From IED classrooms to the design selection AD100. The protagonists are three alumni who have been included over the years in the prestigious AD selection. The series opens with Federica Biasi, followed by Francesco Meda and Studio Klass.
News
AD100 IED Alumni: a talk series with Architectural Digest
Date
25 February 2026
IED Milan presents AD100 IED Alumni, a series of inspirational talks on design organized in collaboration with AD – Architectural Digest. The program is dedicated to a selection of renowned designers who graduated from IED and have been featured over the years in the prestigious AD100 list, the annual ranking that brings together the 100 most influential studios, designers and architects on the international scene.
The series includes three appointments, running from February to May, conceived for students and design enthusiasts alike. Each talk takes the form of a conversation between an AD journalist and the featured designer, tracing a professional trajectory — illustrated through images, projects and key works — from the years of study at IED to the founding of an independent studio, from early collaborations to recognition within the Italian and global design landscape.
An opportunity for Interior and Product Design students to gain first-hand insight into how a design identity is built, how the profession evolves, and what paths can unfold after graduation.
FEDERICA BIASI — FEBRUARY 26 (3:30 PM)
The designer and art director will be in conversation with journalist Valentina Raggi, retracing the path that led her to found her studio-atelier in 2015 following a formative professional experience in the Netherlands that deeply shaped her design vision.
Her work emerges from the dialogue between design culture, craftsmanship and industrial production, spanning furniture, objects, surfaces and spatial projects, always with a strong focus on materiality, tactile sensitivity and the synthesis of function and form. Thanks to her transversal practice — which also includes consultancy and art direction for international brands — Biasi has been featured multiple times in Architectural Digest’s AD100 selection, confirming her as a distinctive voice in contemporary design.
FRANCESCO MEDA — MARCH 31 (6:30 PM)
After graduating in Industrial Design from IED, Francesco Meda gained professional experience in London, first working at Sebastian Bergne’s studio and later at Ross Lovegrove’s. Upon returning to Milan in 2008, he began collaborating with his father, Alberto Meda, on projects for companies including Kartell and Caimi Brevetti.
Alongside these collaborations, he has developed his own personal research across art and design, working with companies and galleries such as Nilufar Gallery, Schoeni Art Gallery (Hong Kong), Rossana Orlandi Gallery, Kartell, Tod’s, Ferragamo, Molteni&C, Acerbis, Zucchetti, MDF Italia, Alias, Foscarini, Fast and UniFor. In 2013 he co-designed Flap, an acoustic panel produced by Caimi Brevetti, which later received the Compasso d’Oro award.
With a forward-looking vision and a strong sensitivity to design history, Meda was appointed, together with David Lopez Quincoces, Creative Director of Acerbis in 2020, Ranieri Lava in 2021 and Fast Outdoor in 2022.
STUDIO KLASS — MAY 12 (6:30 PM)
Marco Maturo will close the series by presenting Studio Klass, the Milan-based design and creative consultancy practice he co-founded with Alessio Roscini. Specialized in product design and art direction, Studio Klass has collaborated with leading international companies, receiving accolades including the German Design Award, Red Dot Award, iF Design Award and inclusion in the ADI Design Index. Among its most significant projects is the collaboration with UniFor on Touch Down Unit, a workstation concept that redefined mobility in contemporary workspaces. Since 2020, the studio has also served as Creative Director for UniFor and Citterio.
In 2025 Studio Klass was included in the AD100 list, confirming its influence on the global design landscape — a recognition reaffirmed in 2026.
Federica Biasi - credits Andrea Olivo
Francesco Meda
Marco Maturo - credits Alberto Strada
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