The very definition of Italian design, the one that is taught to students who want to become product designers, is that it provides solutions to help make the world more livable; to create simple and modest objects that are part of our daily lives. Products should be industrialized to democratize the consumption for the people.

The products I speak of may go unnoticed compared to luxury cars and high fashion clothes, all things that come to mind when first thinking of Italian design, but they have a long history and are as valuable as the memories they evoke. These items are part of everyday life, hiding in plain sight, passed down for generations.

FATTOBENE (well-made in Italian) pays tribute to these designs and collects them so that the world can give them the attention they deserve. I dare say that some Italians may start to appreciate these objects only once they are no longer in the comfort of their homes, expats somewhere in the world. This is the Italian design you don’t know, maybe more valuable than a Ferrari. What’s the price for nostalgia?