Press Release
Starhotels presents its patronage project promoting Italian craftsmanship
Milan, 5 November 2019. La Grande Bellezza - The Dream Factory has been launched: the new contemporary patronage campaign by Starhotels is committed to preserving and promoting Italy’s extraordinary creativity and talent.
Vaunting the full support of the group’s president Elisabetta Fabri, the project relies on two leading institutions whose mission is to safeguard top Italian craftsmanship, Associazione OMA – Osservatorio dei Mestieri d’Arte, Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte, as well as publishing company Gruppo Editoriale.
Starhotels strives to provide a platform and concrete opportunities to Italian craftspeople and companies, spreading the word in terms of PR, communication and visibility while also generating orders and creating work, passing on the art of patronage that has always preserved and enabled Italian artisanship to flourish for centuries.
The programme envisages three activity areas in the next two years:
● Creating Starhotels branded product ranges curated by Art Director and designer Sara Ricciardi and crafted by various leading craft companies and artisans; ● Involving skilled artisans in renovating the brand’s hotels; ● Organizing events, exhibitions, workshops and meetings at Starhotels.
The project also involves a thematic award given to talented Italian artisans at a ceremony scheduled for September 2020 at the Venice showcase HOMO FABER. The themes of the contest, which will be held every two years, will always be chosen from the hospitality sector and will refer to the hotel environment and specific design categories (lighting, interior decor, furniture and fittings, etc.). The first edition will focus on the theme “A source of light”: candidates are asked to present their original arts and crafts inspired by light.
The La Grande Bellezza project, in its sequence of activities, supports a sector that represents an extraordinary fount of expertise, beauty and knowledge that flows throughout Italy, making the country unique internationally. The Dream Factory is not only a cultural and artistic initiative, but a productive project since the knowledge behind our artisanship underpins the finest Italian products. This patrimony is not sufficiently well known, valued and protected since Italian craftspeople lack opportunities to be seen in the utmost settings and there is a shortage of cross-generational knowledge sharing.
The project was presented to the press, dignitaries and the world of art and culture on Monday 4 November during a special event held at Rosa Grand Milano - Starhotels Collezione in Milan. Ettore Mocchetti, architect and editor of AD, was the guest moderator, a lifelong connoisseur of design, outstanding craftsmanship and Italian lifestyle.
The event was the occasion for the official signing of the partnership agreement between Starhotels and the project partners, symbolically signed with a pen from the "La Grande Bellezza Gemstones" collection created by Pineider, a historic name of Italian excellence.
Sara Ricciardi, an emerging talent in contemporary design with a penchant for craftsmanship, was in attendance as the project’s art director. Her striking installation developed with master artisans Venini and Bianco Bianchi was on display at the event and an extraordinary five-metre-tall wrought iron tree, known as Arbor Vitae, made by the famous Fucina di Efesto completes the exhibition on at the Rosa Grand until 31 January 2020.
“As an entrepreneur in the hospitality sector that thrives thanks to Italian craftsmanship, I feel the need the support little-known artisans who are essential in creating our ‘Great Beauty’ through opportunities and promotional activities,” commented Elisabetta Fabri, President of Starhotels, who was recently awarded with the Italian Order of Merit for Labour.
“At our hotels, guests will have the opportunity to discover, appreciate and even purchase a range of leading contemporary Italian art, craft and design artefacts that have been crafted purposely for Starhotels. Our hotels are becoming ambassadors of Italian lifestyle not only in food and wine but also in providing a platform for the creative expertise of our master craftspeople through direct use of arts and crafts.”
#LaGrandeBellezzabyStarhotels
Starhotels Starhotels, a private, Italian hotel company operating in the upscale and upper scale & luxury sectors, is a market leader in the hospitality industry. The chain vaunts 29 hotels located in the heart of the top Italian cities, London, Paris and New York, for a total of 4,100 rooms. Starhotels aims to be synonymous with the excellence of Italian hospitality, offering an impeccable service that excels at anticipating the guests’ wishes and exceeding their expectations. The prestigious Starhotels Collezione, twelve fascinating historic residences, each vaunting a strong character and offering memorable experiences – icons of style in the most beautiful cities in the world – stand out for their strategic positions, sophisticated design and bespoke services. Starhotels Collezione properties are located in New York, Paris, London, Milan, Rome, Florence, Venice, Siena, Trieste and Vicenza. The Starhotels Premium, situated in the heart of the most beautiful Italian cities, Milan, Rome, Florence, Naples, Turin, Genoa, Bologna, Parma, Bergamo and Saronno, are characterized by a distinct and contemporary style and by an excellent, welcoming service able to convey an intangible sense of well-being to their guests.
Partners
Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte is a no-profit private organization established in Milan by Franco Cologni, its President, in 1995. The foundation promotes, supports and carries out a number of cultural, scientific and educational programmes to preserve and promote leading craftsmanship with a focus on the next generation. In the book series “Mestieri d’Arte” (Métiers d’Art) and “Ricerche” (Researches), published by Marsilio Editori, the foundation retraces the great tradition of Italian traditional knowhow as well as new interpretations of contemporary craftsmanship. The Fondazione Cologni publishes the magazine “Mestieri d’Arte & Design” (Arts & Crafts & Design) and promotes the biennial award MAM-Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere, a special recognition for outstanding Italian art masters. Through the apprenticeship programmes of the project “A School, a Job. Training to Excellence”, the foundation actively supports the training of young people in high craftsmanship and their introduction into the working world.
Associazione OMA - Osservatorio dei Mestieri d’Arte is a no-profit association of foundations originating in finance with headquarters and specialists based at Fondazione CR Firenze. OMA promotes the protection of artistic and historical heritage of art-centric professions. The association awards the OMA plaque to craftspeople and workshops as recognition of the value and quality of the handicrafts. For more than ten years, the association’s projects have focused on communication, networking among Italian and international craftspeople and institutions, research and design activities, and competitions and contests to encourage professional development among young artisans. OMA publishes the book series “Mestieri d’Arte Quaderni d’artigianato” (Artistic Professions. Notebooks of craftsmanship) and edits the quarterly magazine about the history and here and now of artistic professions. The association also manages Spazio NOTA, Nuova Officina Toscana per l’Artigianato, headquartered in Florence, which provides and promotes orientation, educational and training activities in the fashion and tailoring segment.
Gruppo Editoriale is a publishing company, established in 1997, specialized in the publication of international magazines in Italian and English with a focus on Italy’s top tourism and artistic cities, such as Firenze made in Tuscany, Venezia made in Veneto, Capri the Divine Coast, Roma the Eternal City and Milano the City of Style. Distributed in leading bookshops, top five-star hotels, restaurants and boutiques, the magazines cover these extraordinary cities from an original and authentic standpoint. Gruppo Editoriale also publishes house organs for the most prestigious hotel chains in Italy, including Starhotels, as well as Handbook, the official magazine by the Costa Smeralda Consortium, which has been in print for 57 years. For the last decade, the publishing company has concentrated on high Italian craftsmanship through a collection of “su misura” guides and the italia-sumisura.it website. Gruppo Editoriale also vaunts a large collection of coffee table books featuring historic photography archives, iconic destinations and leading artists. The publishing house organizes special events and exhibitions in exceptional locations.
Sara Ricciardi, Art Director for "La Grande Bellezza - The Dream Factory" Sara Ricciardi is one of the most talented and famous designers of the next generation. Born in Benevento in 1989, she lives and works in Milan. An eclectic designer, Sara studied in Milan, Istanbul and New York, graduating in Product Design from Naba - Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti in 2015, where she now teaches Social Design and Digital Planning. She designs products for companies, unique pieces for galleries, performances, interiors and installations. Her clients include Visionnaire, Culti, Luisa Via Roma, Giorgetti and Venini. Sara’s approach is based on a profound narrative exploration with formal and poetic research underpinning her method. Materials and techniques are redefined with each new work through the help of leading Italian artisans. During Pitti Immagine 2019, she opened her first concept store, “Eden”, embarking on planning dedicated to interior design. The Triennale di Milano listed Sara among the Women of Contemporary Italian Design with the exhibition “Women in Design”(2017).
Starhotels Press Office Email: [email protected] Telephone: 055 3692252 www.starhotels.com www.starhotelscollezione.com #starhotels #starhotelscollezione Fondazione Cologni - Antonella Asnaghi & Associati Anna Maria Calegari Email: [email protected] [email protected] Telephone: 02 48008294 / 02 43982278