IVANO SABATO

For me, a shoe begins with a sketch. I work on its proportions, imagine how a material will behave, and keep drawing until the idea feels right. What still excites me is seeing that line become a volume, then a product I can hold in my hands.

The collaborations throughout my career have shaped the way I design. They have taught me to listen closely, work with different identities and turn creative ideas into decisions that make sense for the product. I bring that experience to each new project, with the same curiosity and attention I give to the smallest detail.

My studio, Studio/01 COD — COURTESY OF DESIGN, is where this approach continues to evolve. Sketching, Illustrator and Photoshop sit alongside 3D modelling and rapid prototyping. Moving between these tools lets me study a shape more closely, test its volumes and share a clearer view of the project with my clients. Exploring new technologies is part of my work, but so is understanding where they can genuinely improve it.

I already create realistic renderings in Photoshop. In my studio, I use AI exclusively to improve the quality of those visualisations and reduce the time needed to produce them. It does not generate my concepts or design my products: the drawings, ideas and design decisions are mine.

That time matters. It allows me to follow more clients, give their projects more attention and keep developing new skills. This is what innovation means in my daily practice: improving how I work while keeping a personal connection to everything I design.