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"Art can touch souls and transmit infinite areas that transcends time in dimensions"

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manuela federica

Manuela developed an early interest in the relationship between shapes, colours, and visual harmony. Raised in an environment shaped by art and culture from around the world, design and creative inspiration became central influences in her life from a young age. 

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A formative experience came through her family’s connection with Hadj Moussa Ag Akhamouk, the late Amenokal of the Kel Ahaggar, who lived with the family in 1968 while collaborating with her father and mother on the book Touareg - Nomades du Sahara (Edition Mondo). ​

Encounters with different cultures reinforced her belief that harmony and the language of creativity bring people together, regardless of their backgrounds.

​​​"At the end of the day we're all the same.  And it is the Good in each one of us and what connects us, that interests me"​

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manuela federica

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From the age of six, following her parents’ separation and her mother's departure from the family, Manuela grew up in Thun, Switzerland, with her father, her stepmother, and her siblings. Her father's family maintained longstanding relationships with artists, authors, and scientists, fostering a strong appreciation for intellectual and creative pursuits;  from an early age, Manuela was drawn to people from different cultures who pursued their creative work and ideas with dedication and conviction. Passion and creativity seemed to her to be the most desirable things of all - something she associated with a good and fulfilling life.

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​1981, her mother Federica de Cesco, received a visit at her home on Lake Geneva from the Parisian Dominican priest Raymond Léopold Bruckberger. During the meeting, the Swiss author showed him drawings which Manuela had offered her at one of the rare, but always inspiring reunions.​ ​Impressed by the work, Bruckberger introduced the drawings to Leïla Menchari, the famous director of the Service décoratif at HERMES in Paris. Leïla Menchari sent two personal letters to Manuela in which she praised the balance and refinement of the designs and encouraged her to continue pursuing her artistic development :

"What interests me in your work is the balance of the composition and the finesse of the execution, along with, of course, the imagination and freshness. Keep finding joy in beauty despite external pressures, because that is what endures and fuels your pursuit of beauty"

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Leïla Menchari

Work


Manuela Federica Krebser's work spans product design, textiles, porcelain, interiors, and luxury branding. In 1996, she founded the iSHONi Design Studio under the slogan “iSHONi - The World Reflected in Decorative Design”, and where she also deliberately offers corporate projects. The name “iSHONi,” which means “together” in Japanese, reflects her collaborative approach to design and her emphasis on involving clients throughout the creative process.

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The work of Manuela Federica is characterized by a combination of artistic intuition, ornamentation, and technical understanding, with a focus on creating accessible and functional design solutions. Over the course of her career, she has worked across a broad range of industries, from everyday consumer products to luxury goods, hospitality, and high-end technology. In 2002, the Swiss television SRF published a portrait about her work (SRF / Schweiz Aktuell, 2002-10-25) .

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Manuela Federica collaborates with hotels including the Hotel Villa TreVille and the Hotel Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne. In 2013, she was invited by Dimitrios Pandermalis to develop collections for the Acropolis Museum in Athens. Her collaborations also include porcelain manufacturers Rosenthal Porcelain and Hutschenreuther, including the “NORA Christmas Service” collection and the "Yule Christmas Dinner Service" from Rosenthal. Her porcelain work has been exhibited at the Ambiente, and several of her porcelain plates became part of the collection of the Musée Ariana.

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Between 2008 and 2012, Manuela Federica lived in New York City, where she designed the enclosure for the “1 Series” audio system developed by CH Precision, a manufacturer of ultra-high-end audio electronics.

 

​In 2011, she has been invited by Nestlé to create the Foulards Series "Les Merveilles du Monde”, inspired by Nestlé’s famous picture albums from the 1930s.​

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In 2017, she created the metallic OMEGA boutique storefront "Moucharabieh" on Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris

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Her iSHONi rug collections were exhibited at international trade fairs, including Domotex in Germany and exhibitions in Atlanta, United States. Manuela licenced her exclusive iSHONi rug designs between 2002 and 2012 to mtm Munich, and ABC Carpet & Home in New York.

 

Her iSHONi rug collections for mtm were presented from 2002 to 2012 at the Domotex Fair in Hanover, and sold worldwide in  more than 20 countries. ABC Carpet&Home ran full-page advertisements for iSHONi rugs in Interior Design Magazine ( Nov. 2008 / April 2009 / May 2009 ) and Modern Carpets and Textiles for Interiors (Spring 2009 / Summer 2009). 

Manuela-Federica, iSHONi Design

manuela federica

"The connection between cultures and eras seems to be part of the beauty of the human experience that we all share over time"


manuela federica

Biography​

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Manuela Federica, born as Manuela Federica Krebser (* 1964) is a multidisclipinary Swiss designer, Creative Director and entrepreneur working across product, interior, and decorative design. Her work combines functional requirements with aesthetic and conceptual considerations, with attention to how users interact with designed objects and is described as “quiet luxury”. ​

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​In 1996, she founded the iSHONi Design Office. The studio undertakes projects that combine artistic, ornamental, and technical aspects of design, depending on the requirements of each commission. Her commissions include work for clients in sectors such as hospitality and luxury goods, including hotels and brands such as OMEGA.​​​​

 

​​​​Manuela completed a five-year training in art book design with Ted Scapa at Benteli Verlag in Bern. While still an apprentice, Manuela left her home in Thun at the age of 17. From 1985 to 1988 she worked for the Jean-Frey Group in Zurich.  ​

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After the birth of her son in 1988 and following her early divorce in the early 1990s, Manuela Federica took on full responsibility as a self-employed single mother. She collaborated with several companies, including Fabric Frontline, and turned her passion into a career.

She considers her greatest and most rewarding achievement to be having been a good mother to her son, Moritz - who later became a lawyer and is now a father himself - and having given him a happy and emotionally stable childhood.

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She lives with her partner near Lausanne.

The "Zebra Rule"
 

In the mid-1990s, she met the French intellectual Gonzague Saint Bris, who visited her several times at her home in Vevey and took an interest in the harmony of her compositions.

​Manuela explained to him that she compared her creative approach to the arrangement of black and white stripes on zebras, and added with a laugh that she had come up with the concept of the “zebra rule” for this; the black-and-white stripe patterns on zebras follow one another in a perfectly harmonious sequence and differ from animal to animal, each in its own way.

Mathematically, that would still result in the number 1 (the Whole), which symbolises “unity & perfection.” For her, decorative design is an “intercultural mirror” that connects emotions across geographical, cultural and temporal boundaries. Flowing, organic patterns are mathematically structured in such a way that they ultimately conform to an unconscious yet mathematically underlying rule. This completely dissolves boundaries, leading to a universal dimension and form of communication.

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(Gonzague Saint Bris later incorporated Manuela Federica's concept of the "zebra rule" into his work in Paris)

"Her dedication to the Rug Design industry is bar none. Her design work is known worldwide, and she holds the highest respect among her peers. Her designs are repeatedly published in major, international trade publications like "Interior Design Magazine" and "Modern Carpets & Textiles". 
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​​​Paul Chapman, Vice Chairman & President ABC Carpet & Home, New York

​​​Press Articles, Media & Honors​

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Manuela Federica’s work focuses on the visual user experience and the way design objects are perceived and understood by the viewer. Her approach places emphasis on harmony, detail, craftsmanship, and the relationship between aesthetics and functionality.

The US government granted her the US Green Card for Extraordinary Abilities (E16) based on her extraordinary artistic and commercial achievements in global luxury textile, porcelain, and industrial design.​

 

Her work has received recognition from figures including Yoko Ono and has been featured in a range of media and design publications.

 

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  • Manuela Federica Krebser
  • Blog - Design by Manuela Federicaq
  • Interview with Manuela Federica

​iSHONi Design Studio

 

​For iSHONi Corporate Products please refer to www.ishoni.org

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