Category: Sarah Macjones

There were so many moments from this past month I wanted to highlight so I made a video about what a few of the places we visited taught me. The overall theme of “Don’t forget to look up” is inspired by Professor Kate’s message to us when we went to museums, studios, and other creative spaces because there would always be a beautiful detail above us that we could’ve missed if we didn’t look up. That phrase and concept stuck with me throughout the month and reminded me to really soak up everything we were seeing and experiencing.

This is Don’t Forget to Look Up 

(Watch in 4K :))

Our last week in the program felt very sentimental yet surreal. Visiting Alessi in Omegna was one of my favorite things we did the whole trip (I have a lot of favorites) because it felt like the best last place to go. It culminated all of what we’ve learned from the program including history of the design greats/masters, objects and people we’ve heard and seen throughout, and a beautiful landscape backdrop that provoked reflection. After our lunch overlooking the water, I sat for a bit by the lake and was just absolutely amazed and filled with gratitude that I got to experience the past three weeks.

I also had fun reimagining an Alessi product and I learned so much from the presentation/conversation we had about their products, their brand, and Italian design culture. It was so cool to hear the two women talk about how Alessi has been involved in cultural moments like movies, but also the intricacies that go into each project from concept to creation on both the technical side and the marketing side. I also didn’t know that they worked with so many designers from Italy and globally. Understanding that they prioritize making usable art many people can afford was so cool to me. Both women that shared with us were very passionate about what they do and brought so much excitement when talking about their work and that was inspiring. I am so grateful they took time out of their day to share so much knowledge with us.

Seeing that Alessi had specific values that made up their definition of successful design made me want to think about what my formula for good design would be as a growing designer. For now, I’ll keep pondering on that.

As we’ve been going to different studio’s, foundations, buildings, and museums, a throughline I keep seeing noticing is the beauty of collaboration. It seems like every designer in Italy knows each other and has worked together. I’m fascinated by how these relationships are built and if this is just a past thing or if it is still something that is present today. My generation feels very individualistic a lot of times and collaboration seems a bit foreign, especially in the creative industry. Everyone seems like they are in their own silos when they are creating or maybe that is just my perspective. Yet, Italian design teaches us that to create something meaningful we have to create together. Whether it’s Olivetti and Carlo Scarpa or Alfa Romeo and Ferrari, I’ve learned that collaboration is vital to creation.

Images are from Fondazione di Vico Magristretti during our visit

When preparing for this trip I had preconceived notions of Milan but didn’t really know what to expect. I certainly didn’t expect to be bombarded with beauty everywhere I turned. What has stood out to me over the past couple of days is that there is no lack of beautiful things in this city. What I mean to say is once you step outside your door and breathe in the air of a fresh new day, you are bound to encounter something beautiful.

It’s the trees that tower over you, almost reaching out to give a hug or greenery and foliage spilling over balconies on corners and sides of buildings. It could be walking up the stairs coming out of the metro and seeing the duomo stare at you jarringly or a person wearing a blazer that is the perfect oversize fit intentionally styled with unique accessories.

Whether I look up, down, to my left, or to my right there is something to see, something worth seeing and wow what a privilege it is to wake up and be able to see beautiful things without having to do too much. Maybe some of the people here might be used to the beauty. Maybe it’s too familiar to them. Maybe having 24/7 access to beautiful things makes it difficult to be grateful for said things. But to me, there is wonder everywhere in this city; To see it, you just need to look up and around.

Here are my favorite random sightings of beautiful things so far: