Monthly Archives: October 2014

End to End, Interiors, Media, Ponti Method

Some thoughts on “How to spend it”: quality, Made in Italy, bespoke and… a modest proposal.

How to spend it - Sole24Ore

There’s new magazine of the Il Sole 24ore Editorial Group, in Italy: “How to spend it”.

This use of the English language in the name  in an Italian magazine sounded me strange to me at first…

Then I understood: it’s a magazine created in Italy, together with The Financial Times, which has been distributing it for 20 years in UK.

Some questions arose spontaneously.

The first one: spending what? Time or money?

Flipping through the pages, I think i got the answer: it’s for people who have a lot of both… good for them! :-)

Second question: do we really need such a format, in these hard times where recession of domestic consumption seems so  overwhelming?

Maybe yes, because – as I quickly found out – the magazine promotes widely both Made in Italy brands and the Made in Italy approach to goods and lifestyle.

Speaking of Made in Italy heroes, in a few minutes I ran into a pearl of wisdom that made me forget all my thoughts.

The following quote appeared to me like a message: something to be shared and discussed, with a strong tie to the times we’re living.

A concept appealing to all: entrepreneurs, common people, young generations.
A message regarding our future.

Here’s what Maurizio Marinella, of the historic company of ties and accessories based in Naples, told journalist Roberto Napoletano, in his “Passaporto Italiano” column:

“The message I got from the ones who came before me is departing from Naples, but never leave Naples. Depart from Naples and stay here in Naples”.

Maurizio Marinella - Ermes Ponti blog

(Thank you Mr. Marinella for your inspiration, I wish I could meet you one day).

In my personal opinion, this is exactly what we have to do!

And we of Ermesponti do it. Actually, we do it every single day.

We depart from Italy, continuously (last trip Germany, but also Asia, New York, UK, all over the world, we go where someone asks for an end-to-end solution to an interiors problem), but never leave Italy.

We work worldwide from here. 

We design and produce bespoke interiors assuming control of the whole process, from starting idea to turnkey delivery for clients and locations all over the world.

Every time we bring with us the values of the Italian culture and the Italian lifestyle.

This reminds me of another Sole 24 ore editorial content I always follow: the radio program “La Fuga dei Talenti” (Talents’ escape) regarding Italian youngsters going abroad to build their carreers.

In this regard, what I’d like to suggest to Mr. Napoletano – radio24 director – is to focus on a positive attitude, which is still possibile, if we change point of view.

Young people need reasons to stay or come back to Italy, not only to escape from our country!

Let’s all give them new, positive examples! Shouldn’t we try to follow Barbara Santoro’s inspiring example?

Our country still is able to produce high levels of excellence, in alla regards.

As fare as we are concerned, we think that there is a high demand of the highest level of luxury: the perfect customization.

A home fitting you perfectly, like a bespoke suit, exclusively designed for you can really improve your lifestyle and makes you feel better.

Living immersed in beauty and harmony, in a space that represents you perfectly, can really change life from hell to heaven!

In brief, we believe the revolution of the “designed for” instead of the “design-by” it’s coming soon and we are proud to be part of it.

And here’s the modest proposal I’d like to share with Il Sole 24 Ore’s manager Mrs. Nicoletta Polla-Mattiot:

The right header for the Italian edition of this prestigious English magazine must be different from the English one: How to spend it, better!

So, dear Mrs. Nicoletta Polla-Mattiot, when can we expect the new “bespoke issue”?

End to End, Interiors, Ponti Method

Interiors project for a German luxury brand? Won with a handmade prototype. A true story.

This is a true story and – most important – a good one.

A story where Italian craftsmen’s skills prove to be ahead of any competition when it comes down to bespoke interiors.

Here’s what happened.

One day, from our office in Mantua, we call the headquarters of one of the top worldwide luxury brands, based in Germany.

We  offer  our services as a bespoke interior company that is able to design and manage the whole process.

Surprisingly enough they’re interested! We quickly arrange a meeting in Hamburg.

Once in their offices, it takes us no longer than half an hour to explain to them why the ermesponti method in bespoke interiors is much more cost-efficient than any other.

We still keep the quality bar at the highest possible level, thanks to the Italian Master Artisans working with us. We emphasize, in particular, how our approach involves all stages of the project:

  • listening to client’s needs
  • on-site survey
  • overall cost estimate, including 100% end-to-end solutions, from first idea to turnkey delivery
  • executive plan and drawings
  • on-site building work (no outside contractors involved)
  • designing and making bespoke furniture
  • on-site fitting
  • on-site fine tuning

All of these are under one single supervision, ours ;-)

From then on, it’s no longer a matter of words and meetings!

We get down to the real stuff, and next time we meet we bring with us a handmade prototype table just for them – personally crafted by our beloved carpenter Daniele Compagnoni – with improved integrated led lighting, and a general quality that is just above their very high standards.

They are so impressed with the loving care of the prototype table that shows every aspect and feature. They decide that ermesponti is the right partner for the retail interiors they need in Europe.

MBLshowcase

Why do they choose ermesponti, over the long list of German companies they have been working with until then? The reason is simple.

A small but highly specialized Italian company like ermesponti –  is able to work according to the highest artisan standards and follow a detailed design project.

The firm has no rivals in Germany or elsewhere.

There is attention to detail, knowledge of materials and mastery of working processes.

All these  are added to tipycal Italian taste.

This is how ermesponti wins an International assignment for a top quality retail interior… making the client fall in love with a prototype table!MBL showcase detail

Altro, Events, People

Three questions to Francesco Morace, co-author of “Italian Factor”

Francesco Morace

We’ve been following for a while now, with attention and participation the important work of the sociologist Francesco Morace, of whom we have already spoken on several occasions.

A particularly interesting event has been the presentation of his last book, co-written with Barbara Santoro, “Italian Factor” at the Chamber of Deputies in Rome in July.

Having been there with the authors, we’ve had the chance to ask some questions both to Barbara (interview here) and to Professor Morace.

With him, we started out recalling the experience with the cultural project “The Renaissance Link”.

ermes ponti – The Renaissance Link and Italian Factor: two parts of the same cultural path?

As you know, we keep track of all your steps…

Francesco Morace – Even before Renaissance Link, my cultural path about Italy has started with two books: Italian Ways in 2003 and Il senso dell’Italia in 2008, in which you can find  the foundations of an Italian Renaissance, starting from the lack of awareness of our uniqueness.

With Renaissance Link, we created an Association able to deal  with such issues, by creating awareness in companies and institutions.

After 4 years, 50 presentations in Italy and 3 books (Verità e Bellezza, Talento dell’Impresa and Impresa del Talento), we thought that the aim of raising public awareness had been reached and we decided to dissolve the Association, and set each one of us free to continue with its mission individually.

This is also one of the reasons I accepted with enthusiasm Barbara’s proposal about the book to write together.

ermes ponti – You rightly report, in your speeches, examples of excellence.

A tip for all the Small Businesses operating in the market average, without peaks of excellence, but without ever betraying the “good trade”?

We believe that, among the 120,000 factories that shut down in Italy recently, there were some quite valuable, even if not outstanding… what do you think?
italian factor
Francesco Morace – In this regard, let me mention an article in which I try to clarify the difference between Luxury and Excellence: the “good trade” is part of the culture of excellence but it’s just not enough in difficult times such are these we live in.

To this, we must add the fact that Italian tradition hasn’t innovated enough. 

The vast majority of the 120,00 businesses that have closed were, unfortunately, not equipped in this dimension.

ermes ponti – Politics in business: easy relationship, as we all know…

Where would you start to establish a dialogue with value?

Francesco Morace – I believe that politics is always a reflection of a country and its vices/virtues.

We are the ones who choose the political class, that way the change will have to be deep, and arrive even in the foundations of being Italian.

However, it seems that the new political season that Renzi and the PD have launched will bring positive developments.

We need to bring along a new awareness and collective responsibility, a new focus on the common good and to the possibility of a happy growth.

This is exactly the focus of my new book, which will be published with Egea in January 2015, called “Crescita felice. Per una economia civile”.