Swiss star designer reveals his inspirations

Alfredo Häberli, surrounded by some of his creations, is a Swiss star in the design world I&I Fotografie

Alfredo Häberli is one of the leading Swiss designers of the moment, with his work popular in the United States, Scandinavia and in Italy.

He is the subject of an exhibition in Zurich which reveals how his ideas take shape and shows the man behind the designs.

Design is a part of our daily lives. But often we don’t spare a thought for those responsible for our furniture, the objects we use and the clothes we wear.

Many designers remain in the shadows – but not the Zurich-based, Argentinian-born Häberli, who has already made quite a name for himself internationally. His clients include Volvo, Joop!, Iittala, Moroso and Camper.

But this does not make him an artist, he says. “I am a designer,” he told swissinfo, adding that his work is based on creativity not uniqueness.

Häberli derives satisfaction from the fact that 30,000 Essence Iittala glasses are sold each year.

But the SurroundThings exhibition, at Zurich’s Museum of Design, which covers Häberli’s 17-year career, is unique.

“It shows where I studied, where I met my wife and where I organised my first exhibition 20 years ago, so it’s really something exceptional,” he said.

Keeping his distance

Before he turned to designing full time, Häberli used to work for the museum putting on shows. This time he is not only the subject of one, he is also the co-curator. And for this he has maintained the necessary distance.

“Of course it’s difficult to think about yourself, but it’s not a problem because as the person behind the works, you know about the weaknesses of a project or idea, not just its strengths,” he explained. “I am very critical of myself.”

“I wanted to dedicate this exhibition to ordinary people and not to designers and professionals. This made me take a different approach.”

Häberli has chosen to highlight the emotional rather than the technical side of his designs, which is why they are often accompanied by personal texts.

So, the visitor finds out just how important the kitchen is to this man who is the son of restaurateurs – Häberli emigrated back to Switzerland from Argentina with his parents as a teenager – and about his weakness for shoes.

This love inspired him to design one of his most iconic pieces, Take a line for a walk, a lightweight chair which allows the user to put their feet up without taking their shoes off.

Childhood inspiration

Many of his designs come from childhood inspiration, like his Pelle, a mini car made out of wood, created for car manufacturer Volvo.

Pelle is a technological gem and although aimed at children, fills adults with enthusiasm too. However, the car proved too costly to make so never progressed beyond the prototype stage.

These are just some of the risks of the trade, says Häberli, and it is important not to lose sight of your ideas and dreams.

“This exhibition is an opportunity to show young people that you can start to dream when you are five years old,” he said.

“You then have to have the patience, time and also perhaps the luck to emerge professionally with projects and visions. This is why I wrote such personal things in the exhibition.

“I didn’t want to stay on the technical level, I also wanted to touch visitors’ hearts and make them smile.”

Those buying Häberli’s work are probably fascinated by the lightness of his designs, the softness of the lines and the attention to detail.

Häberli on style

But the Zurich designer says that for years he did not believe that he had a particular style. Others, like Marc Newson and Ross Lovegrove, are known for their aesthetic and formal creations.

“My style is my way of thinking. When I look back I realise that lines, infinite lines, are something which characterise me. It’s as if I’m trying to find a graphic representation for a three-dimensional product.”

Another characteristic is Häberli’s ability to marry beauty and practicality. However, he hardly mentions this aspect now.

Having undergone Swiss design training – which favours practicality – it took Häberli a while before he felt able to concentrate of the aesthetic side of his designs.

He says that “beautiful” and “pretty” are words that are not often used in Swiss German, the dialect of German spoken in the northern parts of Switzerland. Even if people praise a design’s looks, most are likely to wonder straightaway whether it actually works.

“When I was studying, it was much easier to talk about how comfortable a chair was or how it was made,” admitted Häberli. “I’m happy that today we can talk much more freely about emotions and beauty. This counts a lot.”

swissinfo, based on an article in Italian by Doris Lucini

Alfredo Häberli

Häberli was born in 1964 in Buenos Aires. His great grandfather had emigrated there from Switzerland on assignment for the shoe manufacturer Bally.

In 1977 the family returned to Switzerland.

From 1986-1991 Häberli studied industrial design in Zurich, where he also met his wife Stefanie, a graphic art student.

He started to work for the Zurich Museum of Design during his studies, organising several exhibitions there. In 1993 he opened his own design studio and his first big success was in 1997 with his shelf system for Italian firm Alias.

In 2006 Häberli was guest of honour at the 20th Biennale of Design in Kortrijk, Belgium.

The exhibition

SurroundThings, at Zurich’s Museum of Design, runs until September 21, 2008.

It is the first solo exhibition devoted to Häberli.

The show not only allows the visitor to admire Häberli’s designs, but also shows how his ideas come to fruition.