Collection: Ilaria Marelli
Architect and designer Ilaria Marelli was born in 1971 in Erba. In 2004, she founded Ilaria Marelli Studio in Como - a "laboratory of ideas" devoted to art direction, product design, strategy consulting, interiors and installations. After studying architecture at the Milan Polytechnic, where Ezio Manzin was her thesis advisor, she worked alongside Giulio Cappellini in product development and art direction from 1997 until 2003. In parallel with her professional activities, she teaches "Design Innovation" at the Milan Polytechnic and promotes social innovation projects, including the first co-housing project in Italy. Her approach to design is strategic, working in synergy with clients to develop communication projects, installations for exhibitions or events, one-off pieces or mass-produced products. Her design is cross-pollinated with the influences of fashion and art.
Ilaria Marelli designed her first project - ARA - for Nemo; the floor and wall lamps project a beam of light cut into a monolithic mass. This product won her the Light of the Future 2004 award and marked a seminal moment in her career as an independent designer. Today, Marelli boasts prestigious collaborations with various brands, just to cite a few: Fiam Italia, for whom she created the Milo tables, bedside tables and open storage systems; Cappellini, for whom she designed the Cirkel rug and the Cannot table, in collaboration with Michela Catalano; Nemo, for whom she conceived Chain table lamp; Bonaldo, with Nadir armchairs; Zanotta, for whom she designed the Comodino Segreto bedside table in collaboration with Diana Eugeni; Foscarini, with the Belle De Jour lamp. Her most recent projects include the indoor and outdoor Aura and Allure lamps for Slide - a new and promising field for the brand.
In addition to product design, Ilaria Marelli also consults on communications and corporate showroom projects. She designed, among others, the Electrolux showroom at the Susegana production site; the Tokyo Omotesando flagship store for Aquagirl, a women's fashion brand; and various exhibits for Pitti Uomo and Pitti Bimbo. Distinguished by her ethical and social approach to design, Ilaria Marelli was invited to join the Italian Design Council and won the Milano Donna award in 2008, and the AlumniPolimi Award for Architecture in 2015. She also received an honourable mention at the GrandesignEtico International Award in 2019.
