PARTNERSHIP Italy - UK

ART & DESIGN | 09 www.italchamind.eu The Society of British and International Interior Design Finding a balance between Italian and British markets A long-established love affair has endured between Britain and Italy. The reason? It is the passion for aesthetics, beauty, wow and of course business! Yes, we do the same things, but we do them so differently we are the perfect marriage of countries to compete in a global market. Ask anyone to describe an Englishman’s personality and business technique and they will probably say: reliable, a little boring or dry humoured or even stiff, not flexible. Ask the same people to describe an Italian man and you might expect to hear: well dressed, stylish, relaxed and perhaps a little less interested in time. That description converts in the UK to mean less structured. These observations led me in conversation with the Italian Chamber of Commerce to take a look at how, as two independent entities, we can work more closely together as two nations, but specifically in the creative industries of interior design, products, manufacturing and business. How can we take the best of each nation’s industries and the people that direct them and together make something better, more profitable, generate more opportunities and improve distribution channels? We have been working together for more than ten years now. When I launched the SBID (Society of British and International Interior Design) in 2009, it was the Italian market where I concentrated my resources. We all recognise in others something we often do not recognise in ourselves. I immediately saw Italy and Italian design as an incomplete market and therefore an opportunity for growth. There is absolutely no question that the words “designed in Italy” add a value to an interior product for the design. Equally “British made” also adds a level of comfort to a consumer, it confirms that a set of measured standards have been applied and tested so trust adds additional value. UNITED AND STRONGER Working together we can shake off the industry negative views that still exist: Italian products are the best design in the world but the deliveries are unsatisfactory; the Brits are eccentric, they are weird, that leads to commercial ideas that they often fail to realise. It occurred to us that the Italian Chamber can help to eliminate the perception of delays from Italian suppliers by providing a strong and trusted logistics procedure. The SBID can introduce the leading interior designers and architects from around the world who are returning buyers of products that Italy design and manufacture. Together we could really be something great! With Brexit, global risks and opportunities and a desire to build stronger business links between both our membership databases, together we could be formidable. We at the SBID are waiting to buy and promote you to buyers with huge budgets. Let the collaboration commence! · Photography courtesy of SBID Vanessa Brady, OBE Founder of the Society of British and International Interior Design