Fabio Novembre on Design, Pizza, and Interdisciplinarity

In an interview with Artribune, Italian designer Fabio Novembre discusses his recent projects, including the design of new stores for the pizza chain Briscola-Pizza Society in Milan's Duomo and Porta Nuova districts. Born in Lecce in 1966, Novembre has been an architect since 1992 and lives and works in Milan. He describes his approach as 'designer of the present' (hic et nunc), rejecting folkloric pizza parlor stereotypes for a contemporary, 'clubbing' aesthetic. Novembre reflects on the concept of 'IoNoi' (I-We), emphasizing that no action is independent and that life is a relay race where one receives a baton from the past and passes it to the future. He advocates for interdisciplinarity, arguing that designers are 'progettisti' (project makers) encompassing architecture, design, and art, and suggests swapping roles with colleagues for fresh perspectives. Novembre discusses his 2018 collaboration with Kartell on the Trulli centerpieces, inspired by his Apulian roots, which he initially rejected but later embraced as formative. He concludes with a philosophy of choosing one's viewpoint, exemplified by naming his daughters Verde and Celeste to counter the grayness of November. The interview was conducted by Bianca Felicori.