Clodomiro

Clodomiro is the name of an ancient Merovingian king, a play on words, an interesting story and a curious small-scale project. Photographer Miro Zagnoli and his illustrator daughter, Olimpia, had an idea for a small set of plates decorated by Olimpia, to be based on the Eros theme and sold only online. And if it worked, then an invitation could be extended to other illustrators.

This is the story. To give substance to the idea, they had to find someone to produce the plates. It was obvious to think of two of the historically most important manufacturing districts in Northern Italy. A first attempt was made in Faenza (Zagnoli are originally from Romagna, in the center of Northern Italy), a city that boasts a tradition whose fame goes back to the Renaissance. Beyond its so-called artistic production and reproduction of traditional models, a certain number of companies also manufacture contemporary design. But Faenza was not the right place; the factories produce only in large quantities of at least 1,000 pieces of each pattern.

So then they went to Nove, another historic district with over three-hundred ceramics factories, one of which proposed a special mold which was paid for and tested. The result was entirely unsatisfactory because they conceive porcelain as pottery - thick and unevenly vitrified. Again, industrial agility was lacking, along with, apparently, the necessary culture to understand contemporary design.
Perhaps they had knocked on the wrong doors.

Then they turned to another historic district, this time in England: Staffordshire, equally famous and important in the history of ceramics. Et voilà, they found their solution. Perhaps because that was where the Industrial Revolution got its start?
The factory was ready to manufacture the small-scale production: the plates have a nice form that resembles the famous white Rosenthal china designed by Gropius, the form-type that Zagnoli had imagined. Printing is digital, so they just need to send a file. Testing is done by the factory and corrections are not a problem. Certainly, the single dish costs a bit more but that is natural for small-scale production. Everything is sent by mail, using the same system that Clodomiro uses for customer delivery. Miro designed the packaging.

In a certain sense, Clodomiro is part of the very Italian history of family businesses: father and daughter, a small and sophisticated production. In another sense, Clodimiro is very much part of the present with its digital printing, website and twitter page.
Launched just a few days ago, Clodomiro has already had some success with shoppers, among which is Vitra.
P. S. Given the theme of the illustrations, one can't help but think of an Oedipus complex!