^DC What inspired the development of Yoroi?

^AM Yoroi was born from suggestions gathered during two separate journeys: one at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and the other in the Netherlands. Upon my return, I shared an image with De Castelli, and together we recognized that this ‘lorica’-like structure represented a powerful and distinctive language — one that was inherently modular and adaptable. 

^AM The most interesting aspect of the process was the reinterpretation of an initially static piece of furniture through a shared exploration of the company’s artisanal heritage.

The result was a reciprocal exchange: an object shaped by the precision of its manufacturing techniques, while those very techniques were elevated and revealed through the dynamic formal expression they made possible.

^DC How did the collaboration with De Castelli evolve over time?

^AM The collaboration with De Castelli began in 2010 with a simple garden hoe, which later grew into Opera, a complete collection of garden tools. In 2015, Yoroi emerged as our most enduring project, marking a significant evolution in our relationship and extending the collaboration beyond the boundaries of professional exchange into a shared journey of research and mutual trust.

It was precisely in the spirit of this connection that, within the 2024 Ornamentum research project, I conceived Coriandoli: a graphic pattern that subtly conceals a code, a tribute to the company, its heritage, and the people who have shaped its identity over time.

^DC Last year, to celebrate Yoroi’s 10th anniversary, the DeIridium version was presented. What was it like to see the project reimagined through this new finish?

^AM By its very nature, Yoroi lends itself to chromatic variations, and as we approached its tenth year of production, we were already exploring the idea of a special edition. When De Castelli introduced me to the DeIridium finish, I immediately had two thoughts: first, that it was simply perfect — contemporary, distinctive, and even unexpectedly cool — to celebrate Yoroi’s first decade; and second, that Yoroi in cobalt blue and polished stainless steel would have been perfect even at the Victoria & Albert Museum.