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Like his Venetian colleague, De Simoni expresses a mitigated concern for the
trend, led by the march of the luxury juggernaut, a race he says must end sooner
or later. And he, too, sees the influence of the world’s non-nautical in Italian
design. "We see a trend in the ongoing refinement of a boat’s lines,
similar to what exists in automotive design, notably softer and more finely
worked forms and surfaces." For De Simoni, however, trend influencers are not
lopsidedly American.
 Nuvolari-Lenard took radically different
approaches to designing the aft deck of oceAnco’s massive Y702. (Click image to enlarge)
"I do not want to go back to their so-called ‘classic’ yacht
with its big window at the front and smaller lateral windows," says De Simoni.
"I emphasize modern forms retaining a more dynamic feel while remaining true to
the essence of simplicity. This is accomplished by diminishing the contrast
between the shapes within the boat to give it a more elegant visual effect."
He follows the same theory in interiors. "The taste
is simpler, more Japanese. Fewer superfluous objects and carefully selected
materials are juxtaposed to create a relationship. The purity of this approach
creates an overall effect that is not a declaration of opulence and wealth, but
rather an elegant statement of grace, technology and design." He criticizes residential-style interiors, particularly citing
German and American builds. This thinking, De Simoni says, has a certain 1950s
attitude, "with couches, armchairs, furniture…things that in my opinion are
destined to disappear. Even on our big boatswe are tending toward more
functional interiors."
The more modestly sized interiors of PJ’s
120-foot Hush. Both this and Y702 blend Italian trendiness
with global style influences. Photographs by Jim Raycroft. (Click images to enlarge)
De Simoni says Italian designers may not have correctly
interpreted American needs in the past, but that his studio is drafting concepts
that "reflect our view of the American forma mentis (mind-set), where the boat mirrors
the residence, not in its furnishings but in support of its lifestyle of
socializing, cocktails and parties, as opposed to the traditions of cruising."
As for the emerging clientele from Russia, China and the Middle
East, he is respectful of their growing influence. "In Europe, we tend to have a
consolidated culture; clients from countries that have come late to our global
village look without the burden of historical memory. They live in and for the
moment. They look at what is represented as fashionable in Italian or American
magazines, and they want it. They want to have a boat that looks like the
latest, the most glamorous and the most well known." Such an approach to yacht style, says De Simoni, plays to the strength of
Italian designers. No doubt he and his contemporaries will continue to raise the
bar.
Fulvio De Simoni
39 0187 621473
www.fulviodesimoni.it
Lazzarini Pickering
39 06 3210305
www.lazzarinipickering.com
Nuvolari-Lenard
39 041 5841888
www.nuvolari-lenard.com
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