Matteo Ferrantino, top chef from Apulia, has been cooking in his restaurant »bianc« in Hamburg’s HafenCity since 2017. After only two years, he was awarded a Michelin star, one year later followed by his second star in the gourmet sky.
His first book entitled »Simple & Sexy« not only reflects Ferrantino’s philosophy, but is his very personal biography. Beginning in Apulia, followed by positions in Mallorca, Salzburg and the Algarve, to the completion of his culinary art in Hamburg, his visions, emotions and companions have their say on the more than three-kilograms heavy 420 pages of the book.
Contrasts. Southern temperament and northern coolness. Rugged coasts and alpine rocks. We wanted these oppositions to be expressed in the design as well. Large-scale images show direct contrasts between the different stages of Ferrantino’s life. Staggered blocks of text are reminiscent both of stacked porcelain and, metaphorically, of a certain unpredictability in the star chef’s career. From architectural details of his restaurant, we developed graphic design patterns. His six stages of life follow a chronological narrative and include a very personal and »hidden« photo album in the form of a gate fold: family, friends and companions open the respective (life) chapter and become alive and tangible in accompanying films via QR code. Matteo Ferrantino’s signature dishes are dedicated to his closest confidants, with raw product images showing in a comparison with the recipe images what is feasible. Ferrantino’s central creative power is expressed in more than 100 recipes – photographically portrayed on Apulian stone and staged with alternating shadow effects, the dishes pay homage to his hometown Mattinata. The book cover and slipcase follow his clear handwriting – printed on deep-dyed black paper, reminiscent of the structure of a langoustine. Buon appetito!
