Two of a Kind

A serendipitous meeting in Mexico inspired two friends to team up and launch Studiopepe, an Italian studio known for its inventive approach to design

- Hong Xinying

Years ago in Mexico, Italian designers Arianna Lelli Mami and Chiara Di Pinto enjoyed an incredible moment of serendipity; the two university friends had each embarked separately on a trip to the country without prior knowledge of the other’s itinerary, and met by chance on a secluded beach on the Pacific coast. After that fortuitous day, the pair decided to continue on the rest of their holiday together.

That sense of spontaneity worked out so well that the two friends decided to start working professionally together on a few projects, shortly after they returned to Milan. One thing led to another, and soon enough they co-founded Studiopepe, a now internationally renowned firm with an interdisciplinary expertise, designing a wide gamut of work that ranges from furniture to home interiors and set design.

Since its inception in 2006, Studiopepe’s projects are known for pairing a sense of wonder with playful forms and an unexpected mix of materials. The designers also enjoy referencing influences from the seventies and the midcentury modern period. It’s easy to see why the firm makes a lovely fit with Baxter, an Italian furniture manufacturer that is as keenly associated with unconventional designs; in Singapore, Baxter’s collections are available exclusively at Space Furniture.

Their fun-loving philosophy results in playful accent pieces, whether it’s the three-legged Lazybones armchair for Baxter, or Dharma, a collection comprising furnishings with lacquered structures in colours inspired by the paintings of British artist David Hockney. The designers take us on a walk down memory lane and look back at how their studio came to be, while discussing their latest projects.

What was the inspiration behind the name, Studiopepe?