Exploring Fonderia Fendi by Conie Vallese at Design Miami 2025

The yellow is undeniably bright, remarks artist Conie Vallese, gesturing toward the vibrant display before her. Indeed, the Fendi installation at Design Miami stands out immediately with its radiant color.

Marking Fendis 100th anniversary, the brand invited Vallese to curate their exhibition for Design Miami 2025. Named Fonderia Fendi, the showcase presents collectible design works created through collaboration with five distinguished Italian ateliers. Each atelier contributed unique expertise in materials such as bronze, ceramic, glass, carpet, and leather.

The participating ateliers include Officine Saffi Lab for ceramics, CC-Tapis for carpets, the 13th-century Venetian glass studio Barovier & Toso, Fonderia Battaglia in Milan for bronze, and Fendis own leather workshops. Vallese also reinterpreted the handle of a Fendi Peekaboo bag, designing it with ceramic and a diagonal stripe pattern.

I wanted the bag to feel joyful, summery, and full of Miami sunshine, Vallese explains. She received the invitation while working in Athens earlier this year, after Design Miami curator Glenn Adamson suggested her to Silvia Fendi. I had never participated in a fair like this, but the first idea that came to mind was sunshinebright and optimistic. Now that I see the installation fully, the strong yellow feels like the fairs own sun. I wanted to create a welcoming, warm, and happy atmosphere, which feels especially needed today.

The initial concepts were developed during an intensive six-hour session with Silvia Fendi in Rome. Vallese, now based in Milan after years in New York, aimed to incorporate a diverse range of materials and collaborators. Recently, my work has focused on collaboration and learning from others. This project embodies togethernessits not just my work, its a collective effort, she notes.

Vallese has been working extensively with bronze in recent years, sculpting in wax before casting it at Fonderia Battaglia. The other pieces were created across different Italian regions, with Vallese only seeing the full installation once it arrived in Miami. You travel from Venice for glasswork to Milan for bronze, and you dont see the complete set until its assembled at the booth. Yet everything comes together harmoniously, she says.

Author: Connor Blake