Sir Jony Ive, Marc Newson to Design for Ferrari
MILAN — In a marriage of speed and slick design, Sir Jony Ive and Marc Newson have signed a multiyear deal with Ferrari.
The two will be working with Ferrari on behalf of LoveFrom, their new creative collective, although it’s still unclear what, exactly, they’ll be designing.
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Given their past innovations both at Apple, and in product and industrial design, their creations are unlikely to be fashion and accessories, but rather something on four wheels.
Whatever they do will likely be electric, too, given the European Union’s ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035.
Although the statement from Ferrari’s parent Exor was short on details, it said the first expression of the new partnership “will bring together Ferrari’s legendary performance and excellence with LoveFrom’s unrivaled experience and creativity.”
Beyond the collaboration with Ferrari, Exor added, LoveFrom will explore “a range of creative projects with Exor in the business of luxury.”
As part of the deal, Ive will also be joining the Exor Partners Council. Exor is the Agnelli family holding and the parent of the publicly quoted Ferrari.
Members of the Exor Partners Council are asked to lend their experience, advice and expertise to Exor with regard to new business opportunities and strategies.
The news puts paid to rumors late last year that Ive was set to take over as Ferrari’s chief executive officer. The job eventually went to Benedetto Vigna, who officially joined the company earlier this month.
John Elkann, chairman and CEO of Exor and chairman of Ferrari, said Exor believes “in building great partnerships. Soon after LoveFrom was founded, we began to talk with Jony and Marc about opportunities to combine their world-renowned creativity with ours, in complementary and incremental ways.
“Ferrari represents a first, exciting chance to do great things together as we build our future. I’m also delighted that Jony is joining our Partners Council, where we look forward to benefiting from his uniquely valuable perspectives.”
Ive and Newson said they have been friends with Elkann for many years “and are great admirers of his insight and vision. We are thrilled to be embarking on such an important, long-term collaboration with Ferrari, and more broadly, Exor.”
The two creatives noted that as Ferrari owners and collectors, “we could not be more excited about collaborating with this extraordinary company and, in particular, with the design team expertly led by Flavio Manzoni. We see some uniquely exciting opportunities working together, which we believe will yield important and valuable work.”
Ive left as Apple’s chief design officer in 2019 and, as reported, was working with his old friend and colleague Newson on forming LoveFrom, a creative collective of designers, architects, musicians, filmmakers, writers, engineers and artists. It has offices in London and San Francisco.
In addition to his independent design career, Ive is also chancellor of London’s Royal College of Art, while Newson continues to design for a variety of brands. In the past, he has turned his hand to furniture, watches, phones and space ships.
Ferrari is zooming ahead on the design front, having staged its first runway show earlier this year at its headquarters in Maranello, Italy. The collection was designed by Rocco Iannone, Ferrari’s new brand diversification creative director, who joined the company in 2019.
Ferrari has also opened new flagships, designed by the London firm Sybarite, in Maranello and Milan, and is continuing its relationship with Puma for Scuderia Ferrari Formula One products and with Giorgio Armani for the racing team’s formal attire.
As reported, Sybarite shook up the Ferrari retail concept, removing the Ferrari name from the new stores’ signage, keeping the famous prancing horse logo, and putting the focus on Italian design. The team even dreamed up immersive experiences geared toward families and multiple generations of Ferrari lovers.
According to Exor, the net asset value of its portfolio is $32 billion. Its holdings include Ferrari, Stellantis, PartnerRe, CNH Industrial, Juventus FC, The Economist, GEDI Gruppo Editoriale and Shang Xia.
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