Mountain tents and backpacks rise to the Mount Olympus of design. As they had done in the past Adriano Olivetti, Sergio Pininfarina, Giorgetto Giugiaro, Giuliano Molinericreators of innovation and many iconic Made in Italy products. Anna Ferrinoentrepreneur at the head of the historic company Ferrino of San Mauroreceived the award Thursday evening Compasso d’Oro for lifetime achievementor “the Oscar of design”.
What is the «Golden Compact»
The Compasso d’Oro, now in its 70th edition and promoted by Adi (Industrial Design Association), is a recognition established by Gio Ponti in 1954 which over the years has become a sort of Wunderkammer of Italian creativity, a chamber of wonders now made up of 2,300 products.
From Ettore Sottsass’s Elea calculator to Dante Giacosa’s Fiat 500, up to the Colombini lemon squeezers and Enzo Mari’s chairs.
Alongside these iconic products, for 70 years, the Compasso d’Oro jury has rewarded entrepreneurs who have enabled the development of excellent businesses. Now Anna Ferrino also rises to the top of design excellence, the first Turin entrepreneur to receive this recognition, and heir to the 150-year history of the family company. Ferrino was recognized by the ADI jury as one «prominent figure and undisputed protagonist of Italian design culture»thanks to his continuous commitment and passion demonstrated over the years, «expressed in a career built on two pillars: culture and sport».
«This recognition represents an important milestone not only for me, but for the entire Ferrino SpA company – said the entrepreneur who is also president of Assosport and vice president ofUnion of Industrialists —. I therefore dedicate it to all the people who over the long 154 years of our history have poured out their commitment and knowledge to make Ferrino a reputed and internationally recognized brand with solid roots and values, a brand of the heart. I will continue to work with passion and dedication to maintain the high value of Italian design in the world of sporting goods.”
The symbol of the holiday
The Ferrino curtainswhich has always been a symbol of high mountains, adventures and explorations (from Reinhold Messner to Carla Perrotti), was founded in 1870 as a paint shop for waterproofing fabrics.
From that innovation which had more to do with chemistry than with sport, the first tents supplied to explorers and mountaineers were produced. The tents are born Matterhorn And Neghelli with built-in anti-freeze technologies.
In the 1960s Ferrino became the protagonist of new culture of camping and life in the open air. The company begins to address the general public. In fact, it was the beginning of “sport-tech”, advanced technologies for athletes and explorers applied to the market of enthusiasts and amateurs. From tents to backpacks it’s not a short step, but Ferrino becomes a point of reference in this sector too, launching the first backpacks that integrate safety systems, such as Airsafe and Airbag.
«In designing these objects, our experience, the meticulous selection and tests on materials and in the wind tunnel, the analysis of environmental tests and reports from previous expeditions, the development work in close collaboration with the most famous mountaineers are fundamental. who have always found in Ferrino a high-altitude tailoring at the service of their businesses”, explains Ferrino.
However, the entrepreneur’s most loved product is the one dedicated to the consumer market. “There camping tend— states Anna Ferrino — it is the most iconic product of our brand, as well as my favorite product: a true capsule of freedom and intimacy, whose evolution over time has always been influenced by sociological and economic transformations.”
