This series, COLLECTIBLE In-Depth, unveils the backstage of contemporary creation. Tackling various topics from personal designer processes to the position of collectible design on the global design market, COLLECTIBLE In-Depth offers different views to suit all tastes. Today we speak with Caterina Vrabec, Founder of  Formaminima.

C: Why do you focus on contemporary collectible design? What does it mean for you?

Caterina Vrabec: Collectible design allows us to explore tradition, artisan mastery, and that making full of charm, care, and perseverance that characterises the finest Italian craftsmanship. Each creation is crafted in those same places where the know-how is handed down and thoroughly kept for generations, exclusively in our territory. For us collectible design represents a journey through which expressing our design practice at its best. 

C: What do you think collectible design brings compared to other more massively produced pieces?

CV: The design methodology behind collectible design creations is different. In each creation We try to re-frame and re-interpret traditional craftsmanship through a contemporary and cutting-edge design ethos, asking questions rather than aiming for answers. Therefore the ultimate result is notably informed by craft, gestures and the essential time for thoughts and research which is usually undermined in mass production.

C: Can you talk about a new piece / collection that you release for COLLECTIBLE this year?

CV: We are glad to introduce our latest XS Series - Mirror/Zero Collection and in particular the limited editions: Mirror/Zero Pink Ed., Mirror/Zero Black Ed. - Agata variant and the Mirror/Zero Fading Marble Revamp Ed.01 - Missoni variant. 

This collection aims to emphasise the décor statement function within the contemporary Interior lexicon of wall décor creations, through a frameless and sleek aesthetic informed by experimental craftsmanship techniques (such as traditional mirror silvering) which represented the starting point of our design research.

C: How do you question or challenge functionality in your design process?

CV: Challenging function is the main aim when designing an object. It allows us to subvert the equation, usually taking the off-beaten path and achieving something different and interesting to us. Therefore the most interesting results are usually those achieved through antithesis - challenging for instance materials' intrinsic features and characteristics, pushing the boundaries of a specific traditional craft technique by reframing or decontextualising it.

C: How do you navigate the tension between innovation and tradition in your approach to designing collectible objects?

CV: The notions of reframing, reinterpreting or even subverting represent the leitmotif of our design practice, in the attempt to navigate - or more often to purposely go adrift - the tension between innovation and tradition. Unlearning traditional craftsmanship, merging them to deliberate gestural interventions, and conceiving an object through the stratification of different techniques interwoven to experimental approaches; these practices inform a new narrative around that object, providing that interesting contact point between innovation and tradition.