[See & Be Seen] The 10th Annual Italian Design Icons Exhibition

Shanghai just wrapped another one of those very-Shanghai cultural marathons – the 10th anniversary edition of Italian Design Icons – which took over the 800 Show with more Italian brands than you could fit into a Trastevere espresso bar. Think Maserati, Ducati, Dainese, Pirelli, the whole stylish cavalry. What started a decade ago as DP Group's little cross-cultural design experiment has now evolved into a full-blown Sino-Italian lovefest: forums, galas at the J Hotel, Stradivari violins, sustainability talks, families crafting Gio Ponti-inspired art… the works. A decade in, IDI's still growing, still buzzing, and still reminding Shanghai why Italians do design like no one else.

Now, this might be of interest to other countries who might be interested in doing this. Over the past ten years, IDI has played host to: :

• 200+ brands exhibited

• 600+ industry leaders participated

• 50,000+ total visitors

Shout Outs (Annual Awards):

• "Most Popular Brand" – Semar

• "Most Influential Speaker" – Simone Trazzi (UFI Group MD)

• "Most Influential Woman" – Li Rui (Pirelli APAC)

This is a solid reminder of why events like this exist... to give people a chance to connect directly with brands. It's not every day, that you can connect with and strike up conversations with people working at Masserati or Ducati, right?

Here are a few brands we capture on camera:

Ducati

Credit: Ti Gong

Founded in 1926 in Bologna, Ducati is famed for high-performance motorcycles that pair Italian engineering with racing heritage. Known for models like the Panigale and Monster, Ducati has a strong enthusiast base in China. The brand's presence in Shanghai includes flagship showrooms and community ride events, connecting local riders with Ducati's racing culture and design legacy.

iGuzzini

Credit: Ti Gong

Founded in 1959 in Recanati, Italy, iGuzzini is a leading architectural-lighting company known for collaborations with world-renowned designers. Its projects span museums, urban landscapes, and public buildings globally. iGuzzini has a strong presence in China, including Shanghai, where its lighting solutions are used in cultural and commercial landmarks, showcasing Italian design in one of Asia's most dynamic cities.

Magniflex

Credit: Ti Gong

An Italian mattress brand launched in the 1960s in Tuscany, Magniflex blends artisanal fabric-making tradition with modern mattress engineering. Its expansion has reached Asia, with showrooms including in Shanghai and Beijing – a nod to its global reach.

iLLY

Credit: Ti Gong

Founded in 1933 in Trieste, Italy, by Francesco Illy, this family-owned company revolutionized espresso by inventing the "illetta," one of the first modern coffee machines. iLLY coffee is today sold globally, including in China.

Pirelli

Credit: Ti Gong

Founded in Milan in 1872, Pirelli is a world leader in premium tyres. From 2005 the Italian multinational tyre-maker began tyre production in China (Shandong province), giving it direct manufacturing ties to the country.

Maserati

Credit: Ti Gong

Italian luxury-car maker founded in 1914, Maserati is famous for sports cars and grand tourers. In 2019 it celebrated 15 years of doing business in China with a 10,000 km "Grand Tour" that began in Shanghai to honor Chinese heritage and mark its Chinese-market journey.

Dainese

Credit: Ti Gong

Founded in 1972 in Italy, Dainese is a pioneer in high-performance motorcycle gear, known for inventing the first back-protector and later the D-Air airbag system. The brand has a strong following in China's growing motorcycling community and hosts riding-safety events in major cities, including Shanghai, helping promote advanced protective technology to new riders.

So here we have a selection of photos from the VIP opening dinner, a well as from the event itself.. Check out who you might know in our See & Be Seen Gallery.

Photos are generously supplied by EASTANT Communications & Events.