A chic ceramic vase from Italy - Design Alvino Bagni

FROM ALVINO BAGNINI TO NUOVE FORME

Nuove Forme was founded in 1993, inheriting the legacy of the ceramic company

Alvino Bagni.

Nuove Forme is currently managed by Gianfranco Ghiretti and Alvino Bagni’s granddaughter, Maria Chiara Ghiretti, as well as several long-standing and key collaborators.

ALVINO BAGNI

A journey full of passion, craftsmanship, and creativity

Alvino Bagni was born in the village of Lastra a Signa in 1919 and was interested in ceramics from a young age. Thanks to the mentorship of artist Torello Santini, he began working in the workshop of the ceramic factory Arnaldo Pugi in Ponte a Signa. After the war, Pugi himself provided funding, enabling him to open his first workshop.
Original history of Ceramiche Bagni begins with 3,500 plates bearing the inscription “I like Ike,” created for Dwight D. Eisenhower’s campaign, who became the 34th President of the United States in 1953.

Alvino involved many family members in his work, primarily his wife Gina, who accompanied him throughout his professional life.

The 1950s and 1960s were pivotal for the Bagni brand, which strengthened collaborations with leading figures in American design and business, such as Raymor (New York) and Rosenthal, for whom he created highly modern products for the time.

The relocation of the company to a larger, more modern factory gave it new momentum. Alvino surrounded himself with exceptionally talented collaborators and artists, such as E. Borgini, M. Mannori, R. Buti, M. Santonocito, and many others, with whom he achieved a perfect balance between material, technique, functionality, tradition, and aesthetic beauty.

By 1980, the factory employed over 100 people and had become synonymous with high-quality artistic production, renowned for intricately crafted, stylish objects made using new, experimental techniques.

Unfortunately, globalization brought challenges, and the brand, still committed to a “craftsman’s” way of working, was unable to cope with excessive cost reductions.

Despite efforts to save the workforce, the factory was ultimately closed in 1990.

It was only in 1993 that he returned to the forefront, founding Nuove Forme, from which he retired after eight years due to health reasons.

Alvino passed away in 2009 at the age of 90. His career was an incredibly fulfilling journey marked by humility, craftsmanship, passion, and creativity.