MAKIO HASUIKE

It was 1964, and Tokyo wasn’t just hosting the Summer Olympics — it was introducing Japan to the world in a whole new light. Fresh out of post-war recovery and charging into an era of rapid economic growth, Japan was ready to make a statement. Seiko, a relatively unknown watchmaker outside of Japan, took a massive gamble: to become the official timekeeper of the Tokyo Olympic Games — a title long held by Swiss giants like Omega and Longines.

It was an ambitious move. Seiko had no experience with sports timing, no stockpile of stopwatches or advanced instruments. But what they did have was vision. Over the span of just a few years, three Seiko Group companies scrambled to build everything from scratch — large digital displays, stopwatches, electronic timing systems, even printing timers — and somehow pulled it all off. And there was one designer was central to the success of the Seiko – and his name was Makio Hasuike.

Born in Tokyo in 1938, Mario Hasuike graduated from the University of Arts of Tokyo in 1962. During his University studies, he was particularly taken by teachings of one professor, Iwataro Koike. Iwataro Koike was a leader figure in Japanese modernism, and the author of the 1956 classic Basic Design: Composition and Formation. At the time, Japanese modernism shared many of the same tenants as the German Bauhuas movement - that of simplicity, functionality ("form follows function") and rejection of ornamentation. However, unlike its German counterpart Japanese Modernism emphasised the void as much as the form itself - known as ‘ma’ or negative space. Under the mentorship of Iwataro Koike Makio Hasuike integrated this approach to design influencing his compositions in ways distinct from pure European functionalism.

Riding the wave of his success at Seiko, Hasuike moved to Italy in 1963. There he founded his studio “Makio Hasuike & Co” in Milan in 1968, making it one of the first industrial design studios in the country. His company was an experimental venture introducing a series of ground breaking products, ranging from technological tools, car engines, to toilet accessories and office accessories. One of the most notable designs of Makio Hasuike is his iconic Cucciolo toilet brush holder. Historically, bathrooms accessories were relegated to the bottom of the design hierarchy – something to be hidden in cupboards to tucked away behind the cistern. Mario Hasuike rejected this idea and instead built a toilet brush holder that maximized both functionality and aesthetics. In collaboration with the manufacturer Gedy, the Cucciolo marked an indelible chapter in the history of Italian design. In recognition of its impact, the Cucciolo has been on permanent display at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York since 1977. 

Today Makio Hasuike is considered one of the most influential and far reaching designers not only in Italy, but the world. In celebration of hiscareer that spans over fifty years and numerous product categories, he was awarded the prestigious Compasso d'Oro Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.