Gianfranco Chicco
I'm a London-based creative producer, strategist and writer connecting design, technology and craft.
I publish The Craftsman Newsletter.
Third-wave coffee oasis in Milan
Onest Milano, a cafe-osasis in Italy, oscillates between serving specialty coffee during the day and wine in the evenings, both accompanied by delicate good food. They pride themselves in putting sustainability and traceability at the top of their offering.
Are you a collector or a maker?
I'm what you guys call a User. - Kevin Flynn, Tron (1982) 'Are you a collector or a maker?' a chatty chap asked me during a ceramics exhibition a few months ago. He then went on to tell me how proud he was of his Japanese
With my own two hands
Workweeks have been pretty intense so I spent the weekend recharging. I finally picked up the pots and cups I made over the last couple of months at Tokobo Pottery. They are raw and unrefined, even ugly. But you know what? Tea and coffee taste better in them just because
The Influence Of The Wood Is Everything
Sven Mihai lives somewhere in the mountains of Central Europe (he asked me to keep the location vague), where he goes on long hikes to collect wood to create unique teawares that have a cult-like following. Getting hold of one of his products is not as easy as your average
Kintsugi: The Poetic Mend
Kintsugi (金継ぎ, 金: gold and 継ぎ: joint, joining) has taken the West by storm over the last decade. The hype has been fuelled by the visual dominance of platforms like Instagram and pop-psychology. Google it and you'll find innumerable photos, DIY kits, famous - if slightly taken out
The Social Life of Objects
Republished and updated from The Craftsman Newsletter from October 2020 As my Summer went by without much of an actual summer-vibe, I found myself — like many others — spending more time at home. It was akin to being in a spaceship like in 2001: A Space Odyssey (without the evil computer)
A box of wonders
I have a box full of postcards that I’ve collected over the years. The oldest are from 1992, from a Pink Floyd special edition boxset I loved. Many are from when I moved to Europe in the early 2000s. I’ve picked them up during work trips, holidays, and
A happy birthday in lockdown
For my birthdays, I like to bring together friends from different walks of (my) life to break bread (and drink wine!). This year eating together was not an option, as I found myself in lockdown like many, many others. I had been self-isolating for the previous two months without having
Virtual events need to break the fourth wall
When COVID-19 pulled the rug from under event organisers’ feet, forcing them to postpone or cancel, they scrambled to find new experiences that would fill up the void. Naturally, the quickest way to replace them was through live-streaming sessions on Zoom, Instagram Live, YouTube, etc. Virtual events can be great
OEO Studio: Breathing New Life Into Craftsmanship
Thomas Lykke's grandfather was a carpenter. He transmitted to his grandson a passion for wood, the knowledge of how to use the tools, a genuine care for quality and, of course, the aesthetics of a well made object. Many years later, after training as a fashion designer in
Teachings from Japanese craftsmanship: what is enough?
This essay has been adapted from a short talk I gave at the Grande Finale of the House of Beautiful Business in Lisbon on November 6th, 2019 (watch the video). In March of this year I quit my job. I was feeling exhausted physically and mentally, and there was something
Tanimura Tango and Japan's Vanishing Chasen Craft
In Takayama, Nara prefecture, Tanimura Jun, professionally known as Tanimura Tango, continues a legacy that few others have maintained. As the 20th generation chasen master craftsman, he creates bamboo whisks essential for preparing matcha tea. Growing up, he showed no interest in the family tradition, nor was he pressured to