As the brand works to become more distinctive and relevant to a new audience, its collaborations with licensed properties have expanded in number, scope and creative ambition. From that perspective, a partnership with the Stanley Kubrick Film Archive felt like a very natural fit.

Absolutely. And Guiseppe, what made The Shining an attractive brand to design for?
Guiseppe Aquila, CEO, Montegrappa: The Shining is not just a film – it’s a complete psychological architecture. What makes it so compelling from a design perspective is the way Stanley Kubrick constructs meaning through symbols, space and repetition. The Overlook Hotel becomes a metaphor for the human mind – and every object within it carries narrative weight.

For us, this richness is essential. We are drawn to universes where storytelling is layered and open to interpretation. The Shining offers precisely that: a tension between order and madness, beauty and unease. It allows us to translate cinematic language into physical form – into something that can be held, explored and discovered over time.

For anyone yet to see this remarkable creation, can you talk me through some of your favourite design details here?
Guiseppe: This is a piece that reveals itself gradually… Almost like the film. One of the most striking elements is the rotating disc beneath the cap’s Ambigram. It references the door peephole, and – as it turns – the twins appear and disappear, almost like an apparition. It’s a small mechanical gesture, but it captures the unsettling rhythm of the film beautifully.

Another key feature is the clip, shaped as the key to Room 237. It’s both an invitation and a warning – an object that grants access, but suggests there is no return. Then there is the barrel: on the fountain pen, it opens like an elevator door, revealing red ink flowing through the Free Drop Reservoir. This is a direct reference to one of the film’s most iconic scenes, but also a way to make the internal mechanism part of the storytelling.

Finally, I’m particularly fond of the continuous engraving of ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.’ It’s obsessive, hypnotic, and perfectly encapsulates the psychological descent at the heart of the narrative.

Did any of these design touches prove a ‘tough nut to crack’?
Guiseppe: Yes – particularly the elements that involve movement and illusion. The rotating disc with the twins, for example, required a very precise balance between mechanical reliability and visual subtlety. It had to feel almost ghostly in its effect, not overtly theatrical.

Similarly, translating cinematic moments – like the elevator sequence – into a mechanical function on the pen required several iterations. It’s one thing to reference a scene; it’s another to embed it into the physical behaviour of an object.

These challenges are part of what makes such projects rewarding. When a detail works seamlessly, it disappears into the experience – but achieving that simplicity is often the most complex part.

“Our role is not to replicate – it’s to interpret.”

Absolutely – and what dictates how ‘far’ you go design-wise? What helps you know when to add, and when to streamline?
Guiseppe: It’s always a question of coherence. With a subject like The Shining, the temptation is to include everything, because the film is so dense with references. But our role is not to replicate – it’s to interpret. Every detail must serve a purpose within a unified narrative.

We tend to think of it as editing rather than adding. The design evolves until every element feels necessary, and nothing feels decorative for its own sake. When you reach the point where removing something would weaken the story, you know you’re close.

In this case, the balance was between richness and clarity. The pen had to feel immersive, but never chaotic – much like Kubrick’s own visual language.

What does a brand need to have in order to be of interest to Montegrappa?
Guiseppe: At its core, it needs cultural resonance. We look for subjects that have shaped collective imagination – icons that people recognise not just visually, but emotionally. Beyond that, there needs to be depth: a narrative universe that can sustain interpretation and reinterpretation.

Equally important is alignment in values. Craftsmanship, authenticity and a certain timelessness are essential. We are not interested in fleeting trends; we are interested in stories that endure.

Finally, there must be room for transformation. The most interesting collaborations are those where we can translate an idea from one medium into another – where cinema, art, or history can be reimagined through the language of fine writing instruments. That is where Montegrappa operates: at the intersection of culture, craftsmanship and storytelling.

And Paolo, what’s key to fruitful collaborations between yourself, the brand you represent, and your licensees?
Paolo: We work across all types of collaborations – brand-to-brand partnerships, retail projects, artistic curations, and, of course, licensed collaborations. In some ways, licensed collaborations are more straightforward, because IP owners are often highly motivated to work with narrative-driven brands that can elevate and extend the relevance of their properties.

That said, not all IP owners approach collaborations in the same way. Those who rely on a more traditional, mainstream licensing model can sometimes focus too heavily on short-term commercial outcomes, overlooking a crucial point: a successful licensed collaboration is a creative partnership. It requires the licensee to interpret the core values of the IP through its own capabilities and craft a product that is both meaningful and narratively rich.

Our role is to help create alignment and effectiveness between both sides of that equation. In the case of the collaboration between Montegrappa and the Stanley Kubrick Film Archive, that alignment came very naturally.

And what other categories do you see as being of interest for Kubrick and The Shining moving forward?
Paolo: During his time at Gucci, Alessandro Michele did a great service with the 2022 Exquisite Collection campaign, replicating the visual language of Stanley Kubrick’s films to stage the collection. That moment made it much easier to demonstrate the narrative power of Kubrick’s work in connection with brands looking to deepen their storytelling and treat their products as expressive platforms – not just objects, and not only within the luxury space.

Brands like Jacques Marie Mage have done an exceptional job in the curated eyewear segment, and these are exactly the kinds of thoughtful, design-led projects we’re interested in pursuing in collaboration with the Stanley Kubrick Film Archive moving forward.

Guys, congrats again to you both – and to the brand’s global agent Caroline Mickler – on this terrific launch.

The post Lucci & Partners’ Paolo Lucci and Montegrappa’s Giuseppe Aquila on the company’s remarkable The Shining pen appeared first on Brands Untapped.

But it was all really by chance, I just followed my personal instinct and professional curiosity. In 2001, I found myself with the first agency offering brand extension services in a “blue ocean”, where nobody knew the basics of the licensing business.

Looking at your core Italian market, what are some key considerations around which brands ‘work best’ in Italy compared to other parts of the world?
The main trends here are quite similar to mainstream Europe, with lifestyle brands getting more recognition – even from casual licensees – and manga/anime still growing. There is also quite a momentum for any pop culture reference from the 80s or 90s, be it mass market brands, TV series or blockbusters. I think it’s because brands are looking to add narrative layers to their recognised values, and these are all powerful storytelling IPs.

Category-wise, what are some of the strengths of the Italian licensee community?
Apparel is the first category that comes to mind as the most licensing intensive: this includes basically all apparel retailers and their capsule collections. Luxury brands are showing a slowdown in their collaborations intended as licensed parts of their main collections.

“Perfetti van Melle’s willingness to adapt their brand assets to the creative needs of their partners is unparalleled.”

Why do you think that is?
I guess this is due to the current “quiet luxury” trend. However, it seems to be tiring, as creative directors are realising that all collections seem to be flat and homologated, so there will likely be a renewed interest in this in the future, especially in connection with those pop culture references.

Another common trait of the local licensing community, especially the power users of the licensing model, is the pursuit of knowledge – what’s new, what’s coming, what works – through networking. This probably explains the success of our annual Milano Licensing Day event, which attracts 1,200 visitors in one day.

Yes, congrats on that. Now, let’s talk about Perfetti van Melle! What makes the company’s raft of brands exciting to represent?
First of all, the extraordinary enthusiasm of the Perfetti van Melle team and their care for brand values. Of course, this roster is amazingly rich in iconic brands that the company has built up over time with the greatest marketing acumen. But it’s true that Perfetti van Melle’s licensing team has been a pioneer in building such a robust licensing programme around them for more than two decades now, with an amazing balance between business and creativity. And their willingness to adapt their brand assets to the creative needs of their partners is unparalleled.

You helped bring St Barth and the Big Babol brand together for a striking collection – I like the ducky swim shorts! What made that partnership make sense?
Thank you, but all the credit goes to St Barth’s creativity and the brilliant ideas of the founder – Massimiliano Ferrari. The duck is a staple of their collections, and the addition of the bubble was quite immediate, since the first kick-off meeting. What I really like about it is the follow-up on the next seasons, where the bubble turned a swordfish, a shark and other dangerous species into funny characters… Right up to the cuddly dogs and poodles, always blowing a bubble, of this season.

Sticking with ducks, The Ugly Duck launched a really interesting line of Chupa Chups figures. What was it about TUD’s approach to design that felt a neat fit for Chupa Chups?
This is where Salvador Dalì and the Chupa Chups art coté come in. The Ugly Duck is brilliantly positioned as a ‘collectable art object’ on the edge of art and interior design, a luxury evolution of vinyl toys. A star like Dalì, who designed the Chupa Chups logo, is the direct link between pop, design and art, just what TUD is looking for in its limited editions. The two colourways – ‘Eggstraw’ and ‘Duckberry’ – are named after Chupa Chups flavours. The amazing video that showcases them is another strong point in the execution.

Are there any other collaborations you’ve struck for Perfetti that you feel highlights how creative licensees can be with their brands?
I particularly like the interpretation we asked Philip Colbert to perform for The Rodnik Band x Chupa Chups project. Philip brought his surrealist take on Chupa Chups to Brand Licensing Europe with the event’s first fashion catwalk. Inspired by Dalì and Magritte, these outfits and graphics were functional for luxury furniture design brand Altreforme to showcase an Altreforme x TheRodnikBand x Chupa Chups collection during the next Salone del Design in Milan – when the ‘multi-partners collaborations’ were yet to be born.

What do you feel is key to a fruitful collaboration between licensees and licensors?
Brand values must always be at center stage for licensees and licensors, and the creative ways to manifest them must be clearly pointed out. Although obvious, I find this is not always the case in the day-by-day practice – that’s why I love the Perfetti van Melle team and their ongoing creative efforts to get the most out of the licensees’ output. United in a close relationship between the two parties to share values and ideas… This is key to get good results.

Great answer. And what fuels your own creativity? What helps you have ideas?
I would say ‘a beer’.

Ha!
But to be serious… I think ‘curiosity’ is the key word. I always try to get out of the box, in every way, but especially physically… Window shopping, watching people on the street, going to the cinema or art exhibitions, talking to people – professionals or friends. You may call me a boomer – I am, by the way – but I prefer to be in real contact with things and connect the dots, rather than swapping Instagram or TikTok.

Paolo, this has been great. Thanks again!

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