About

Biography

Michele Menescardi was born in 1979 in the district of Milan. Son of an Engineer and a Chemist, he studied Industrial Design at the Politecnico di Milano. After graduating in 2004, he started his career of freelance designer, confronting with different interlocutors and developing each project from ideation to production.

In 2005 he founded MrSmith Studio, for which he has been designing for nearly ten years.

In 2012 the projects “Basil” and “Cream“, designed for Calligaris S.p.A., have been awarded with the “Interior Innovation Award” by IMM Cologne and the German Design Council.

In 2014 he ran Michele Menescardi Designer, his independent design studio based on a bespoke philosophy and located in the heart of Milano.

In 2016 his project “Lazy”, designed for Calligaris S.p.A., has been awarded with the prestigious “Good Design Award 2016” by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design.

His project “Reef”, designed for Connubia, has been awarded with the “Best of Neocon Sustainability Award 2022” and the “Best of Neocon Innovation Award 2022” at the Neocon Show in Chicago, with the “Archiproducts Design Awards 2022” in the categories of Furniture and Sustainability and with the prestigious “iF Design Award 2023” and “Green Good Design Award2023” by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design.

During his professional experience, he has cooperated with various design and architecture studios, creative agencies, schools and companies.

Some collaborations:

Alhium France, Alma Design S.r.l., Bolton Group, Calligaris S.p.A., Domus Academy, Driade S.p.A., Ferrero S.p.A., FontanaArte S.p.A., Levi Strauss & Co., Meridiani S.a.s., MMPJ Group, Nadler Larimer & Martinelli, NasonMoretti, Natuzzi S.p.A., Nautor’s Swan, Politecnico di Milano, PS Furniture, Redepaolini S.p.A., RossanaOrlandi, Saatchi & Saatchi, Sicurit S.p.A., The Swatch Group Ltd, TBWA Italia S.p.A., Trussardi S.p.A., Zaninelli Wood & Stone.

Portrait by © Sha Ribeiro – Milano, 2022.