Setsu and Shinobu Ito are Japanese designers. Their work is stored as permanent collections in the Modern Art Museums in Munich, Germany and Milan, Italy.
Shinobu Ito graduated in textile design at
Tama Art University in Tokyo (1988) and started her career for
CBS Sony (present:
Sony Music Entertainment) in Sony Creative Products. Heavily influenced as a student by postmodern Italian design, Shinobu later moved to Italy to attend the
Domus Academy in Milan, where she met her future husband and business partner, Setsu Ito, who at the time was working as a tutor at the school. The pair were attracted to the city and, in 1997, they established a studio in Milan.
Their works have been presented and exhibited around the world and also have been published in many books and magazines.
They also received design awards such as: "
Compasso d'Oro Menzione d'Onore" (2011, Italy), "
Red Dot Award Best of the Best" (2016, Germany, Singapore), "Design Plus" (2016, Germany), "NY NOW Best Product" (2017, USA), "The Good Design Award" (2001, Japan), "Mastro della Pietra"[2] (2019, Italy) and many other international design awards.
Published a biography book “Setsu & Shinobu Ito_East-West Designer” (Logos Italy 2008).
Representative works / projects
HOW -Stationery Collection (Nava_Italy) 2000 - 2006
A series of functional desktops and stationery with light and deep feeling in line with the shift to home offices in the IT era. Some of the products are a permanent collection of the Triennale Milano Design Museum and won a Good Design Award (2001, Japan)[3]
ILY-I Interactive Armchair (Aisin_Japan) 2015
Developed a sofa-type personal mobility design that can be moved smartly from the elderly to young people in outdoor public facilities.It is equipped with an ultrasonic sensor and has an automatic braking system and light reaction function. With the addition of IoT functions, it aims to make home robots of furniture equipped with remote communication between families and health management functions.
Red Dot Award Best of the Best Award (2016, Germany, Singapore)[4]
MY FUSION Collection long seller series Bowl and other Tableware object (Fratelli Guzzini) 2016
The world's first plastic three-color simultaneous mold and tableware series based on Guzzini's 3TECH technology, which led the development of post-war household plastic products. Expressed in a plastic container that is easy to use. Colors are inspired by the traditional Japanese lacquer articles.
DESIGN PLUS-Winner (2016, Germany)
NY NOW Award-Best New Product Winner (2016, USA)
Good Design Awards (2018, USA)[5]
SUZUKI Motorshow Design and Supervision Brand Concept Booth
2016 - Milano Design Award 2016 / Best Engagement (Italy),[6]Red Dot Award 2016 Best of the Best (Germany, Singapore),[4] DESIGN PLUS (Germany), JPC Japan Package Design Award / Cosmetic Goods Award (Japan)[7]
^Fuad-Luke, Alastair. (2002). The eco-design handbook : a complete sourcebook for the home and office. London: Thames & Hudson.
ISBN0-500-28343-5.
OCLC59401175.
^Dixon, Tom, 1959- (2004). The international design yearbook 2004. London: Laurence King.
ISBN1-85669-392-9.
OCLC59278550.{{
cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link)
^Hudson, Jennifer. (2006). 1000 new designs and where to find them : a 21st century sourcebook. London: Laurence King.
ISBN1-85669-466-6.
OCLC64747663.
^La Vie bian ji bu.; La Vie編輯部. (December 2008). Ri ben no shou gan she ji = Touch of design. Li, Peiling (ying yong mei shu), Huang, Yaji (ying yong mei shu), 李佩玲 (應用美術), 黃亞紀 (應用美術), La Vie編輯部 (Chu ban ed.). Tai bei shi: Mai hao si chu ban.
ISBN978-986-6555-36-7.
OCLC747687909.
^Il segno dei designer. Veneziano, Gianni., La Triennale di Milano design museum. Milano: Mondadori Electa. 2009.
ISBN978-88-370-7463-0.
OCLC963541029.{{
cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (
link)
^Coppola, Giuseppe. (2010). Le luci e la pietra : l'oggetto urbano tra arte, architettura e design = Lights and stone : the urban object : art, architecture and design. [Milano]: Electa.
ISBN978-88-370-7633-7.
OCLC746599153.
^Zhan lan zhan shi she ji = Exhibition space design. Gao di guo ji HI-DESIGN PUBLISHING., 高迪国际 HI-DESIGN PUBLISHING. (Di 1 ban ed.). Guilin: Guang xi shi fan da xue chu ban she. 2014.
ISBN978-7-5495-4882-8.
OCLC951882667.{{
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link)
^Ceppi, Giulio, 1965- (2014). Biogenie : 99 people into design tales : brevi storie esemplari e aneddoti di protagonisti del mondo del design e del progetto incontrati in vita dall'autore. Manzini, Ezio. [Trento].
ISBN978-88-98774-31-9.
OCLC905851718.{{
cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
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link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
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^Menegazzo, Rossella. (2015). WA : l'essenza del design giapponese. Piotti, Stefania. Londra: Phaidon.
ISBN978-88-6722-093-9.
OCLC929849752.
^Coppa, Alessandra (2019). Maledetto design : l'ossessione pop delle icone (Prima edizione ed.). Milano.
ISBN978-88-6921-402-8.
OCLC1101293805.{{
cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
link)
^Architetti e designers giapponesi dallo Studio Mangiarotti = Japanese architects and designers from Studio Mangiarotti. Mangiarotti, Anna, 1950-. Santarcangelo di Romagna (RN): Maggioli editore. 2012.
ISBN978-88-387-6104-1.
OCLC798610522.{{
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link)