The Embassy of Italy in Washington and the Italian consular network in the United States are celebrating the first Made in Italy Day, on the anniversary of the birth of Leonardo da Vinci, with a program of initiatives across the country.
In Washington, the Ambassador of Italy to the United States, Mariangela Zappia, hosts today the event “Italian Contemporary Design at Villa Firenze,” a conversation on Italian design with Alessandro Melis, Professor at the New York Institute of Technology, and Stefano Schiavon, President of the Murano glass company Salviati, supplier of one of the pieces of design exhibited in “Villa Firenze Contemporanea,” a cultural diplomacy project that brings together over 50 Italian works of art and objects of design in the residence of the Ambassadors of Italy. On the same day in Washington, the Ambassador kicks off a webinar on the protection of Made in Italy aimed at Italian companies interested in the U.S. market. The event is also being attended by Amedeo Teti, Department Head at Italy’s Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, and Erica di Giovancarlo, Director of the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) network in the United States.
The celebrations for Made in Italy Day began on April 12th in Houston, with the conference “A journey through Italian Design” by the renowned architect Anne Breux, dedicated to the main Italian interior design brands, organized in collaboration with the Italian-American Cultural Center of Houston and the city’s ITA.
On April 14th in Detroit, the Italian Consulate presented the documentary Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams by director Luca Guadagnino, about the story of Salvatore Ferragamo. The event was organized within the context of the Italian Film Festival USA – Metro Detroit, an annual showcase of contemporary Italian cinema.
On April 15th, the Italian Consulate General in New York will host the event “The Italian Industrial Excellence – A talk with CIMOLAI Spa,” a conversation with Claudia Pavan, Vice President of CIMOLAI USA, Charles Barnes, Technical Director of the architecture firm DS+R Architects, which designed the NYC building The Shed, and the Director of the ITA network in the United States, Erica Di Giovancarlo, aimed at highlighting the essential contribution of the Italian group in the construction of some of the most iconic buildings in the metropolis including The Oculus, The Vessel, The Edge, The Shed, and the new Performing Arts Center. The Italian Cultural Institute of New York will host two exhibitions for the occasion, “From Byzantium to Italy: Made in Italy in a feminine key” by Beatrice Risa, with a conversation with the artist, and “Industry and Art in Made in Italy: Luciano Fabro,” dedicated to the creative use of industrial materials.
Italian-made technologies will be at the center of the event hosted for the day by the Italian Consul General in Philadelphia with the CEO of Leonardo Helicopters US, Clyde Woltman, Professor Marisa Bartolomei of the Perelman School of Medicine at UPenn, and Gabriele Romano of the Italian Scientists & Scholars in North America Foundation (ISSNAF).
In San Francisco, the Italian Consulate General is organizing the event “Made in Italy in Robotics, Hardware and Advanced Materials” at the Italian Innovation & Culture Hub INNOVIT, as part of the acceleration program offered by the center to a group of Italian start-ups and SMEs.
On April 16th in Los Angeles, the Italian Consulate General, the Italian Cultural Institute, and the ITA, in collaboration with ISSNAF, will celebrate Made in Italy Day and Research Day with an event aimed at exploring the connection between Italian design, creativity, and innovation through products such as the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses. Moderated by journalist Veronica Maffei, the conversation will feature industry leaders and researchers such as Rocco Basilico, Chief Wearables Officer and person in charge of luxury brands at Essilor Luxottica; Hind Hobeika, Director, product management at Meta; and Pietro Perona, Professor at Caltech.
On April 23rd in Boston, the Italian Consulate General, in collaboration with IFDA (International Furnishings and Design Association) and ASID (American Society of Interior Designers), will celebrate Made in Italy at the inaugural event of Boston Design Week, featuring presentations of brands of excellence such as VETTii, Minotti, and Cumar.
The Full Program:
BEFORE THE DAY
April 12, 2024
HOUSTON – A journey through Italian Design.
In Houston, design will be the focus of the Made in Italy Day. A conference by the well-known interior Architect, Anne Breux, dedicated to the main made in Italy brands in interior design will be organized in collaboration with the Italian American Cultural Center of Houston, with the support of the Italian Trade Agency (ITA). The event includes a video presentation followed by an Italian “aperitivo”.
April 14, 2024
DETROIT – “Salvatore Ferragamo – Luxury and Creativity Made in Italy”
The Consulate of Italy in Detroit will present the documentary “Salvatore – The Shoemaker of Dreams” by Luca Guadagnino. The event will be part of the Italian Film Festival USA – Metro Detroit, an annual showcase of contemporary Italian cinema that attracts approximately 3000 spectators each year in the metropolitan Detroit area. The film by the renowned director recounts the life of Salvatore Ferragamo, from his humble beginnings in Bonito (AV), where he made his first shoes for his sister’s first communion, to his apprenticeship in the finest workshops in Naples, and then his departure for the United States to begin building his own future. The story of Salvatore Ferragamo and the brand he built intertwines with his personal journey, one of unprecedented success that has made the Ferragamo name one of the most important symbols of Made in Italy in the United States and around the world.
April 15, 2024
WASHINGTON – “Italian Contemporary Design at Villa Firenze”
Streaming with ADI Design Museum and Salone del Mobile.Milano.
Welcome remarks by the Ambassador of Italy to the United States, Mariangela Zappia, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Professional and Cultural Exchange, Nicole Elkon, and the Vice President of the Association for Industrial Design (ADI), Antonella Andriani.
A conversation with Alessandro Melis (IDC Foundation Endowed Chair Professor, New York Institute of Technology), Stefano Schiavon (President, Salviati Venezia 1859) and Franco Caimi (Coordination of ADI Companies Department).
Closing remarks by Maria Porro (President, Salone del Mobile.Milano).
Thanks also to Franciacorta and 1000 Miglia.
NEW YORK – “Italian Industrial Excellence – A talk with CIMOLAI Spa”
For the first Made in Italy Day, the Consulate General of New York has scheduled the event “The Italian Industrial Excellence – A talk with CIMOLAI Spa” as part of its April activities calendar. The event will feature the participation of Cimolai, an Italian company operating internationally in the design, supply, and assembly of complex steel structures. The New York Made in Italy Day will showcase the crucial – yet lesser-known – contribution of this Italian company in the construction of some of New York’s most iconic buildings, namely The Oculus, The Vessel, The Edge, The Shed, and the new Performing Arts Center. The specific objective of the event is to highlight the Italian industrial and technological expertise, which is sometimes less visible than traditional sectors. This will be achieved by focusing on the most important and original architectural works created in New York in the last two decades through collaborations between renowned architects and designers (from Calatrava to Heatherwick) and the only company capable of translating their artistic visions into sustainable steel structures. Speakers at the event will include Erica Di Giovancarlo, the new Director of ITA, Claudia Pavan, Vice President of CIMOLAI USA, and Charles Barnes, Technical Director and Principal Associate of the architecture firm DS+R Architects, which designed The Shed. The original model of this building will be on display at the Consulate during the event.
NEW YORK – “Beatrice Risa Exhibition “From Byzantium to Italy: Made in Italy in a feminine key” and exhibition “Industry and Art in Made in Italy: Luciano Fabro”
In the Foyer of the Institute, there will be an exhibition by Beatrice Risa: From Byzantium to Italy: Made in Italy in a feminine key. The exhibition will present garments that combine historical inspiration and modernity, interpreting Made in Italy in the sign of feminine craftsmanship. A talk by Beatrice Risa will follow the opening on April 18th.
In the ground floor rooms of the Institute, the exhibition Industry and Art in Made in Italy: Luciano Fabro will open. It is the first review of the unpublished drawings by Luciano Fabro, related to the theme of the creative use of industrial materials. The event was organized in collaboration with the Paula Cooper Gallery in New York and the Luciano and Carla Fabro Archive.
PHILADELPHIA – Made in Italy Day at Leonardo Helicopter
The Consulate General of Italy in Philadelphia together with Leonardo and ISSNAF will present an event on Made in Italy technology with the participation of the Consul General Mele, the CEO of Leonardo Helicopter US, Clyde Woltman, Professor Marisa Bartolomei of the Perelman school of Medicine of UPENN and Gabriele Romano (Isnnaff). The presentations will focus on research, innovation and development, and it will also be an opportunity to inaugurate the new ISSNAFF chapter in Philadelphia.
SAN FRANCISCO – “Made in Italy in Robotics, Hardware and Advanced Materials”
The Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco will organize an event at Innovit on “Made in Italy in Robotics, Hardware and Advanced Materials,” as part of the acceleration program that the Innovation Center will offer to a group of Italian SMEs in the sector.
WASHINGTON/ONLINE – “Webinar on the Promotion and Protection of Made in Italy”
In collaboration with ITA and Guardia di Finanza.
The event will be opened by Ambassador Mariangela Zappia (Ambassador of Italy to the US), Amedeo Teti (Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy) and Erica di Giovancarlo (Director of ITA New York).
AFTER THE DAY
April 16, 2024
LOS ANGELES – “The Next Generation of Made in Italy”
The Consulate General of Italy in Los Angeles, the Italian Cultural Institute and ITA – Italian Trade Agency, in collaboration with the Italian Scientists and Scholars in North America Foundation (ISSNAF), will celebrate the Italian Research Day and the essence of Made in Italy with a special event, exploring Italian creativity and innovation by discovering how products like the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses exemplify the fusion of Italian design, excellence and technology.
Moderated by journalist Veronica Maffei, the panel discussion, taking place at the Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles, will feature industry leaders and researchers such as Rocco Basilico, Chief Wearables Officer and Head of Luxury Brands at Essilor Luxottica; Hind Hobeika, Director, Product Management at META; and Pietro Perona, Allen E. Puckett Professor of Electrical Engineering at Caltech, who will discuss the intersections of design, AI, and technology.
April 23, 2024
BOSTON
In collaboration with IFDA (International Furnishings and Design Association) and ASID (American Society of Interior Designers).
The Consulate General of Italy in Boston will celebrate Made in Italy Day at the kick-off event of Boston Design Week. The excellence of Made in Italy will be presented through the Italian companies Vettii, Minotti, and Cumar.
