It's not the nature of the topic that is the point – whether science, the natural world, or something as literal as material – but the investigation and process, and design becomes a way of unfolding the intricate layers of understanding and expression within it.
‘I know it sounds very grand, but I think it comes down to a curiosity about people and what’s going on in the world,’ says Ella Soccorsi. ‘That’s why I often turn to art because it gives you a feeling of how artists, who I think of as more sensitive to the world around them, perceive what’s happening, whether it’s the climate crisis or political situations, and how that affects our everyday lives.’
Brought up in Zambia by a Swedish mother and an Italian father, Ella moved to Stockholm to go to school in the early 90s. She later decided to depart from the planned career path in engineering to cultivate an interest in art and design, falling in love with scenography and costume design during an internship at the Stockholm Opera House and then co-founding the independent fashion label Nakkna before starting a long relationship with the H&M brand.