Frappè Mouth Blown Glass with Blue Cap and Straw by Cristina Celestino for Paola C.

Italian designer Cristina Celestino was born in Pordenone in 1980. She studied architecture at the University of Venice (IUAV), ultimately earning a Master’s degree with highest honors in 2005. Upon graduating, she worked with a number of architecture firms in Rome, Florence, and Milan before shifting her focus to interior architecture and design.

In 2009, Celestino moved to Milan. In 2010, she launched Attico, a design brand dedicated to small series production of lamps and furnishings. All Attico pieces are made in collaboration with expert Italian craftsmen. They are characterized by a deep research in shapes and materials as well as a subtle play on traditional forms. Celestino is a collector of Italian design masterpieces, and she is inspired by both the old and the new, the traditional and the contemporary, and a protean approach that spans fashion, art, and design. Her work ranges from limited edition projects for galleries and museums to special commissions for brands like Atipico, Botteganove, Durame, Flexform, Mogg, Seletti, and Tonelli Design e Torremato. In addition to her designs for Attico, Celestino also works as creative director for other brands and engages in interior and exhibition projects.

In 2012, Attico pieces—including a series of table perfumers called Atomizers— were included in Salone Satellite in Milan; this experience helped introduce Celestino’s and Attico’s work to a global audience. Attico designs have since been included in a number of exhibitions around the world, including, but not limited to: A Spatial Surprise at Mint Gallery (London, 2012); PAST/FUTURE: Enzo Mari and Contemporary Italian Design at Carlton Hotel Baglioni (Milan, 2013); Wabi Sabi: Italian Slow Design at Galleria Colombari (Milan, 2013); We Print, an exhibition organized by Fujifilm at Fondazione Catella (Milan, 2015), Effetto Serra for Milan Design Week at Martina Gamboni (Milan, 2016); and W. Woman in Italian Design at the Triennale Design Museum (Milan, 2016).

Celestino has been honored with multiple awards, including the Special Jury Prize at Salone del Mobile Milano (2016) and two Young & Design Awards during Milan Design Week 2015—one for her Obei Obei mirror for Atipico and the other for the BON TON lamp for Torremato. Additionally, Celestino’s Atomizers design (produced by Seletti) is included in the permanent collection of the Triennale Museum of Milan.

Founded in 2000, Paola C. is the result of the creative relationship between founder Paola Coin and in-house artistic director Aldo Cibic. They began producing household accessories and objects over which people can share moments, memories and encounters. The collection started with a line of hand-finished ceramics and a line of hand-blown glass objects. The research has since expanded with the exploration of other materials including wood, metal and silver-plating. The following projects consist of cooperative projects and exhibitions with design schools, which lead to a lot of lucky encounters, including one with Bijoy Jain which led to a Woodwork exhibition in 2012. In 2014, Paola C. decided to add to the collection a series of short stories that relate to the creation of the objects that they produce and design. The first story designed by Jaime Hayon in 2014, was followed by Tavola Gioia by Aldo Cibic, Dolce Vita by Cristina Celestino, Paesaggio Lunare by Elisa Ossino and Coquille by Chiara Andreatti. The commitment of Paola C. to give a chance to the youngest faces to design continues leading to dedicated exhibitions all around the world.