Although standing more than two metres in his bare feet, Sebastian Bergne is famous for small household articles like a coat hanger, clothes horse, soaps and disposable cuff links. Born in London in 1966, Bergne lives and works in Bologna, Italy, a town he adopted when London became too expensive for a designer’s pocket. Today he goes back to the UK just for holidays and to see his family. He chose Bologna in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, with typical British pragmatism, examining quality of life indicators like rents, crèches and schools – he is married with two children – and the distance from the various Italian manufacturers he works with. The yardstick of comparison was of course Milan, the economic and spiritual hub of design and the usual choice of residence for people in this business. But Bologna came out on top, so without further ado Bergne moved there, even if he has no ties whatsoever with the town - no relations, no memories, friends or professional links, just the opportunity to live a less hectic life. Bologna suits his cool, unflustered personality. It is a town where the pace is human, and there is time to savour the everyday things of life. “It’s very important for me and my work”, he says, “to have a normal lifestyle with my family and friends outside the job. As a designer, I create everyday things. So how could these be credible if I weren’t involved in everyday life? If what he has designed for Magis, Driade and Authentics, are anything to go by, Sebastian Bergne is obviously very au fait with everyday life. He has an enviable talent for giving unexpected form to ordinary, everyday things that are usually snubbed by the design world; things we live with for much of the day but rarely deign with a second glance; things that because they are so ordinary, are difficult or, some would say, unworthy of making distinctive.
Right out of college, Bergne immediately set up on his own to make and distribute his small inventions. The first was a...
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