Leonardo Talarico is a name among design talent-scouts as one of the most interesting between the last generation professionals. His personality is strong and never over the top like objects he designs. A few straight, round, simple lines redefining contemporary scene emerging from decorativism excesses, recovering an essential elegance hasty to define as minimalism. Instead, it is an accurate and original new spatiality's study. We met him at a very young age as collaborator of his teacher, Giulio Cappellini, right at Superstudio. An expert panel awarded him during his first product presentation, among  young talents of Discovering section. We have seen him grow: his latest works show a very original and interesting maturity and vision that it is worth knowing. Ten questions starting from scratch.

What is behind your choice to become a designer?
The desire to talk about myself without words but with shapes and lines capable of entering people's homes. “Speaking without speaking” is an abstract concept that I really like. Objects surrounding us are mirror of feelings and the way to look at  the world, seen by designers and buyers' eyes. Being a particularly straight-forward person, I like the idea that my projects, on the other hand, tell my story step by step.

The meeting with Giulio Cappellini: did he find you or did you look for him?
We met and he believed in me, I think for my ambition.

Your designs, your image, your products are extremely simplified and sophisticated, almost an antidote to the excessive and spectacular design of these years. Do you feel out of trend or are you the one who's pointing the way?
I am far from trends and I don't like to follow the trail, I prefer to work on still unexplored roads. With my products I would like to launch a message, which wants to open to new paths, because "new roads" are never lost  never wrong, just because "new" precisely. It is very important to see and know everything that happens and surrounds us, but I like the idea of doing the exact opposite of what others are doing even more. And then, trend is a word far from design world which instead must challenge time and trends.

It seems that by combining straight lines and circumferences you can get innovative solutions for each product. How do you approach a new project?
My projects are all born from two-dimensional free forms on a paper's sheet, almost perfect and bound by both number and shape, as if they were graphic signs to be put together. Then I try to imagine these traits in a three-dimensional perspective, combining them together, giving them shape and function. I spend a lot of time “assembling” these traits in a visually correct way; the following product's design part is very fast and spontaneous for me.

In addition to collaborations with other companies, you have created your own brand. What do you expect from this certainly challenging choice?
I expect and want to reach an extremely targeted and very sophisticate clientele, those who believe that real luxury is things essence. Subtract as much as possible to give value with "the concept" and not with the material with which the product is made, and that, for the synthesis  thought behind it, assumes the value of "work" to be admired and lived in everyday life. An extreme collection as ultimate expression of my design way.

The idea of presenting your concept with a just suggested few images and a song is also unusual. Not really a commercial choice. Why?
Essentially because this project does not want to follow commercial rules and therefore, with this presentation I liked the idea of having two different art forms, like design and music, interact together, to create a story. Furthermore, in 2020 a physical presentation was scheduled in April in Milan and one in May in New York, but restrictions due to the health emergency did not allow design events to take place. Hence the idea of simultaneously putting on a video the performance of Lulu, the singer based in the USA and my products from Italy, allowing to eliminate distances.

Where can you see, how can you buy Leonardo Talarico collection?
The first collection, signed and numbered, is on request. The second one will be released in September and will be on sale online on a large American e-commerce.

Try to define yourself in a few words...
Sometimes nice, sometimes unpleasant, sometimes I get everything right, sometimes I get everything wrong. Sometimes precise others incomprehensible, even to me. Very ambitious, very curious, I make many mistakes and I always repeat the same ones.

You have been included in the list of the most interesting young Italian designers. What others could you team up with for a new design scene, in your opinion?
In this historical period, in Italy a small group of designers is rewriting the world of design. Unlike the previous generation of designers, the new one does not feel the weight of great masters and is more free and more identitarian. These designers are already brands because extremely recognizable. I think, for example, of Elena Salmistraro or Lanzacecchia+Wai, who, although light years away from my style, have their defined design continuity, which I appreciate. It is also very nice that among the many promises there are lots of female names.

Let me imagine your ideal home...
My ideal home is a single large space, with lots of natural light and few furnishings. A white box with strong and decisive signs, but measured both in architecture's cut and in the choice of accessories. Rigorous and linear but at the same time intimate, where objects coexist as a souvenir of travels and experiences. The ideal home is not only made of furniture, but by people who live there and objects are used to complete it.