become part of everyday life with personality and discretion. for this reason, every project is stylistically independent and can adapt to a variety of contexts, differing in terms of both space and time, all the while maintaining a quiet presence, worlds apart from the self-engrandizing nature that often characterizes contemporary design.
[ system ] at the heart of internoitaliano is a production system constituted by a network of workshops and manufacturing companies that embody the excellence in the italian ability to createtop-quality products paired with a real-time global system of circulation, the internet. internoitaliano, therefore, is truly a “fabbrica diffusa”, a “factory network”.
internoitaliano objects enjoy a special status: they are happy objects, fruit of a 50/50 joint effort between the designer who designed them and the craftsman who lovingly made them. they are free from economic constraints that might otherwise impose high profit margins and can therefore be brought to market at a fair price, with respect for the intrinsic value of each party’s contribution and the high quality of the materials.
internoitaliano is based on a structurally light business model that is testimony to the disappearance of both rigid corporate structure and traditional chains of distribution.