The versatility of a design genius.
"Design is everywhere. There are no limits, and I am interested in all areas'.
Despite its notoriety, the success acquired in over thirty years of projects, Marc Sadler still wants to make his mark. One of the world's best known designers, he revolutionised the way of skiing with the creation of the first boot made of totally recyclable thermoplastic. An idea, born in the early 1970s, right after a skiing accident that cost Sadler a bad ankle fracture. But the desire to return to sport led him to experiment with a safety system that would hold his ankles in place, and it was the same one that appealed to the Italian company Caber, later known as Lotto. From then on it was a succession of successes, and an openness to design in all its forms'.
Sadler, where does your passion for plastics originate?
"As a young student I was intrigued by the world of polymers, so much so that in 1968 it was the subject of my dissertation. Today, talking about plastic has a negative connotation because of its impact on the environment, but plastic objects are part of our everyday life, with undeniable advantages and benefits, although unfortunately at the expense of the environment. If not biodegradable, plastic is however theoretically 100% recyclable because it regenerates almost indefinitely (pulverising and recomposing); this means that if properly disposed of, it can become a resource.
It would take some uncomfortable political posturing: on the one hand to force manufacturers to reduce packaging and on the other hand to find ways to force consumers to dispose of products properly'.
What influence did the success of the thermoplastic ski boot have on your career?
"After graduation, I started working in Paris in the fashion field, collaborating with names in the prêt à porter very much in vogue at the time: Pierre Cardin, Ted Lapidus, Torrente and Yves Saint Laurent perfumes.
In the early 1970s, a serious skiing accident caused me to suffer a multiple and compound fracture of my right foot and ankle. The long convalescence and the desire to return to skiing prompted me first to think about then to develop a solution to immobilise the ankle inside a rigid boot, thus reducing the risk of such damaging consequences in the event of a fall. After quite a few attempts (initially also conducted in my mother's oven), at a time when ski boots were made of leather, the first ski boot in history was born in fully recyclable thermoplastic (later marketed by Caber, later known as Lotto).
The successful meeting with Caber was followed by numerous successful sports-related collaborations in Europe, Asia and Japan, but especially with large American multinationals.
I lived in the US until the early 1990s, when following the death of my partner in New York I decided to return to Italy. In my need and desire to take on new professional and personal challenges, I approached the refined world of Italian and Milanese furniture design, which was very different from the design of consumer products sold by the millions all over the world that I was used to.
The success of the ski boot has undoubtedly influenced my life: without it I wouldn't have come to Italy and I wouldn't have made the journey I did. Perhaps without the ski boot I would have stayed in Paris'.
Apart from his experience in sports design, he remains passionate about drawing and painting. Is there any aspect of design that you would still like to explore?
"My experience with sports design is pretty far back and I hope to be remembered for some contribution to design in other areas as well. As for the desire to delve into some aspect of it, we have to remember that we live in a design-soaked world: in the home, in workplaces, in cities, design is everywhere, even in what we wear, be it clothing or technology, there is really no limit to the imagination for what can be the areas touched by a designer: I personally am interested in all of them.".
What makes Byobu, a radiator designed for Antrax IT, different from any other radiator?
"It is a radiator with movement that turns into a dynamic and versatile piece of furniture, heats the room and can also be used as a towel warmer. Its two constituent components move around a central pivot, and can be positioned either to the right or left - creating one large panel - or the other way round. Available in many colours and finishes, it has both a practical and aesthetic function. Technically, it has a high capacity that comes on stream very quickly, reducing consumption and ensuring a high heat output. The peculiarity is that it is the only radiator with movement offered with both water and electric operation.
What made you choose Milan as your definitive base of operations, despite your experiences abroad?
"Back in Italy after the American phase, I lived in Venice in a beautiful building and had my studio not far away. In 1997, invited by the Domus Academy to hold a course, I landed in Via Savona in Milan where they had recently moved to an area of over 20,000 square metres, once home to the Schlumberger gas meter factory.
What is now a nucleus totally reconverted into living spaces and showrooms, was then a semi-abandoned industrial complex, without asphalt, with ghost warehouses, tracks and still the old blast gates built in the 1970s to defend the workers' struggles.
I bought a space inside the former foundry thinking of using it as a pied-à-terre for my Milanese passages (to get closer to the world of Made in Italy design, which has its cradle in Milan), then I began to like the environment, where many other professionals had moved to live and work. Eventually I moved here permanently, even taking a new space fifty metres away to make my studio. I am happy in Milan and I feel privileged by the fact that I have a house in the green and a workshop within walking distance. At first I didn't know the city and was subjected to its prejudices and clichés of a grey, frenetic and inhospitable city. Instead, with time I discovered a city full of secret places, things to do and interesting people. Over the years it has steadily improved, until the 'big splash' of recent times'.
