Simone Vago

Why do you think are you so successful?

Because I’m doing what I like the most. I am really happy.

It’s easy, for me it’s not a problem working seven days per week.

To be positive is part of this game. When you look around here it’s full of beautiful things and nice memories, reminding me of my father or my family or a special client who came here, and with whom we are still in friendly contact.

I sell experiences, not projects or objects but I create events. And I think this is what matters in this world. I sell an experience which is based on our history and our culture, which I match with art. The link between art, design, and modern objects has grown really close, you know.

This you cannot find on social media and it’s a fake world that we see on our phones.

screens. I provide something real, that you can touch, that provokes emotions. I sell an experience and the experience is based on our historical background and our cultural legacy. A positive experience evokes genuine emotions, which will not be forgotten.

I’m not so skinny and I love to eat, to drink, this is part of enjoying life. The way of life we have in Italy, and the people around the world love it. I think that is in our DNA. We are really welcome all around the world, not only friends but clients also welcome us, and it’s really a joy, I’m working with joy. 

I don’t know exactly why we are so welcome. Maybe because we are open., we love other people and like to meet somebody new.  It’s a part of our culture. We transmit something different than other European nations. For us, it’s really easy to involve ourselves in new relationships with a lot of people. It is also a part of me. And this is also my plus. It is a mix of personality, culture, our legacy, and of course, maybe a little bit of showing off. My job is the most interesting ever. It is not about making money, it is about meeting other, new people getting to know them, and then trying to find out what they need, and where I can help. And then comes the topic of money.

I wake up, and I am always smiling. The people around me ask «What are you smiling at this morning?» I am really happy.  Why should I not be smiling?

Smile. Come on, it’s for free, My days start at 8:00 o clock and normally finish around midnight. Maybe we finish with dinner or supper, or a drink.

My son and my wife are part of my life 24 hours a day. And when I am traveling for business they come with me, I love to be with all my family.

My little son Giovanni and my wife, Paola, I get a lot of energy from them.

In Italy, the family is an important part of our life and culture.

I want all the people who love me or who I love to be with me all the time, even if possible, on my business trips.

Do you give advice?

In times like these where everything is insecure and changing very fast everybody has to find his way.

I’m proud to be in my family, to be with my family and this is my way. It works for me and I can only talk for myself.

Let’s say that in Italy, the tradition of the family is stronger than in other European countries, not because we have the Pope here in Italy. But it is a kind of religion, tradition, heritage, and legacy, these are our roots. I know it’s another time now, but still, we come back to our roots again and again. What I want to say is, that we are Italians and against all the odds we remain Italians, Therefore, we might even be a little bit boring, but obviously, it is also a part of me. And I function.

Do you have a utopia?

Yes. I think we have to; we need to go back to our roots.

We have to be real, genuine, and authentic. True emotions have to be part of our life, as well as of our business life. 

My utopia is, let’s go back to that period when man, the human being was really the center of everything. 

There is so much that is fake around us. I try to fight all these changes in my business world.  We create experiences and sell experiences and this kind of experience is not made within huge companies with holograms and artificial intelligence.

We have to go back to the workshops with its homo faber, in the Latin language, the people that work with their hands. Unfortunately, too many family companies at this moment are in the hands of hedge funds or big groups.

And of course, when you enter the dynamics of a big group it changes everything. The team you had around you is gone; your contacts, known artisans, and whatever are gone. The interpersonal relationships disappear.

My utopia is, let’s go back to that period when man, the human was the center of everything, be it in society, in our social life, or be it in business life or this kind of business. Let’s give our clients something unique, created in little workshops and artisan spots that we have here in Furniture Valley. 

Back to skills, back to the hands.  I love to see the hands of my workers, sometimes I take pictures when they are dirty and worn.

It’s a big Utopia, but I think we will succeed. based on our culture, our history, our skills, and through our hands. 

Watch our interview with Simone Vago

Thank you for your time. It’s nice to be here.

It’s a big pleasure to have you here in my historical place of my family. 

Here in the little town Barlassina.

In the area of production, really, we are in the furniture valley. One of the capitals of furniture valley. With a lot of history around us.

A lot of history. And your parents started Vago?

Yes, it was started by my grandfather in 1920. It’s a long run, but you know, this is the third generation, and we are still here.

You know, not bad in these difficult words, but, you know, I’m quite lucky because I was born in the middle of beauty, you can see around, you know. It’s a mix of beauty, design, art, because my uncle was a very famous Italian «abstractive» painter.

And starting from the sixties, my family, you know, drove the company in, let’s say, in a modern way, you know and «transmuting» was that our production was, let’s say, cheap in that old style or whatever. Starting from the 60s we start to produce modern furniture and of course commercialize all the company, at that time present on the market at let’s say (some Italian words). 

Starting from that point we develop all our business really worldwide.

Your mother had the Vago showroom here and she started right away with an artist with Fausto Melotti?

No, let’s say that my uncle was Valentino Vago, that was this very famous abstractive Italian painter. This was the link between art and design and modern things, you know. 

Of course starting from that point, a lot of artists entering our family. You know, important in Italian art is like Fausto Melotti, Claudio Olivieri, Vittorio Matino, Dadamaino and you know typical Milano area artists.

And of course, the link between art, design and modern things are really nearby you know.

And you know, let’s say that our roots are really deep and you know, in this year I want to be back  to our roots.

And I know, discovery is not the right word I start again to work with a small workshop, small boutique company that the main point is the homo faber, means the man who produces with his hands some special things.

And this is what I love in this business is this world. Because when you enter in this small workshop, you can smell the wood, the iron or the dust of the powder of the marble, and this is part of my DNA. I was born in the middle of this kind of things. 

And finally, I understood, that this is the new transitioning to merge the beauty and the quality of the things.

Unfortunately, the industrial product, goes down a little bit in terms of quality, and with my knowledge and my history, I again started to work with them and I’m really happy because the hand, the human being, it’s the most important thing in this business. And I try to transmit to my clients worldwide, this kind of beauty of the relationship between human being. 

This is what I love. It is not about selling them furniture; it is about this experience of all these kind of people that work with their hands in an ancient way doing something really special.

And you internationalized Vago?

Listen, in the last 30 years I travelled a lot. I love to travel. 

And, you know, for me it’s easy traveling worldwide. And of course, let’s say everyone all over the world, they love our things, our brands, our history, our culture in this business.

And of course, this is part of my DNA. I’m going super-fast and super easy in every part of the world. I just came back and for a long trip in India. It’s really strange, but, you know, I started to work in India 30 years ago, and I’m in love with this country.

And of course, I know a lot of people over there. And could be that I will open maybe a spot over there, because it’s a place that I love to be. In the last ten years, I went often to these places for Fort Kochi  in the south of India, Kerala and in Fort Kochi there is the Biennale of art and you know the link with my job and art, it’s really deep and we are now not designing, but trying to find a good location because Fort Kochi was a Portuguese city and there are some interesting buildings in Fort Kochi.

And my idea is to open something really special over there that could be maybe a hotel, plus a gallery. You know, displaying what we have here in Italy and displaying our culture over there, that now, l India I think for the next ten years will be the place.

But, traveling on all the countries and being Italian from the roots. What would you say what brought you so far? Do you have a special trait which brings you forward, that is something that is in your DNA? 

Listen, I think that is our DNA. people all over the world love the Italian people. They love us, you know?

I don’t know why. Maybe because, we are really open. It’s a question of culture. We transmit something different, you know, And I have a lot of clients who are friends now I have a lot of friends around the world. America, South America, Central America, China, India, all over in Europe.

You know, this is our plus. No, it’s something like a mix of, you know, personality, culture, our history, of course, maybe a little bit an act and, you know, for me, it’s really easy going around and involve in new relationships with a lot of people. You know, this is a part of me. 

Yes, but I don’t know what you think, but what attracts me also, it’s the joy you have in your life in Italy.

When I’m doing this kind of job, projects and whatever, I do not sell only projects, objects, you know, sofas or whatever. But I sell an experience and the experience it’s our history, our culture. I’m not so skinny and I love to eat, to drink, this is part of enjoying life you know, and the way of life experience, it’s another step that, of course, people around the world love a lot.

Of course, I have all these matching with art, and you know, it’s another part that, it’s really well welcome all around the world, not only clients, friends, you know, and what else, it’s really a joy, I’m really working with joy.

For me it’s not a problem working seven days per week. It’s easy, you know, because I’m doing what I want. I’m really happy to do it.

And my days start at 8:00 and normally I finish around midnight. Maybe we finish with a dinner or an after dinner, a drink or whatever, discussing about everything, football, culture traveling, discover all the treasure here in Italy. It’s really a mix of everything.

But I think that this is Italy, It’s because we are not like the rest of Europe all the Europe we are another country. I travel a lot and our old Europe is the best place in the world.

Everybody loves the way of life you have in Italy, including food, including wine, including all the old culture.

But you know, it is because we approach life really easy. Compared to others you know.

To Swiss.

To Swiss, or German or others they are too serious. Sometimes, of course, you have to be serious. But you know, the greatest part of life we are easy going, approach it with a smile, I tell to all my guys around me that you know a smile is for free. I mean people associate with the expression of your face. Why not smiling?

Come to Switzerland. 

Smile. Come on, it’s for free, you know. I wake up, I’m always smiling. The people around me ask “what you’re smiling at this morning?” I I’m really happy. Why not?

Why should you not smile? Having this life you really love. Is there a place or somewhere you recharge?

Of course. This here is a kind of recharge because, it’s really tiring, because you know, we work really, really hard. But you know, if I have the adrenaline of meeting people or doing special projects, I’m always full of energy.

You know, this is I think, sometimes I’m more tired when I’m in holidays. Yeah, it’s really strange, you know, But because I don’t know, I need to work. I need to do this adrenaline, you know, I need to meet people.

Let’s say. I meet these people, simple people, you know, maybe working on iron, maybe working in wood. Simply great people that are around me that I love to work with them.  And I bring my energy to them too. They give me energy back and I bring energy again.

This is one of my pluses I think, you know, I bring a lot of energy, sometimes someone takes away a lot of energy.

But yeah, for the moment, I have a lot of energy, still.

Yes, I know that because every time I leave you, I feel sort of empowered or inspired. And that’s why we’re here. 

I’m a solar panel. 

Yes. a solar panel. That’s why I insisted on this interview, because I thought everybody should get to know these vibes you spread all over.

Listen, to be positive is part of this game. If can feel that you are a little tired or, bored about a situation it’s easy for me, when you look around, it’s full of nice things, nice memories, reminding me of my father or my family and whatever or a special client that came here. A really special client or super VIP people that we are still in connection, inviting me around the world, because they had a great experience here.

And I think that I sell experience at the hand Not furniture, not projects, but I sell an experience And I think this is the point in this world, really. Let’s say, I don’t know social media and its fake world that we are in looking in our telephone or whatever. I provide something real, that you can touch, something emotional.

Smelling wood and leather, you know, food. Why not?

I go with the good red wine. I think this is real experience, that we have to sell at the hand around me, to my clients, to my architects. Because I work with a lot of architects for international project. They say that this is really a furniture valley. Everything around us is, let’s say the 80% of the most incredible furniture, sofa, whatever, are produced in this area. 

And Milan is the capital, of course. We have a fantastic spot in the centre of Milan too. But this here is the place where my family started in 1920. And of course, I think this is really important to show to the client that we, with my face, behind my face there is a history, a family history. There is a territory, there is a legacy. And in an area that is the most important area in the world for super high-quality production of furniture and design and modern furniture. 

And you have a son? And you have people around you who ask you: how can I reach my goals or how should I handle my life? Do you give advice?

Listen, you know, I became father, when I was 40 and something, And, you know, my son and my wife are part of my life 24 hours. And when I’m traveling for business, maybe, I have to be 20 days out of Italy if it’s possible, there is no school and whatever they come with me, I love to be with all my family,

My little son Giovanni and my wife, Paola, because I need the energy from them.

And I think this is another interesting part because in Italy, the family, it’s an important part of our culture and it’s really incredible, but sometimes when I’m coming or I’m going to some place around the world and arriving with my family, they are surprised. But in a certain point they are so happy that I came with my family. You know, this is my son, this is my wife you know, and they are helping me in this traveling. Because maybe it’s not only one place, maybe I’m traveling six or seven different cities, this is part of my life.

And I want that all the people that love me or I love these people, they are with me always around my trip or my business traveling in every part of the world.

So it’s the Italian tradition and it still functions till today?

I don’t know, I think it works. In this moment that everything is fluid or whatever someone has to find a way. And this is my way. And I’m proud to be in my family, what else. Let’s say that in Italy, the tradition of the families is a bit stronger, not because we have the pope here in Italy. It’s a kind of religion, tradition, whatever. But of course, this is our roots. It’s another time now, but it’s about the roots again and again. What I have to say is, we are Italian, we are so many Italians, it might be a little bit boring, but, it’s part of me.

Do you have a utopia? If you could create the ideal future world, what would it be like?

Yes. The utopia. I try to to fight all this changes in my business world. When we discussed a little bit before about this workshop with this homo faber in Latin language the people that work with the hands. I think we have and we need to go back to our roots.

Because unfortunately too many family companies at this moment, are in the hands of hedge funds or big groups. And of course, when you enter the dynamics of a big group it changes a lot. The team that normally you had around, with your usual man with your artisan and whatever are gone. My utopia is, let’s go back to that period when the man was really the centre of everything this kind of business and of course give to the clients something unique, through this kind of little workshops and artisan spots that we have here around in the furniture valley. It’s a big Utopia, but I think it will be the space to live in.

I’m quite sure because, it’s, too much fake around us, no, and we have to try to be real and only to be real, you know, and emotion is part of the of this game to, you know, really sell emotion. Like I told you before.

We sell experience, you know, and this kind of experience is not made within huge companies with holograms and artificial intelligence.

I think based on our culture, our history, and through our hands, we will succeed. 

Back to the hands, finally. I love to show the hands of my workers. You know, sometimes I take a picture even when they are dirty with the wood.

I love that. I love this kind of details. I remember the hand of my uncle who was a painter, with all the colours of the painting on the hand. And, you know, I think that is something incredibly that to show the hand that they’re working on wood, metal and whatever you think.

I don’t know, I discovered in Milan in the last five year they opened thousands of nail shops. Every 20 meters there is someone taking care of your hand. 

Nobody works because they’re doing this. until five years ago there was not one in Milan and now every 20 meters the Chinese do everything for your perfect hands. You know, sometimes I wonder, that my hands are not perfect. My wife say listen Simone this is too much, But, you know I work with my head. But I love to work with my hands. And I think that this is another part, that is really important for our future. Don’t forget our roots.

And, you know, the roots in this area are really important. 

So, Simone, let’s go and take a look at all this stuff produced here by your men and you show us something, okay?

Okay. Yes. Okay.

Thanks for your time. 

No, not thank you. Thank you for being here part of our family.