inga sempé interview

 inga sempéportrait © designboom

we met inga sempé in milan on april 16, 2008.

what is the best moment of the day?the morning.

what kind of music do you listen to at the moment?I don’t listen to music.

 ‘double stray’ lamp for artecnica, 2008

do you listen to the radio?yes. only talks.

what books do you have on your bedside table?at the moment, books a girlfriend of mine brought which is called ‘le jour un impair c’est tout’ written by virginie linard / leonard.

 ‘double access’ shelf for david design, 2007-2008

do you read design / architecture / fashion magazines?I read fashion magazines a little bit.

where do you get news from?at the bar in the morning when I get my coffee.and the internet.

I assume you notice how women dress.do you have any preferences?no.

 ‘la chapelle’ big table for david design, 2007

what kind of clothes do you avoid wearing? anything hippy.

do you have any pets?kind of. actually no, …it’s not really guarded as a pet.

when you were a child, did you want to become a designer?in a way yes, but I didn’t know the job existed. I didn’t like visually heavy objects and made drawings of things.I watched out for beautiful functional objects.

 ‘souvenir d’italie’, kitchen tools for alessi, 2007-2008

where do you work on your designs and projects?in my apartment which is also my studio.

do you discuss your work with other designers?yes, but only one. (laughs)I prefer to work alone.I don’t want to share.

 ‘moël’ sofa for ligne roset, 2007

describe your style, like a good friend of yours would describe it.my friends are not journalists so they don’t describe my style.I like working on daily mundane household objects and might come up with a new clever and useful solution.

please describe an evolution in your work, from your first projects to the present day.now companies ask me to design things, whereas before nobody asked me to design anything for them. and …when a project is produced as a product, you keep being involved in communication, answering interview questions. it was not part of my job initially.

 left: step ladder chair, project carte blanche, VIA, 2007

right: magnifying glass purse, project carte blanche, VIA, 2007

what project has given you the most satisfaction?any project that’s been done well.actually satisfaction is my goal, to be satisfied with my work.

anyone you would like to design anything for?no. or better – yes. I like mechanical objects.I would like to design pens, cars.I wish to work for a tool producing company designing some hammers.

‘plissé’ for luceplan, 2007

is there any designer and/or architect from the past, you appreciate a lot?I like some buildings and objects, but I’m not devoted to anybody in particular.I like achille castiglioni’s and vico magistretti’s things.

and those still working / contemporary designers?konstantin grcic, francois azambourg, the bouroullecs and bertjan pot.

 pleated hanging lamps for cappellini, 2003

do you collect things?I don’t particularly like possessing things… and I don’t like to be given things.

what advice would you give to the young? don’t analyze and follow trends.keep in mind that most of the projects that you’ll designs will be refused, but this is normal. so keep on trying to find the right manufacturer.if you want to achieve something on a technical level,to reach a particular goal, then be confident and watch out for new materials.ask the right questions (and speak with the right people).

 ‘brosse’ storage units for edra, 2003

what are you afraid of regarding the future?the ‘global culture’.I was born in paris, and I’d like to die there,but it is so expensive that it becomes a kind of a boring museum for tourists.