In My ROOM WITH Asia
Born in Vancouver to a Hong Kong mother and a half-Italian, half-Greek father, Asia’s early life was a blend of cultures and landscapes. Moving from the bustling city to a small village farm in Liguria at age ten, she experienced a dramatic shift, surrounded by animals and nature. After graduating from high school, Asia pursued product design in Genova but found her calling in graphic design, earning her Master’s in Urbino, a small town nestled on a sloping hillside near the Eastern coast of Italy.
With stints in Arles, France, and now Milan, Asia has spent the last six years honing her craft at Studio Vedét. Her minimalist yet quirky style reflects a deep appreciation for iconic design and a commitment to innovative, art-oriented projects. Passionate about her community and inspired by her eclectic upbringing, Asia views her home as a sanctuary amidst Milan's vibrant design scene. As we sit with her just days after Milan’s infamous Salone Mobile, she shares her current life reflections with us.
ReFramed: Let’s start from the beginning, take me back to your origins and how you then got here today.
Asia: My mom is from Hong Kong and my father is part Italian, part Greek, somehow they met and lived in Canada and that's how I came to exist. I was born in Vancouver, Canada and I grew up there until I was 10 and then my family moved to Liguria on a small farm, which was a really big change from a big city to a small village, surrounded by animals like cows, sheeps, chickens and dogs. After that I moved to Genova to study product design but I wasn’t really passionate about it, so I then went into graphic design for my Masters in Urbino, which is another small town in the middle of Italy. Since I’ve graduated I’ve lived in Arles in France and for the past six years I’ve been living in Milan.
RF: What would you say are some of your earliest kinds of memories around design?
A: Yeah, I was actually thinking about that recently. I grew up in a household where like my parents travelled a lot, and my grandparents were in Milan during the 60s so I grew up around a lot of iconic design pieces: lamps, tables and chairs. But I didn't really understand how important they were until much later, it was just there
RF: What moment do you find yourself right now in your life, both personally and professionally?
A: I find it a bit overwhelming with everything going on in the world and even here in Italy. As a graphic designer working across design, art and culture sometimes you go home and then you turn the news on your like, well, what did I do today?
I just exported a PDF. But I think in a small way as a designer your work is also helping people or businesses express ideas in visually interesting ways. I’ve also been thinking about time, my age, and how you slowly understand what you like and what you don’t like.
I feel so much more conscious about the decisions I take because I feel that they stay with me longer compared to when I was like 23 where decisions don't really mean anything. I just moved into this place, I’m officially a homeowner, and this was a real nightmare that’s given me sleepless nights with lots of intrusive thoughts.
RF: Talk to me about your work at Studio Vedèt, what is your role there?
A: I've been there for five years now as an in-house graphic designer.
RF: What would you say is your design style?
A: Pretty minimal graphic design with a bit of quirkiness. But it also depends, I work in a studio so I have to follow my clients and their objectives. We work with a lot of design and art oriented clients so I think I’m far away from big corporate branding projects and more into creating indie movie designs, does that make sense?
RF: Yes, that gives me an idea of style in my head. Who would you say are some of your most important design teachers in your journey?
A: I don’t have a design idol like other designers but I am a fan of some studios that have been around for a long time like Experimental Jet Set, they’re a major inspiration to me. Generally speaking, my most important teachers would actually be my friends and the people I work with. I’ve learned a lot through them and we all come from different backgrounds and interests, some have studied philosophy, others engineering and we all found each other in school.
RF: What are you currently obsessed with at the moment?
A: Right now, I’m obsessed with a Dutch publishing house called Valiz. I love their books and covers. I’d love to work with them one day.
RF: How would you describe this current moment that the design scene in Milan is going through.
A: I think it's very experimental and speculative, I feel like we don't have a certain trend now, and people are morphing shapes and mixing materials like wood, ceramics and metal. It’s a very different moment compared to what we're used to in a traditional sense.
If years ago things like a polished lamp would be exhibited now you’re seeing a bubble lamp with five different materials and created by AI and 3D printed. I’ve been seeing lots of young designers leading this new style such as Audrey Large who has these crazy 3D printed sculptures, who I’ve also had the opportunity to work with.
RF: Can you tell me about where your house is in Milan?
A: I live in the northeast part of a neighbourhood called Nolo. It’s pretty popular now, lots of wine bars, galleries and new restaurants are popping up too. There’s a lot of green areas which feels rare for Milan.
RF: How would you describe the style of your house?
A: I like things that are practical and simple with a pop of colour. I’m your typical designer that’s always dressed in black but with my furniture I like colour. I like everything that is functional and I am absolutely obsessed with little containers. I think a house is basically a large container where you can put more containers inside.
RF: How would you describe your relationship to your home?
A: I always considered my home as my nest where I go home and close the door. It's quiet and relaxing, and I have all my things to fall into my routine: read a book or watch a movie. Milan is a busy city, there's lots of traffic, lots of people walking around, there's always an event happening, there’s design week, fashion week, architecture week…So my home is where I go to relax and just be on my own.
RF: What are some of your favourite books on your bookshelf?
A: I’m a total geek about organising my books so I’ve separated my design books from my fiction and all of my magazines I’ve hoarded over the years. Design-wise my favourite books are a trilogy set from Experimental Jet Set, which I’ve carried around with me since university. I have a collection of books from In Other Words, an imprint from London. And a recent book I bought that’s called “The hackability of the stool”, which is a really fun book about the famous Artek stool that everyone has for some reason.
RF: Do you have a favourite place that you like to be in your home?
A: At the moment it's the living room which is an open space with the kitchen and a little balcony, which brings in lots of light.
