A man in flow

For ten years, Alferano has been working with the renowned Zurich industrial designer Alfredo Häberli, one of the best in his field. Häberli also designed Alferano's store and studio - in his unmistakable, lively style.

Alfredo Häberli, born in 1964, trained at the Zurich University of Design (now ZHdK), has been running his design office in Zurich for a good thirty years. Häberli is passionate about industrial design in his own playful way. He designs pretty much anything that can be produced, from watches to complex hotel projects. His clients include top international brands such as Alias, Arflex, Cappellini, Camper, Classicon, deSede, Iittala, Kvadrat, Moroso, Rado, Thonet, Vitra and Zanotta - as well as Alferano.

Ten years ago, Alfredo Häberli designed the Alferano store on Talstrasse in Zurich for Alferano, as well as the studio extension on the top floor a few years ago, where the spacious separate rooms for individual fittings are located. The designer describes the whitewashed Alferano studio as an “almost sacred space” and an “island of calm” in the hustle and bustle of downtown Zurich. And about the store, which caused a stir in 2013 with its sleek design and striking combination of blue and green, Alfredo Häberli says today that it is “still avant-garde”.

Alfredo Häberli developed both store and studio in his typical way “out of feeling”, with his own mixture of “precision and poetry”. – “You have to feel a space and express its characteristics with just a few lines,” says the designer about the collaboration. This is based not only on profound mutual trust, but also on a long-standing personal friendship between Alfredo Häberli and Reto Caprez, the owner and CEO of Alferano. The two men have a lot in common, such as their passion for art, design, watches and (classic) automobiles. “I only work for people I like,” says Häberli.

Alfredo Häberli, who of course also dresses to measure at Alferano, describes his creative way of working as that of a “curious observer” who gets to the bottom of things with the swing of his wrist and a felt-tip pen until he has worked out their essence. “Observation is the most beautiful form of thinking,” says Häberli, who not only has an impressive arsenal of drawing pencils in his studio, but also a veritable collection of objects that stimulate his senses. Häberli calls his collection a “chamber of curiosities” that continually gives him new inspiration.

What makes good design? “You have to be able to describe an idea in three to five sentences,” otherwise it would be too complex, says Alfredo Häberli. But even more than rational arguments, he relies on the universal power of emotions that his work triggers. And he has to experience this himself first. For Alfredo Häberli, sketching is a daily routine that corresponds to a kind of mental workout. “When I draw, I’m in the flow and I can really develop something new based on my feelings.”

All under one roof

The Alferano store in the heart of Zurich offers a fine selection of men's fashion and accessories as well as carefully curated brands. In our studio we dedicate ourselves entirely to the topic of custom-made products. In a private and relaxed atmosphere you can be inspired by our fabrics and individual design options.

Alfredo Häberli wears Alferano from head to toe. Would you like to too? Our fashion consultants will be happy to show you our current collection. Either directly in your office, at home, in one of our showrooms or in our shop on Talstrasse in Zurich. Call us or arrange a non-binding appointment online .