Mid-twentieth century Italy gave birth to some of the world’s most radically exuberant design and architecture. One example which quickly became famous the world over was glassware from the Venetian island of Murano. Its popularity in the Venetian Republic, where global trading took place, made Murano glass one of the most coveted symbols of style and status across Europe.

Today, the island’s glass-makers haven’t changed their methods, but there are fewer of them due to the economic woes over the past decade, with only those brave and talented enough to weather the storm. Not content on being a museum to a lost craft, the glassblowers are revolutionising the industry and rekindling the island’s artisanal tradition.

Federico de Majo, designer and owner of Zafferano, is at the forefront of this movement. His inspiring glassware creations have been chosen by some of the world’s best restaurants and he’s leading a new generation of Italy’s artisan glass-makers. Following in his father’s footsteps, Federico was immersed in the beauty and craft of glass at his family’s glass firm from a young age. His grandfather, on the other hand, used to sell cheese and olives to the biggest restaurants in Venice. ‘When I was a young boy, this combination of food and glass was perfect,’ says Federico. ‘I started working with my father, but it was my grandfather that taught me to be resourceful.’

After working with his father for many years Federico soon became the factory's in-house designer, until he left the family business in the 1980s to focus on designing hand-blown and artistic glasses and lighting. In 2001 he started his own company – Zafferano – creating wine glasses on the mainland, but the spirit of Murano is still evident in all his creations. Federico’s expert knowledge of glass-shaping meant he had the confidence to innovate, which in turn helped him to revolutionise traditional tableware designs which were seen in almost every high-end restaurant in Italy.