The launch of SHE certainly took everyone by surprise. Whether it was because of the significance of the message accompanying the arrival of Sanlorenzo’s new project (I invite you to read the article on our website), or because it represents, above all, a starting point for reflection.
Namely: how the role of the past, in an era dominated by digital technology and governed by algorithms, can still be decisive.
It is not just nostalgia. It is a form of aesthetic research, a way of rediscovering time within objects. In contemporary design, vintage no longer represents the past, but a new idea of authenticity.
The soft lines of the 1960s, the textured finishes of the 1970s, and the dusty palettes of the following decades are back in the spotlight, reinterpreted with a contemporary sensibility.
As Achille Castiglioni said, “a good designer is someone who knows how to observe what already exists and use it in a different way”: and that is exactly what is happening today. Vintage is not an exercise in memory, but a practice of reinterpretation.
In living rooms, kitchens, and public spaces, natural wood, satin-finish metals, and organic curves are being rediscovered. It is a return to a sincere, tactile, imperfect beauty—what Ettore Sottsass called “a form of truth.”
And so contemporary design, tired of hyper-technology and seriality, rediscovers its more human dimension in the past: one made up of stories, gestures, and materials that age well, like certain objects that never cease to belong to the future.
There are many examples. Furniture was bound to lead the vintage craze. Here, the examples abound: just think of the success that, even today — or rather, that has never ceased — accompanies designer pieces such as the Parentesi lamp by Flos, designed by Achille Castiglioni and Pio Manzù, or the Lounge Chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames and produced by Vitra.
Moving on to the automotive sector, the tension between a nostalgic past and a future that is still to be deciphered becomes even stronger.
The race towards electrification carries with it a message that, in terms of style, translates into an increasingly forward-looking design—almost as if to emphasize that the car remains the vehicle that anticipates tomorrow.
However, this approach has not prevented some models, whose identity is marked by a style immune to the passage of time, from ‘surviving’ and winning over new generations.
There is no shortage of case histories: starting with the Porsche 911, which still owes its success to a design that has remained faithful to its original imprint.
In other cases, however, evolution has kept its roots intact, with a look that nods to the past—as has happened with the Mini, the Golf, and the Bulli, which has returned to the scene under the name ID.Buzz.
And what about boating? Here, the situation is very different.
In this case, the nostalgia effect has not translated into a rampant vintage phenomenon. In short, we will never see an updated version of models that have made history, such as Baglietto’s 15M, 16.50M, or 18M, or Tecnomarine’s C42.
It’s a fascinating but impractical idea, as it would not be able to meet the needs of today’s customers in terms of comfort and livability on board.
However, there are exceptions that show how the past, even in boating, continues to be an extraordinary magnet capable of generating interest, albeit in a niche market.
We cannot fail to start with Riva: the image and success of the Sarnico shipyard remain anchored to a model that has become a symbol of an era, the Aquarama.
Of course, there are other iconic creations in the brand’s history — Tritone, Corsaro, Bahamas, to name but a few — but there is no doubt that, in the collective imagination, it is the lines of that wooden motorboat that have consecrated Riva in the nautical Olympus.
Today, the Aquariva carries on this legacy, including the historical one: a hull whose design perpetuates the memory of the original in a contemporary key.
But that’s not all.
Another historic brand, Bertram, made headlines in 2017 with the launch of the Bertram 35, a model whose lines are reminiscent of the legendary Bertram 31 — also known as Moppie — which went down in history for its legendary victory in the 1960 Miami–Nassau race, led by Dick Bertram aboard the prototype that would later give rise to the successful series.
Remaining in American waters, it should be remembered that fast commuters were also a source of inspiration for new successful ranges. In the 1930s, these super-fast boats were used by Wall Street tycoons to reach their residences in the Hamptons.
This story has returned to the spotlight with the Eastbay range, whose models—from the first 38-foot to the most recent 60-foot—have won over customers looking for something different in over thirty years of activity. From the United States to Italy. From the Atlantic Ocean to the waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is a short step from fast commuters to lancia from Sorrento. Two different families of boats but united by the same intended use. In the case of the lancia, this type of boat rose to prominence in the society pages because it was used by VIPs and celebrities in the 1960s to shuttle between Sorrento, Capri, Ischia, and all the most fashionable destinations in the Gulf of Naples. The same charm and elegance are revived in a 52-foot first model of the Lancia Aprea 52 range, for which the Campania-based shipyard involved Brunello Acampora and Studio Faggioni.
Then there is the chapter on work boats, created for commercial fishing and now cult objects in recreational boating, starting with lobster boats, which experienced a real boom in the early 2000s. Not to mention the gozzi, a segment in which Apreamare has dominated the scene for several years.
But these are still boats designed for another purpose, and so we risk straying off course in our reasoning.
Moving up in size, brands such as Picchiotti, Sanlorenzo, and Benetti come into play.
In 2020, the latter presented the Motopanfilo line—a name that says it all, drawing on the history of the Viareggio shipyard, which distinguished itself in the 1960s for its steel boats with round sterns.
The design of those boats was essential, clean, and free of overdecoration: the hull and superstructure were conceived as a single volume, united by perfectly coplanar stylistic forces.
The extended lines drew an elongated profile and closed with the classic round stern, making it an integral part of the architecture. The warm and welcoming interiors were distinguished by the generous use of wood, white sofas, and touches of blue—a style that, over time, defined a precise identity.
This charm is revived today in the new Motopanfilo line, for which Benetti has collaborated with the Lazzarini Pickering studio.
Not to be outdone, Picchiotti presented the Gentleman 24 at the latest edition of the Monaco Yacht Show.
An elegant motor yacht inspired by the golden years of post-war yachting, entirely designed by Luca Dini Design & Architecture, it pays homage to historic models such as the Giglio Series and the Mistral Series, enhancing their stylistic values and maritime culture.
A project that bucks the trend, dedicated to owners who want to stand out while remaining faithful to tradition and the concept of elegant seafaring.
Among its unique features is a side walkway on the main deck connecting the stern and bow—an innovative solution that, together with the sophisticated mahogany finishes, recreates the atmosphere of the most prestigious vintage yachts.
Finally, in sailing, the desire for the past has manifested itself through the rebirth of the J Class: the boats that raced in the America’s Cup in the 1920s and 1930s, brought back to life thanks to faithful replicas of the original hulls that had been lost.
A second youth that confirms, once again, how the memory of design—in all its forms—remains one of the most powerful drivers towards the future.
Matteo Zaccagnino
