There are a dozen reasons as to why Nendo’s founder Oki Sato has received the crown for Maison & Objet’s designer of the Year: his massive retrospective of his work in Milan earlier this year and his ability to design 100 products per year are just two. The new MNIM +AID emergency preparedness kit is yet another.
Inspired by the tragedy of natural disasters that have occurred in his home country of Japan over the years, he has taken to create a compact kit that is extremely useful yet sophisticatedly designed with the Nendo-minimalist touch. Sticking to the bare necessities that are required during an earthquake, the set is made up of five pieces, all packed together in a 5cm wide tube.
Included in the collection is a radio which doubles as a charger, a raincoat, a lantern (that can be charged with the radio), drinking water and a plastic case that you can fill as you like – recommendations are a first aid kit and medicine. All of the items are neatly lined up in the sleek silver, white or black tube that can be carried like a backpack and masqueraded as an everyday object that you would never imagine could carry a life saving kit.
All the pieces exist in smart mini black tubes themselves, simply numbered 1-4 in large type, another clever touch for an emergency. Ultimately, Nendo has gone back to survival basics, but combined this with truly intelligent and hi-tech design-savviness.
The set is made up of five bare necessities, all packed together in a 5cm wide tube that can be carried like a backpack
The collection of items exist in smart mini black tubes, simply numbered in large 1-4 type, a clever touch for rapid access to the piece you require
Included in the set is a radio, which doubles as a charger for your smartphone and other USB connected devises
A pullout raincoat is contained in second tube
An elongated lantern exists in the third case that can be charged by the radio in the first tube
A water pouch fills the fourth container and can be poured out into the tube so it doubles as a vessel to drink from
The fifth container is left to fill with other essentials you made need, but the reccomended materials are first aid items and medicine
INFORMATION
Photography: Kenichi Sonehara
-
Rimowa launches limited edition cocktail case in collaboration with Robbe & BerkingGerman engineering meets exquisite craftsmanship and a whole lot of fun in this travel cocktail kit
-
Art Deco's centenary is honoured with a grand exhibition in ParisTo mark 100 years of Art Deco, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris is holding a retrospective that includes furniture, tableware, clothing, jewellery and objets d’art (on view until 26 April 2026)
-
‘Lucybelle II’ is a small scale homage to an iconic racing Ferrari, created by Hedley StudiosHedley Studio has shaped an exacting 75% scale replica of the 1958 Ferrari Testa Rossa J ‘Lucybelle II’, complete with track-worn patina
-
Nendo makes a splash with new designs for FlaminiaNendo launches two new product families – a countertop washbasin with wings and a tub-like lamp – for Flaminia’s 70th anniversary
-
Nendo's recycled designs for Paola Lenti are inspired by cherry blossomsPaola Lenti and Nendo unveil 'Hana-arashi' a series of sustainable furnishings inspired by Japanese culture at Milan Design Week 2024
-
Daniel Arsham interprets Nendo’s designs in new collaboration‘Break to Make’ at Milan Design Week 2023 features new interpretations of Nendo designs by American artist Daniel Arsham
-
Nendo’s Oki Sato on challenges, new talent, and ‘taking the difficult way’Oki Sato, founder of prolific Japanese studio Nendo, reflects on past and present challenges – including designing Tokyo’s Olympic cauldron – and, for Wallpaper’s 25th Anniversary Issue ‘5x5’ project, selects five young talents ready to pick up the torch
-
Nendo’s first graphic picture book depicts how design ideas are born -
Lifestyle lab: Nendo overhauls Siam Discovery department store in Bangkok -
Wallpaper* Power 200: the world’s top design names and influencersIt’s back with a double helping of provocation and praise. We have plumped up this year’s Power List to a meaty two-ton’s worth of carefully measured rankings, an upscaled calibration of design achievement. As we strongly suspected, last year’s Power 100 caused a considerable stir and provoked strong words. And, as last month’s editor’s letter made clear, even alarming threats of revenge and recrimination. So this year, unchastened, we thought we would do it all again, but double the dose. To mark our 200th issue, the power 100 has become 200. Or rather 100+100 (normal disservice will be resumed next year). And, in a self-congratulatory nod to our keen eye for talent and perhaps the propulsive effect we have had on nascent design careers, we have trawled the Wallpaper* archives, retraced our expert truffling and recovered the debut appearances of future Power Listers. (Look out for long-lost hair, unlined faces and eyes undimmed).
-
Milan's brightest creative luminaries celebrate the 2015 Design Awards
