27 Apr The Whimsical World of Qeeboo

The Whimsical World of Qeeboo

We interviewed Stefano Giovannoni, founder of the imaginative and fantastical brand in the lineup of the world’s leading furniture manufacturers to exhibit at Design Dome 2022.

Qeeboo, a participant in Shenzhen Creative Week 2021, will return to the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center in July this year—this time to exhibit at Design Dome’s Hall 15. Its best products will be on display, including some of founder Stefano Giovannoni’s favorites: the charming Rabbit chair, the luminous Teddy lamps, the elegant Giraffe in Love, and the majestic Kong.

Established only in 2016, Qeeboo quickly gained worldwide recognition for its imaginative and narrative designs, reflecting its successful ongoing mission: to spread good vibes.

“Our aim is to create iconic products that communicate a strong emotional feeling,” says Stefano Giovannoni, who created Qeeboo with the idea “to resume and reinterpret, in a fantastic way, the icons of our imagination; giving them an unexpected and original image, introducing a collection of smart, iconic, and surprising products.”

Qeeboo – Rabbit

Qeeboo, a participant in Shenzhen Creative Week 2021, will return to the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center in March this year—this time to exhibit at Design Dome’s Hall 15. Its best products will be on display, including some of founder Stefano Giovannoni’s favorites: the charming Rabbit chair, the luminous Teddy lamps, the elegant Giraffe in Love, and the majestic Kong.

Qeeboo – Rabbit

Established only in 2016, Qeeboo quickly gained worldwide recognition for its imaginative and narrative designs, reflecting its successful ongoing mission: to spread good vibes.

“Our aim is to create iconic products that communicate a strong emotional feeling,” says Stefano Giovannoni, who created Qeeboo with the idea “to resume and reinterpret, in a fantastic way, the icons of our imagination; giving them an unexpected and original image, introducing a collection of smart, iconic, and surprising products.”

Qeeboo – Rabbit

Qeeboo, a participant in Shenzhen Creative Week 2021, will return to the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center in March this year—this time to exhibit at Design Dome’s Hall 15. Its best products will be on display, including some of founder Stefano Giovannoni’s favorites: the charming Rabbit chair, the luminous Teddy lamps, the elegant Giraffe in Love, and the majestic Kong.

Established only in 2016, Qeeboo quickly gained worldwide recognition for its imaginative and narrative designs, reflecting its successful ongoing mission: to spread good vibes.

“Our aim is to create iconic products that communicate a strong emotional feeling,” said Stefano Giovannoni, who created Qeeboo with the idea “to resume and reinterpret, in a fantastic way, the icons of our imagination; giving them an unexpected and original image, introducing a collection of smart, iconic, and surprising products.”

Stefano Giovannoni: Qeeboo founder & designer

“Stefano Giovannoni is a designer with explosive talents.”

Stefano Giovannoni was born in Northwest Italy and graduated from the University of Architecture in Florence in 1978. He went on to become a world-famous architect and interior & industrial designer, known to turn bright colors into humorous, innocently playful creations that are uniquely his. As someone once said of him, “Stefano Giovannoni is a designer with explosive talents.”

Among other things, Giovannoni has taught Master’s classes at Domus Academy, one of the world’s most prestigious design schools. His works have won numerous awards in international design competitions, including the Red Dot, Wallpaper Design Award, Compasso d’Oro, 100% Design, Chicago Good Design Award, and more.

Stefano Giovannoni was born in Northwest Italy and graduated from the University of Architecture in Florence in 1978. He went on to become a world-famous architect and interior & industrial designer, known to turn bright colors into humorous, innocently playful creations that are uniquely his. As someone once said of him, “Stefano Giovannoni is a designer with explosive talents.”

Among other things, Giovannoni has taught Master’s classes at Domus Academy, one of the world’s most prestigious design schools. His works have won numerous awards in international design competitions, including the Red Dot, Wallpaper Design Award, Compasso d’Oro, 100% Design, Chicago Good Design Award, and more.

INTO THE IMAGINATION

Behind Qeeboo’s iconic products, other than Giovannoni himself, are a handpicked collective of eclectic designers—Andrea Branzi, Marcel Wanders Studio, Richard Hutten, and Nika Zupanc, among others—the magical team known for their ability to conjure up extraordinary items from everyday life, with a strong visual and emotional impact.

“Our creative process develops in two directions,” Giovannoni explains. “Qeeboo asks the designers to work on certain types of products and materials. On the other hand, it draws from existing products, identifying the specificities of each designer it collaborates with.”

The results are products filled with stories, sensation, and imagination; full of soul and suitable for everyone to use, each waiting for an admirer to bring it home and give it a new life.

From the Rabbit chair to the 2.65-meter-tall Giraffe in Love, here is the list of items from the whimsical world of Qeeboo that we will get to see in person at Design Dome 2022:

Qeeboo’s designers

Behind Qeeboo’s iconic products, other than Giovannoni himself, are a handpicked collective of eclectic designers—Andrea Branzi, Marcel Wanders Studio, Richard Hutten, and Nika Zupanc, among others—the magical team known for their ability to conjure up extraordinary items from everyday life, with a strong visual and emotional impact.

“Our creative process develops in two directions,” Giovannoni explains. “Qeeboo asks the designers to work on certain types of products and materials. On the other hand, it draws from existing products, identifying the specificities of each designer it collaborates with.”

Qeeboo’s designers

The results are products filled with stories, sensation, and imagination; full of soul and suitable for everyone to use, each waiting for an admirer to bring it home and give it a new life.

From the Rabbit chair to the 2.65-meter-tall Giraffe in Love, here is the list of items from the whimsical world of Qeeboo that we will get to see in person at Design Dome 2022:

Rabbit Chair

The rabbit is an auspicious animal in various eastern and western cultures, symbolizing good luck and beauty. And for those who know Qeeboo, one of the first things that come to mind upon hearing its name is likely the soft, waxy Rabbit Chair by Stefano Giovannoni himself. Designed in the shape of a rabbit, the chair offers a wide selection of colors, ready to capture the hearts of many and add a touch of charm to any home.

Teddy Lamps

Another of Qeeboo’s signature products is the luminous teddy bear family of lamps, a reinterpretation of our childhood companion by Stefano Giovannoni. The Teddy collection includes multiple variations of the Teddy Girl and Teddy Boy—the latter nods to its original counterpart, created with eyes and a wink at the classic teddy bear.

Giraffe in Love (M)

Elegantly holding a classic Marie-Thérèse style chandelier, Giraffe in Love is Marcantonio’s story of a giraffe who, with her heart so far from her head, has yet to realize that she’s in love. Giraffe in Love M is the medium-size variation of the collection, standing 2.65 meters (8’8) tall—or about half a meter taller than the average baby giraffe. Small enough to fit in a living room, yet bold enough to be the center of attention.

Kong

Just like the famous giant, Kong is big and majestic, yet gentle and sympathetic. Through his floor lamp design, Stefano Giovannoni takes the beautiful gorilla to the urban jungle to illuminate your greatest moments with its torch and adjustable arm.

Primitive

The Primitive collection plays with the symmetry of primary volumes, aiming to fragment and destruct, to reduce aggregated forms to the most elementary geometry.  Created by Piergiorgio Robino and Stefania Fersini of Studio Nucleo, Primitive evokes the paradox in the movements of the 20th century, from Cubism to Abstract Art, Constructivism, and Suprematism.

The collection includes the Primitive bookshelf, one of Studio Nucleo’s strongest and most iconic products with sculptural and modular design; and the Primitive armchair, made with a padded structure and covered with a melange-colored cloth.

Carpet

Qeeboo’s carpet collection by Andrea Branzi, Stefano Giovannoni, Richard Hutten, Alessandro Mendini, and Nynke Tynagel consists of a bold and unique selection of patterns, colors, and shapes, designed to blend into space and give character to the environment by creating magical and surreal atmospheres.

2022 and Beyond

What’s next from Qeeboo? The brand’s 2022 plans, according to Giovannoni, involve an expansion of its range of products and collaboration with existing and new designers. “During September Furniture Fair, Qeeboo developed padded products and carpets. In the future, the collection will expand the range of technologies, materials, and expressive visions,” he reveals.

Qeeboo’s most recent works—inspired by the pandemic that has forced everyone to spend most of their time at home—have been leaning toward specific furnishing objects for the living room. It is, however, preparing to dive into areas on which it has never focused before, and you can rest assured that we’re still far from seeing the limits of its designers’ imaginations. “We will focus on small-scale objects, which complete the possibility of organizing our products through different scales, colors, and materials to create a complete and heterogeneous landscape,” says Giovannoni.

Explore Qeeboo’s world of creativity, fantasy, and whimsical imagination as it returns to Design Dome, Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center, July 25-28, 2022. Tickets can be purchased here.