Officina Italiana Design

• Founders: Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta
• Founded: 1994
• Based: Bergamo, Italy
• Roles: Micheli head of design, Beretta managing partner
• Discipline: yacht and boat design
• Signature: exclusive designer for Riva since 1994
• Known for: the modern Riva range, including the Aquariva

The studio behind Riva

Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta founded Officina Italiana Design in 1994 in Bergamo, in northern Italy. Micheli had joined Riva as a young designer in 1984 after winning a competition, and he leads the studio's creative work. Beretta, who holds degrees in business and European law, runs the studio as its managing partner. Together they have made the office one of the most focused in yachting. Micheli leads the design while Beretta runs the business side, a split that has held for three decades.

The studio's defining feature is its exclusive tie to Riva, one of the most storied names in boating. That relationship, first struck in 1994, has been renewed repeatedly and now runs to 2030. Few studios are so closely bound to a single marque. The arrangement has given Officina Italiana Design a clear and singular purpose. Tying its future to a single marque is a bold choice, and over three decades it has plainly worked out well for both sides.

Guarding a classic line

The studio's task is to carry the Riva heritage of the 1950s and 1960s into modern boats without turning it into pastiche. Micheli's designs keep the marque's low, elegant profiles and its love of fine detail. The work balances nostalgia against the demands of contemporary construction and use. That careful stewardship is the studio's signature. Reworking a classic without losing its character is a narrow path, and Micheli has walked it model after model.

The office treats each Riva as a sculpted object where line and stance matter above all. Micheli has spoken of designing a Riva as carving an emotion rather than drawing a shape. The result is a family of boats with an unmistakable and consistent character. Continuity is prized over reinvention. A Riva is meant to be known at a glance, and the studio guards that recognition in every model.

Thirty years as the single hand keeping Riva both classic and current.

The modern Riva fleet

The studio has shaped the entire modern Riva range, from small runabouts to the yard's largest yachts. Models such as the Aquariva carry the classic mahogany-and-chrome spirit into the present day. As Riva has moved into larger craft, the studio has scaled its language up to superyacht sizes. The line now spans open sportboats to yachts well over 50 metres. Scaling the marque's language up to superyacht sizes was a real test, and the studio passed it.

Each new model is designed to sit clearly within the Riva family while moving the range forward. The studio has kept the marque coherent through decades of new launches. That consistency across a broad line is a rare achievement. It is the clearest proof of the studio's discipline. Holding a whole range together over so many years is harder than designing any single boat.

One marque, done deeply

Working exclusively for Riva gives the studio an unusually deep understanding of a single brand and yard. The office knows the marque's history, its customers and its production intimately. That focus lets it protect the Riva identity across every model. It is a very different model from studios that spread across many yards. Deep knowledge of one brand and one yard is the studio's main advantage over broader rivals.

The close tie also means the studio's fortunes are bound to Riva and its parent, the Ferretti Group. That concentration is a strength in coherence and a narrowing in scope. Micheli and Beretta have chosen depth over breadth. The choice has defined the studio for three decades. Betting everything on one marque is unusual, and it has shaped the studio's whole character.

Keeper of an icon

Officina Italiana Design has become inseparable from one of the most famous names on the water. Its stewardship of Riva is widely admired within the industry. The studio's standing rests on keeping a legend both relevant and true to itself. That is a subtle and demanding brief. Keeping a heritage brand both faithful and current is a rarer skill than starting from a blank sheet.

The renewed contract to 2030 signals confidence in the partnership on both sides. The studio continues to extend the Riva line into larger and more ambitious craft. Its single-minded focus remains its defining trait. Officina Italiana Design is the guardian of a design icon. Its work keeps one of boating's great names alive and relevant for a new generation of owners.

Who it is for: Buyers drawn to the Riva marque and its blend of classic Italian elegance with modern craft.