Superstudio and Arthur Arbesser Dialogue at MAXXI Rome

On July 14, 2016, a dialogue titled "Superstudio à la mode" took place at MAXXI in Rome between Cristiano Toraldo di Francia, co-founder of Superstudio in 1966, and fashion designer Arthur Arbesser. The event was part of the Superstudio50 exhibition and held in spaces designed by Parasite 2.0, winners of the YAP 2016. The conversation explored the intersection of architecture, design, and fashion, focusing on the evolution of the jumpsuit from Thayaht's Futurist design to the Librabito, a Tyvek suit created by students of the Ascoli Piceno Architecture faculty under Toraldo di Francia. The Librabito, covered in text inspired by Fahrenheit 451, is designed to protect against fine dust while allowing thought. Other student works included refuge garments and recycled material pieces. Arbesser's collections for Iceberg reflect a similar rigorous yet playful approach, using 3x3 cm grids reminiscent of Superstudio. The dialogue highlighted shared intentions between fashion and architecture to disrupt consumer frenzy, entering bourgeois homes and wardrobes with eccentric objects, ultimately theorizing a world without unnecessary things. The event was curated by Clara Tosi Pamphili.