Photos: Three.two.one by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby | Vrooooooom by Carlo Contin TobeUs was founded by designer Matteo Ragni when he became a father and could not bear the idea that his children would play with toys for a few minutes and then either destroy them or lose interest in them. He decided that the best way to prevent this was to give his children something truly special that they could love, and therefore respect. He began by choosing the material, and settled on wood: a timeless material with a distinctive smell, receptive to any kind of artistic intervention (drawings, messages and so on), durable and, above all, eco-friendly.
Photos: Beetle face puzzle by Jaime Hayon | Harold & Maude by Carlotta de Bevilacqua and Paolo Dellelce Through its approach to design and production, TobeUs has managed to attract more and more well-known, established designers to work with this alternative… car manufacturer. After all, quite a few designers will sketch, even on a paper napkin, a super car they have dreamed up in a matter of minutes. Perhaps because it is one of the few subjects that combines a spirit of play with a sense of adventure and risk.
Photos: Lami by studio e27 | Journey of a cedar by Marcel Wanders
Another distinctive feature of the TobeUs models is that, whatever their lines, they are all made of cedar wood and are all the same size. This is a major design challenge, since each design, however complex, has to come across clearly within fixed dimensions.
Matteo Ragni’s collection will take centre stage at the exhibition “100 % TobeUs: 100 designers for 100 new cars”, to be held, with the support of Alessi, at the Museo della Scienza e della Tecnologia in Milan. The opening is scheduled for 5 December 2013, and the exhibition will run until 13 January 2014.
Photos: Tobek by Karim Rashid | Trojan mustang by Fabio Novembre
Photos: Anfibio by Matali Crasset | La Batmobile by Gordon Guillaumier
Text and editing: Ioanna Pavlopoulou
