To be relevant, one also has to be open-minded, he observed. “Saporiti Italia has always been very flexible, open to [change]. For example, we approach sustainability not because it is a trend but because it is right. Our Jumbo chair was originally in fibreglass; we now do it in basalt fibre – a natural material that is recyclable,” Raffaele pointed out. 

He himself is always game to try new things. When asked what his favourite Singaporean food was, Raffaele – a self-declared lover of Asian food – replied without hesitation, “I eat everything and I like almost everything. This morning, I introduced our export manager to the lapis cake. I like it because it’s [tasteful] and colourful – like a piece of design.”  

The Italian is full of admiration for Singapore “because everything works; it’s a small city-state with no resources, little land, and limited manpower and yet it is able to [achieve so much]. I look with a lot of interest at the changes Singapore has been through because in the 70s, I was already here with my father on his work trips. Then, it was a bit boring, just a financial hub. But it has become interesting with [amazing] architecture and attractions like Gardens by the Bay,” he remarked.

At the fair, the presentation of ongoing prolific Singapore interior design work represented Saporiti Italia’s “present”. A new collection of technology-driven furniture represented the future while telling the story of the social cultures of drinking – tea for Asian cultures and wine for Europeans. Fuksas Architects designed the Gong Fu Cha table and The Wine, Liqueur and Cocktail Cabinet.

The former was showcased at FIND. The glossy lacquered table set with integrated chairs and a trolley has an in-built LED screen for presenting images and videos to guests, twin induction cooking units for boiling water, water storage and a water waste basin.