ITS Time for Coffee. The Swatch – illycaffè collaboration revealed!

Nobody knew there was a secret award waiting to be revealed on catwalk during the Awards Ceremony of ITS 2018. When Carlo Giordanetti, Swatch Creative Director, remained on stage following the announcement of the Swatch Award winner Sini-Pilvi Kiilunen and said “and now a surprise”, calling on stage illycaffè Art Director Carlo Bach, it was pretty clear that something unexpected was going on.

And indeed nobody had imagined that behind the scene Swatch and illycaffè had been working on a collaboration idea for a while, to be announced on the ITS stage. Not just a special project involving a finalist of ITS 2018, but a unique life experience for the winner of this unique prize.

We totally agree with what Carlo Bach said on stage: the name they came up with for this award – ITS Time for Coffee – is pretty amazing in itself and really sums up perfectly the connection between ITS and two brands which share a common interest in the art world.

A day to remember for Tolu Coker. Carlo & Carlo were blown away by her artwork project: “We love her vision. We love her skills. We love her story. We love her personality.” The ITS Time for Coffee Award will see her travel to Shanghai for a 3-month residency at the Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai to work on a watch & coffee cup idea. The Hotel artist residency is designed to bring together artists from around the world to experience a unique cultural environment dedicated to contemporary art in the extraordinary city of Shanghai. For 3 months Tolu will be living with artists and breathing art 24/7 and we can’t wait to see what her out-of-the-ordinary artistic craftsmanship will come up with. It will definitely result in a very unique watch concept and in a unique coffee cup.

Furthermore at ITS 2019, illycaffè and Swatch will present the “ITS Time for Coffee Lounge”: the watch and the coffee cups developed by Tolu will be premiered.

We’re just thrilled by possibilities we can provide for our finalists and this one makes no exception. Whenever we are responsible for a major breakthrough in the careers of talented young designers who deserve to be supported, our job is done. It really is as simple as that.