Italiano
EnglishA multi-purpose concept store. A workshop where you can see your two-wheeled dreams come true. A boutique where you can discover a new style. A venue brought to life by a community of travellers. All of this under the single roof of the Deus Ex Machina brand. A brand that tells a story of bonfires on the beach, adventures on the road and an urban jungle lived with style. We interviewed Filippo Bassoli, the soul of Deus Italy, to understand better what makes Deus Ex Machina, at Via Thaon de Revel 3 in Milan, a place that did not exist in Milan before.
What is the story of the Deus Ex Machina brand?
“This is a brand that was born in Sydney less than seven years ago and set out to bring a series of passions together under one roof: the passion for customised vintage motorcycles, the passion for hand-built bicycles and the passion for surfing. Surfboards, clothing, motorcycles and bicycles live under the same roof in our ‘Temples of Enthusiasm’, currently open in Sydney, Los Angeles, Bali and Milan. All our spaces are not only shops; they are also venues designed to welcome enthusiasts of these three worlds, which seem very different from each other but are united by the passion that drives them. In our Milan store you can easily meet the Italian surfing champion, who has come to choose boards with his group of friends, next to a motorcyclist who knows nothing about surfing but has come to have a beer in company, in a setting he still recognises as his own.”
Deus Ex Machina Milano is a multi-purpose space: a café, a workshop, a boutique and an art gallery. All these very different souls share a vintage aesthetic. Was that a natural choice?
“Yes. The vintage aesthetic was a natural, automatic choice. The idea of salvaging particular objects, perhaps reinterpreted, helps create a striking blend whose purpose is to communicate the values of our brand. The idea was to have an image that is welcoming but refined, as in the other Deus stores around the world. In every ‘Temple of Enthusiasm’ the sense of salvage is very strong, and our brand communicates it not only through the design of the spaces but also through the product. The motorcycles we build, for example, are often based on old bikes to be restored, or on new bikes that give a nod to classic taste from the start. Even our surfboards, although they are new high-tech products, have shapes and colours that recall a retro taste. So, more than a need to follow a trend, the vintage aesthetic is a choice that has been in our brand’s DNA since it was born. On the walls of our space hang about 170 prints that recall the values of our brand, all sharing a taste and a graphic style from the ’50s and ’60s. Ours is a recent brand, but it was born with a clear vintage character, and so the whole space has to be in line with this kind of aesthetic.”
Great attention to vintage aesthetics in the Deus Ex Machina “Temples of Enthusiasm”, but what is new and modern about your format?
“Our secret is the great passion that every object in our temples communicates, whether it is part of the interior, a product or something served in the café. The care and passion we put into our format are recognised and rewarded by our customers, who see themselves in these values. We opened very recently and we have already reached 30,000 fans on Facebook. This community of fans is drawn into the spirit of our brand every day with images of our world. The content we share is produced in all our locations, confirming the global vocation of the Deus Ex Machina brand. We also receive visitors from all over Europe who come for the day to see the newly opened temple in Milan. People who perhaps learned to love our brand on a trip overseas and who cannot resist the call of the brand-new Milan location. All our spaces are meeting places, which of course are sustained by the product and the café, but which are brought to life by the community of people who recognise in Deus Ex Machina values that they are passionate about and that make them feel good. A very varied target, from the kid with a skateboard who comes to look for a new T-shirt or have an aperitivo, to the manager who leaves the taxi outside for an hour to work out how to design his new Deus motorcycle.”
Varied targets for a brand that, even before a product, wants to communicate a lifestyle, a precise aesthetic and a set of passions. A community that recognises itself in these passions and brings your Milan space to life, not only to buy the product but also to enjoy the Deus style. What do you offer customers who want to spend their free time in the Deus space?
“Our space is open every day of the week. Since the first week we have been full at lunch and dinner, not to mention aperitivo and after dinner. We got off to a very good start; people like our format and, of course, they also like our food. We have a menu that we serve all day long, as hotels do. That way our customers are not tied to the fixed hours that Milan very often forces you to respect.”
To conclude, what are the factors behind the success of Deus Ex Machina?
“The secret of the success of Deus Ex Machina lies in the fact that our Milan location is a great venue. But not only that: our brand is recognised as real, not artificial. People who love our mood immediately recognise themselves in our location and feel straight away that they can be part of it. The Deus world is open to everyone. You can come here for an aperitivo, to buy a simple T-shirt, or to buy a motorcycle, a surfboard or a bicycle. At different prices, of course, but suited to what each person can spend. Our temple is also popular because interesting people come here. Different worlds meet in a welcoming and very familiar setting. One thing that struck me is that in our first months we hosted many journalists, including from outside the sector. A recurring description we found in the way they wrote about our location was that it is a space Milan was missing. Finally, one thing we are very pleased about is that we are setting up co-marketing projects and capsule collections with a number of large companies. Quite a few businesses want to get closer to the Deus world to tell their own story in a new way through us. This happens because they see us as great communicators, thanks to the image we have created. People are drawn in by the values and the world we represent with our temples, and then become interested in the product we offer. The product is really nothing more than the final expression of what we want to represent and tell.”