Whitewall daily

Whitewall’s summer issue (out this week) features an interview with Vertu’s Chief Designer, Frank Nuovo. Remember Nokia’s interchangeable covers? You can thank Nuovo for that who was the Chief Designer at Nokia for years. He predicted that cell phones would become a fashion accessory. He left in 2006 to work on Vertu’s design solely. I spoke with Nuovo just a few days after he returned from Baselworld. Here are a few insights from him that couldn’t fit into the magazine.

WHITEWALL: So you just got back from Basel Wolrd, how did it go? I was surprised to hear that you are a participant, since it’s mostly focused on watch and jewelry.

FRANK NUOVO: Yes, luxury watch and jewelry. We showed up in 2002 and there was nothing like us there and the response was, “You’re doing what?” We tried and we worked very hard to convince them and they gave us a booth in a dark corner. Now, of course, we have a substantial area and we’re probably one of the busier booths in terms of visitors. It’s extraordinary when you can see an idea that you carried for so long building and at a comfortable pace. It was a vision that the future was going to simply happen and if I didn’t do it someone else would.

WW: Vertu is made with long lasting material, whereas mass-market phones are not. You need to get a new one every 18 months. How do you balance the longevity of the design material with innovation and the ever-changing technology we’re used to with mobile devices?

FN: That’s always been a question from the beginning. The core technology isn’t changing as fast as you think. Vertu has maintained what we are creating: phones. It’s the primary use of the product. The elegant simplicity is part of the appeal. It took us awhile before we decided to put a camera in our phones. More and more of your target audience begin to desire a different product. Our customers carry around two phones, one for voice and one for data. I carry around two phones, one for email and texting and I have another phone just for voice. I only give out the number for the voice phone. Our customers like the ultimate voice phone. But you can retrieve all your emails and it has the capability. We apply technology that is very mature into a Vertu form and case.

WW: You went from being the Chief Designer Nokia, which is mass-produced and marketed to designing limited edition. Did that feel like a maturation for you as a designer? Being able to now focus on the craft and the individuals who will be using them?

FN: It’s also part of my good conscience. I explored with great efforts to see how much we can do at ultimately low costs. How much we can do in third world countries. I spent most of my life working on lowest possible cost, highest possible quality and the exciting thing is knowing both ends of the spectrum. People who are of means have always supported the arts, for the most part. Both sides do good. Mass marketed products serve the general population. And we’ve seen actually that the kinds of things that we launched for luxury in 2002 are finding their way into the mass marketed products at Nokia.

WW: You’ve been called the “Calvin Klein of Phones” Charlie rose.

FN: A designer that understands the world of fashion. I consider myself to design in fashionable ways. While I would love to design clothes of function, sportswear, jackets, and belts. I have this absolute passion for new materials.

I spent some time in the music industry, which put me through college. I started playing professionally when I was 11 and a half. So a few people who I’ve gotten to know over the years are in the movie industry so I’ve been working on projects there. For me it’s purely out of creativity.