This is a story of Italian design, authentically made in Milan. A story nowadays increasingly rare, in which the designer is both entrepreneur and artisan, working creatively with pieces and materials, shapes and images, ideas and instinct. Melina Light was created in a cultural context enormously rich in references: masters, companies, projects and places that have made, and continue to make, Italian design known in the world are everywhere. And every year, all that surrounds the Salone, reminds us of that.

Poetry is a key component of this story, because we do not refer solely to mastering one specific design field, or advancing a specific technology or material. We refer to light and lamps, authentic design archetypes, which are the source of inspiration for many young students who attend our universities. Giacinto De Nardo has a path that reflects this poetry/technical fusion : after graduating at the “Politecnico di Milano” he worked as an accomplished fulltime architect. It was later, more mature yet still unconsciously dazzled by his first inspiration, as if to make peace with the kid still hidden inside the designer, that the catharsis came through his hands and mind. Thus, Melina is his first masterpiece: a lamp which gathers memories and homely inspirations, but is felt, thought and conceived using unique materials and colors, creating design pieces featuring a singular level of authenticity.

The strength of his project is in its simplicity: resting on a table, solemn on the floor, ethereal when suspended, intriguing on a wall, Giacinto’s pieces are true design icons. Giacinto’s lamps are simple in shape but complex in the selection and mixture of materials: a perfect combination between “less” and “more”, where “less” is within the details and “more” is their exclusivity, quality and craftsmanship. Each of these lamps, as well as those created after Melina, are a combination of instinct and geniality, beau geste and control - bringing something new to each season of design as a universal language, in a kind of Esperanto beauty. In these days and age, considering our connected and culturally enriched world, not surprisingly, the first ones to notice and look for this young light come from abroad immediately recognizing it as an Italian classic.

Massimiliano Di Bartolomeo, Aprile 2017