Established & Sons show

Though still in its relative infancy, Established & Sons has become one of the major talking points on everyone’s Salone agenda. And after a year experimenting with a series of design art projects the British company went back to its roots with something of a bang, launching 15 new products.

Perhaps the secret to their success thus far lies in the fact that they don’t put a foot wrong in terms of brand identity; everything they do makes sense to their whole. So their 2008 show was held in La Pelota, the defunct swimming pool in central Milan, which made for a perfectly surreal, impressive and slightly old-school stage for the collection.

Set-up as a mock house or giant dolls house (and Alice in Wonderland proportions are quite a trend this year) an instant highlight is Shay Alkalay’s 34 drawer high Stack shelving system that rises from floor to ceiling, which makes for a spectacular showpiece. Innovation was a bit of a theme, from Paul Cocksedge’s technology-defying Pole Light to Terence Woodgate and John Barnard's graphite millimetre-thick, three-metre long table.

But it was some of the more understated products that were the most pleasing. A simple powder-coated steel and wood chair by Alexander Taylor and a beautifully finished storage system by Frank were both covetable, grown-up additions to the Established stable, maybe signalling a coming of age for the British brand.

But for anyone worried they might be losing their sense of fun, we were also given a taster of things to come that was anything but sober. Maarten Baas is designing Established’s show at this year’s Frieze and by way of announcement, displayed three extraordinary part fantasy, part cartoon-like high-gloss furniture creatures by name of The Chankley Bore. We can’t wait to see more...

17 April 2008 | Design