designboom · Creativity & design

Formafantasma Appointed Creative Directors at Santa Maria Novella

Design studio Formafantasma, led by Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, has been named Creative Director of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, a Florentine institution founded in 1221.

Santa Maria Novella, one of the world's oldest pharmacies, has a history spanning over eight centuries, evolving from Dominican friars' medicinal herb cultivation into a producer of fragrances and home products.

Formafantasma's role will encompass products, packaging, communication, retail spaces, and events, working collaboratively with the company's internal team and external specialists.

The studio emphasizes that their approach will focus on the inherent quality, materials, and production expertise of the products themselves, rather than a superficial visual rebranding.

Formafantasma views Santa Maria Novella's extensive history and accumulated knowledge not just as heritage to be preserved, but as a source of material to be critically examined and adapted for contemporary relevance.

Their objective is to ensure the company's diverse expressions communicate coherently, from product contents to packaging and retail environments, without imposing a singular aesthetic.

Instead of a complete overhaul, Formafantasma aims to understand the factors that have maintained Santa Maria Novella's relevance since its founding and use these insights to shape its future.

The studio will act as curators, focusing on the knowledge safeguarded by the Officina over centuries, with the initial outcomes of this collaboration yet to be revealed.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.