Vistosi today is a 2.0 craft industry with one of the largest owned glass mills in Europe, an in-house research and development department, an workshop, and a network of established and qualified local suppliers.
Interview with Matteo Moretti, CEO of Vistosi.
Easy Engineering: A brief description of the company and its activities.
Matteo Moretti: Our history makes us what we are today. Very few companies can recount the stages of such a long history. In fact, we were born in the last millennium, almost six centuries ago in the cradle that gave birth to the most renowned glass masters.
Designer
We develop and produce not only decorative lamps but design objects, some of which have become true icons. Great names of design marked our product history in the 1960s and 1970s such as Gae Aulenti, Ettore Sottsass and Luciano Vistosi with Lepanto and Munega, Vico Magistretti with Alega, Angelo Mangiarotti with Giogali and Minigiogali, Michele De Lucchi with Vega, up to the new generations atelier oi with Essence, Favaretto&Partners with Jube, Sata and Trepai, Francesco Lucchese with Armonia, Stardust and Anisette, Hangar Design Group with Futura, Stone, Peggy and Groove.
Awards and Patents
And since 1585, the year the company was founded, we have been doing our job every day with the same passion, the same desire to experiment and to grow further. After passing from father to son in 1989, the company became even more focused on the design of its products, presenting highly successful collections that have won international awards such as the Gran Design Etico, Good Design, Red Dot, German Design Award, If Design, Archiproducts Design and perhaps the most important the ADI Compasso D’oro.
Vistosi also applied for and received a patent for the iconic Giogali collection, designed by Maestro Angelo Mangiarotti. Since its birth in 1967, Giogali has received several awards and has been on permanent display in various museums around the world, including the MUSEUM FÜR ANGEWANDTE KUNST in Cologne, the Milan Triennale and the Glass Museum in Murano.
In the same year, the Giogali trademark was protected as an Italian patent in 1967, issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The Giogali trademark was also protected as a 3D trademark or emblem in the United States in 2010. Very few companies in the world can boast of having obtained this recognition.
Headquarters
Made in Italy represents the very soul of the company and its success is certainly inseparable from the territory and Venice. In fact, the company’s administrative headquarters are located in the hinterland of the Lagoon, whose architecture reflects the refinement of its lines and the quality of its materials.
Glassworks
A few kilometres away is one of the largest glassworks and mills in Europe. The master glassmakers, custodians of local craftsmanship, of the oldest and now almost lost know-how still remain the beating heart of the company and the center of the production process.
Workshop
The in-house workshops are equipped to take care of the entire production, from prototypes to quality control and wiring, certifying piece by piece its correct functioning. The availability of this department among the company’s assets allows ample flexibility in the experimentation and realization of custom-made structures, such as the large suspension versions of Giogali, Oto, Ecos, Puppet.
Vistosi still remains one of the few companies where the entire production process is managed in-house to ensure consistent product quality.
E.E: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
M.M: Custom
There are not only standard products in our catalog. Many of our standard products can be designed in clusters and adapted to spaces for lighting, architectural and decorative requirements. We also have a long experience in designing custom installations, true bespoke projects of the highest quality realized with the highest level of customization for the customer.
We have developed and are carrying out with architectural firms, lighting designers, contractors and end customers. Over the years it has designed and produced unique decorative lighting items of rare beauty, increasingly establishing itself as a leader in the sector.
We follow complete projects with the professionalism and passion that have characterized us for many years, to meet the needs of contractors who want to enhance their projects and who are looking for special and completely new solutions.
We listen to the client’s requests, we make an initial inspection to verify the characteristics of the spaces, we analyze and develop some hypotheses of solutions studying the possible nodes thanks to our internal research and development department, we provide all the lighting calculations and details of the fixing systems, we take care of the home automation controls respecting in the development of the article the concept shared with us in the briefing phase, we present a moldboard of samples and finishes, we make prototypes before the final approval, we share our experience in the choice of materials. We take care of assembly and installation worldwide and provide 24-hour remote assistance to solve any critical issues. Our consultancy ends with a final inspection by our managers at the end of the installation.
Our workers help to make the project possible and unique.
Customized solutions range from vaguely retro shapes to illuminate large spaces to contemporary designs. This translates into stories of materials, shapes and aesthetics, which describe the experience and demands of each customer, and how Vistosi responded to these demands.
E.E: What’s the news about new products?
M.M: More than 80 collections, many of which allow cluster compositions up to completely customized products. They transform living spaces, domestic and commercial, dialoguing with the environment, conferring beauty and arousing emotions.
Some of these have become true icons such as Giogali, Puppet, Oto, Ecos, Armonia, Poc, Peggy, Diamante, Lepanto capable of designing spaces and making them unique.
And again Jube, Puppet Ring,
Futura, Stone, Medea, Riflesso, some of which have been enriched over time with new types, new finishes, new sources to remain always current and versatile in every context.
In 2023, the company presented eight new collections: Anisette, Faro, Groove, Modulor, Plissé, Pure, Riketta, Tier along with some additions to existing collections, such as Giogali, Armonia, Incanto, Infinita, Jube, Minigiogali, Puppet Ring, Riflesso, Scintilla, Tread. In fact, Vistosi is aware that continuous evolution, while maintaining the distinctive qualities that give value and identity to the brand, is fundamental.
The world of sustainability has been demanding a greener approach to lighting for years, and the company has responded by offering solutions with LEDs or allowing the use of LED sources as an alternative to the halogen bulb, thus reducing consumption and making lighting sustainable. We would like to remind you that all lamps with integrated LED kits are certified according to the EPREL standard, information on which is available on our website for each individual article. The use of these solutions guarantees several advantages: first of all energy saving, easy disposal, in fact LED sources do not contain toxic or environmentally harmful materials, no UV and IR emissions, a useful life of tens of thousands of hours and consequent reduction of maintenance costs, excellent light quality with a high color rendering, the possibility of dimming to keep the color temperature and light free of any visible alteration, but with the possibility of partial consumption according to requirements.
For more in-depth information on the solutions proposed by Vistosi, we invite you to view the videos on LED technologies in our Youtube channel, which can also be accessed from our LED gallery in the virtual museum and from our website, or consult the in-depth analysis in the dedicated section of our price list.
Craftsmanship, refined design and technical upgrades make these lamps a luxury decorative piece of furniture that is the result of rare craftsmanship and a functional object at the same time.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
M.M: Hight level products, totally handmade. The timeless design of our lamps makes them suitable for every style of environment. Our catalog is made of more 80 collections. Some such as POC, Oto, Scintilla, Puppet and many others can be clustered for projects requiring more diffuse lighting and to meet special design needs. In addition, thanks to the support of our R&D department and our in-house glassworks and workshop, we are able to develop and produce completely customized designs for major clients. This flexibility allows us to respond to the needs of the residential sector, but also commercial, hôtellerie, retail.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
M.M: We sell all over the world. We have distributors, agents and dealers in more than 80 countries. Through them we sell in shops and online. The customized designs we have created can be found in many luxury hotels, foundations, museums, airports, flagships, private residences in many countries, thanks also to the fact that our products have undergone rigorous testing to European and international standards, guaranteeing maximum safety and quality.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
M.M: Consumers in the mid- to high-end segment are increasingly focused on design, quality and sensitive to energy saving.
This is why we try to offer lamps with a timeless design, focusing on workmanship, colour and the purity of our crystal. Many of our icons are now offered not only with the traditional light source but also with alternative LED sources. Vistosi’s products are unique pieces, completely handmade in Italy.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
M.M: Some of our new collections as Groove and Plissè after their launch in Aprile are still awarded as for their design, concept and labeled as sustainable product. Groove for example as a particular structure that has been designed to allow great flexibility thanks to a system of fixing of the four metal frames, which, by sliding, create ever new geometries to better adapt to the spaces and needs of the end user.
Anisette is a new collection with modern geometries, reminiscent of the shape of a lantern. Thanks to a special coupling system that perfectly hides the frame and allows the glass to be fixed without drilling, the two shaded white crystal diffusers can be assembled in four different configurations, creating different overlaps and silhouettes by playing with the internal source and the transparency of the glass. The light source, equipped with an E27 socket, slides inside the diffuser to create a diffuse light contribution, if positioned in the centre, or make it directional towards the surface, if moved downwards.
E.E: What estimations do you have for the rest of 2023?
M.M: Looking ahead, our calendar promises to be full of exciting initiatives. After the launch of the eight new collections in 2023, Vistosi has never stopped and is now working to bring further innovations to our products. This includes the launch of new versions, new types, finish proposals and light sources that will be integrated into our most successful collections.
We have already evaluated numerous proposals that are ready to be developed. These projects include new pendants, table lamps and many other lighting solutions that aim to satisfy a variety of needs and tastes.
We will soon publish the new version of our new pavilion in our Virtual Museum, the new catalogue, the new e-commerce retail, the update of our website, the new product configurator, new product certifications and much more.
Our mission has always been to offer cutting-edge design and high-quality lighting, and we will continue to work tirelessly to deliver on this promise in the end of 2023 and 2024 and beyond. Stay with us to discover all the amazing innovations we have in store.