Italian for experts: Artemest

Italy is renowned for the quality of its artisans, from the master glassblowers of Murano to the stone and wood carvers of Florence. For centuries, the country has occupied a position at the heart of European cultural scene, producing some of the greatest artists, designers and architects the world has ever seen. In order to retain its prominence as a hub of high-end production, however, Italy must look for new ways to raise its profile in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.

Fortunately for the country’s current generation of artisans, support is on hand in the form of an innovative new e-commerce platform. Artemest was established in 2015 by jewellery designer Ippolita Rostagno, who wanted to champion the talents of Italy’s top artisanal producers. The company aims to forge connections between these makers and people around the world with a passion for handmade home décor, jewellery and fine art. A stylish website presents a curated selection of products from manufacturers across Italy, alongside content that offers an insight into their creative processes.

According to Artemest co-founder and managing director, Marco Credendino, the quality of craftsmanship still available in Italy inspired the company to travel the length of the country seeking out its best designers, sculptors, ceramicists, glass artists and cabinet makers. “Italy is one of the countries where furniture and design companies still have a small size and work with artisanal processes,” he explains. “We visit the workshops of all the artisans we work with, and choose the collection that best represents their heritage, design, and manufacturing expertise.”

The key to Artemest’s business model is this scouting process, which involves sourcing everything from furniture and crockery to jewellery and picture frames, in order to provide its users with an overview of the finest contemporary crafts. “We love finding products that don’t have any online and offline distribution,” adds Credendino. “It’s amazing to see how a product made by hand in a small workshop in Tuscany enters the most beautiful homes in the world.”

While plenty of other international companies retail products from artisanal companies, Artemest goes a step further by collaborating closely with them on various aspects of their business. “We help artisans with marketing their products, managing the logistics, payments and everything related to customer care,” explains the managing director, “leaving them time to focus on the production of their beautiful creations.” This synergistic process has benefits for both parties, with Artemest gaining exclusive rights to some products, and the makers benefitting from the brand’s international reach and business expertise.

The close collaboration with the workshops also means that customers can speak with Artemest about creating bespoke versions of anything they see on the site. The company then communicates these ideas to the artisans and ensures the products can be manufactured to the client’s brief – something that is particularly valuable to architects and designers specifying pieces for unique interior schemes.

Artemest also conducts interviews with the artisans and makes films that are published on the website alongside the products in order to demonstrate the ideas, techniques and passion involved in their manufacture. Through this application of the latest online retail and communication tools, Artemest hopes to connect the country’s creative past with its future by offering international customers access to makers whose skills have been honed over generations.

Following a successful inaugural year, in which hundreds of artisans subscribed to the platform, the firm’s aim is to continue adding to its portfolio of exquisitely manufactured Italian products, before gradually introducing international makers and expanding into new markets. “Our goal for the future is to become the destination for handmade contemporary products,” Credendino concludes, “and to re-establish the authentic concept of luxury based on heritage, uncompromising quality and craftsmanship.”

© Architonic