KARACHI: The seventh edition of the Italian Design Week organised by the Italian Consulate in Karachi opened at Habitt City on Thursday evening.

Speaking on the occasion, Consul General of Italy Danilo Giurdanella said, “In a certain way, Italian work is not far from the way artisans used to operate in ancient times, taking pride in their work and craftsmanship. The quality of Italian design is evident in its history from the colosseum of ancient Rome to the Renaissance masterpieces, and to the Cathedral of Florence. [And] Italian industrial design mainly flourished in the 20th century.”

The Consul General said he was proud to unveil on the opening day of the design week the launch of two collections: the Taormina collection, an ode to the beautiful city of Taormina in Sicily; and the launch of Don Corleone objects in Pakistan by renowned ceramic artist Antonino Forlin.

He claimed the city has inspired poets, writers, artists, actors and moviemakers from all over the world. “[English novelist] D H Lawrence also settled in Taormina for three years, the inspiration for his famous novel Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Important icons of the fashion industry such as Dolce & Gabbana, too, recognise it as a glamorous source of inspiration for their creations.

“I’m also proud to be present on the occasion of the launch of the book The Fold, a book that follows the journey of an emerging, young Pakistani architect [Salman Jawaid] who in 2018 curated the Pakistani pavilion for the first time at the Venice Architecture Biennale thus creating history for Pakistan and opening doors for others to follow,” he added.

Apart from that, Mr Giurdanella said a ceramic workshop will take place and the citizens of Karachi during the week will get the taste of Italian street food. The week is open from March 17 to March 19.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2023