South Africa: Italian design to take centre stage in Cape Town

Cape Town - The Italian Consulate in Cape Town has announced that it has secured top Italian graphic designer Sergio Menichelli to host a lecture in Cape Town to mark Italian Design Day celebrations in the city. Italian Design Day, a celebration coordinated by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Triennale of Milan, will take place on March 2 in 100 locations around the world where 100 ambassadors of italian culture (designers, entrepreneurs, journalists, critics, communicators, teachers,etc) will illustrate Italy's concept of excellence.

The ways and means of design, habits, processes and more are examined in a panel discussion with top names from the world of education, information and trade. The Consulate General in Cape Town, Alfonso Tagliaferri, said Menichelli's lecture, entitled "Graphic Places" will take place in partnership with local design college Inscape Education Group, "where Menichelli will also hold a master class for third-year graphic design students". "Menichelli is one of two founders of graphic design studio FM Studio in Milan, one of the most prestigious graphic design studios in Italy," said Tagliaferri.

The Consulate of Italy in Johannesburg will also celebrate Italian Design Day 2017. In collaboration with the Instituto Italiano di Cultura in Pretoria, Triennale Milano and South African Fashion Week it will present a panel discussion, "Italy and South Africa: a comparison on prospects and professional itineries in fashion design". The debate will cover the Italian and South Afrcan fashion systems, the impact of globalisation on the fashion industry and the role of education in fashion.