manuela federica

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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In de 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 working method - in composing her balanced patterns - to the arrangement of black and white stripes on zebras, and added with a laugh that she had thus created for herself the concept of the “zebra rule”: the shapes of the black and white stripes on zebras follow one another in a perfectly harmonious sequence, and differ from one animal to another, each in its own way. From this, one can always mathematically deduce the number 1 (totality), which symbolizes “perfection.” (Gonzague Saint Bris later incorporated the concept of "the zebra rule" into his work in Paris.)

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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 rug collections were presented every year at Domotex Fair in Hanover, and sold worldwide in  more than 20 countries. They have been featured in publications including Interior Design Magazine, HALI, Modern Carpets, Home Textiles Today, and Textiles Interiors.