In Conversation With Andrea Ferolla
Extra! Extra!
21 October 2022
“I recognised within Métier, values that are dear to me and that respect our vision.”
- Andrea Ferolla
Métier: Tell us about Chez Dede. How did this venture come about?
Andrea Ferolla: Chez Dede is the brainchild of we. Daria and I have been partners in both our professional and private lives for the last twenty years.
We wanted to have an outlet to satisfy our creative needs that clients didn't traditionally ask for. We wanted to go beyond marketing—not denying its importance or challenging its existence—but to follow a new direction that put creativity at the forefront. The idea was more of a game at first: to create a brand, a product, with its own universe. One with a crazier, more superfluous and light-hearted approach.
The world that would grant us the most freedom for this kind of undertaking was fashion. Our official début was at the Pitti salon in Florence with our first collection of bags, followed by our collection of scarves—the most direct form of application for an illustrator. Then came the collaborations, born from encounters and friendships. This moved the brand towards interior design, with the lamps with l'Atelier Vime or the 'Pages à Parfumer' with Astier de Villate.
Métier: What do you believe makes Chez Dede so special?
Andrea Ferolla: The fundamental aspect is that we wanted to be more of an editor, editing cultural, aesthetic, political and commercial things, rather than endorsing the traditional role of a brand.
Another key aspect is that we opened a physical store in Rome, at the time our first point of contact—and confrontation—with the public. It was also the creation of a three-dimensional space and atmosphere, one that people could come to discover. Chez Dede then became a destination.
Words are at the core of Chez Dede, language serves as a way to promote ideas. A sentence 'pas de moralisme s'il vous plaît' (‘no moralism, please’) we embossed on a leather clutch became our trademark: ethical, but not moralising. This is part of the 'Dedeiste vision', with a nod to the Dadaist vision, which came about naturally: don't take yourself too seriously. This goes completely against fashion's common practice.
Finally, aestheticism is our strongest suit—we are uncompromising when it comes to this.
Métier: You spoke about the importance of words. 'Chez Dede' is a unique name. What is the story behind it?
Andrea Ferolla: Chez Dede is a brand that doesn't have a brand's name. You think more of a bistrot or a restaurant when you first hear it. The French-sounding name isn't simply out of love for the French language—Daria is part-French, part-Italian. 'Dede' is actually the nickname we have in common with Daria in the family: 'uncle Dede, auntie Dede'. The name just came about.
Some clients may think it sounds like a mistake. But it's a calculated mistake. It sounds lighthearted. We chose a brand name that doesn't sound like one. The 'Chez' also evokes a destination, and this is true—our store in Rome became a destination.
Métier: Can you tell us a little more about your background? How did you become an illustrator?
Andrea Ferolla: I studied History of Art at a university in Rome. Art was always there. My thesis at the end of my studies was on the illustrations of Marcello Dudovich, a fashion illustrator in the 1930s, who was called to travel and depict the bourgeoisie of his time. My choice of thesis scandalised my teachers—my peers were choosing more 'acceptable' topics such as painting.
People now know me as a fashion illustrator. It's funny because I became in a way what I wrote about some thirty years ago. Drawing is part of my daily life. I go to St Barths and draw, to New York or Miami and draw. I speak about the world today like contemporary artists but through another means .
My background as a graphic designer has influenced my drawing practice. I have a fascination for fonts and typography, not as a calligraphist but as a painter.
Métier: What do you have in store for the future of Chez Dede?
Andrea Ferolla: We want to go beyond what we have done with our store in Rome. Rome is where the vision was born and developed but we want to explore new fields whilst staying true to our approach. Chez Dede went from a brand to a universe, and we want to permeate new spaces with our own vision, approach and through our aesthetic research.
Our next step is to create ramifications of this universe through collaborations, infusing our identity into the universe of these brands. And to do so, it also means having the strength to turn down opportunities that don't align with our brand. We are not looking to expand for the sake of it, by opening more and more stores. Both Daria and I have worked in communications for big brands—we understand how it works, but the idea is to keep our world and preserve our choices.
Métier: What do you look for when starting a collaboration?
Andrea Ferolla: We have two requirements for collaborations. The first is friendship. We have a drink and then think about an idea about what we can do together. A very Italian approach. That's how it happened with Astier: a professional encounter that bloomed into a friendship.
The second is intellectual honesty. We need to share the same values. There needs to be a certain equilibrium between the two brands, they need to bring each other something. One plus one must equal five, not two. We become allies.
And a few more obvious requirements: education and kindness. We would never collaborate with someone driven only by money. And no naivety. I hate naive people. There needs to be a balance between working to earn a living but knowing how to take up space and take liberties: a balance between prose and poetry.
Métier: How did the Air Mail x Métier collaboration come about?
Andrea Ferolla: Air Mail called a while ago to collaborate through drawings and we built a rapport. I regularly sketch for Air Mail Weekly where I get to express a more humorous aspect, unlike in fashion illustrations. The drawing I did of the Waverly Inn became the one on the menu.
One day, they spoke to me about the collaboration with Métier and the crazy idea to create a deck of cards. Card games are a big part of the Chez Dede universe.
This was a dream opportunity for us. I recognised within Métier values that are dear to me and that respect our vision. Métier doesn't approach luxury in the same way a big corporation does: a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none type of approach. Rather than a demonstration by force, it's a demonstration of common sensitivity.
Métier: Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the Air Mail x Métier deck of cards?
Andrea Ferolla: I asked myself: what can I do, as an artist from Rome? How can I tell the story of where I am and where I come from? I thought of Roman busts.
I wanted to create more pictorial drawing, insisting on the expressivity of the faces within the constraints of a strict Roman bust, without looking for perfection or precision in style. It's in the research of the design that it became perfect in my eyes. Unlike typical card designs, you want to meet the characters.
It’s exciting to see the process from paper to print, within a luxurious context, inside a beautiful etui. And to have Métier, Chez Dede, Air Mail and Andrea Ferolla all next to one another—it’s a great party.
“Aestheticism is our strongest suit—we are uncompromising when it comes to this.”
- Andrea Ferolla
