American company Emeco enlisted Sam Hecht and Kim Colin of Industrial Facility to create something a little different from the norm. Not wanting to ’do another chair’, the London-based studio set off to ’make something to put the chairs around: a table’. Inspired by the collective, congenial atmosphere around public furniture – canteen tables, park benches, library shelves and the like – the ’RUN’ collection was born: a table and bench, a shelf and some accessories, too. Photography courtesy of Industrial Facility
’Atelier Swarovski Home is an exciting new brand that will offer the ultimate in luxury crystal home décor with an ultra-modern design aesthetic,’ explains Nadja Swarovski. ’This is a natural evolution for Atelier Swarovski and a great opportunity to showcase the art of crystal cutting in a range of designs and forms.’ Among the debut designs for the new label were the characteristically sinuous shapes of the late Zaha Hadid, pictured. Photography: Mark Cocksedge
Knoll’s show stopping stand at the Fiera was designed by OMA and decadently mixed materials for the backdrop of the new 18K gold versions of the ’Planter’ collection
Design Academy Eindhoven graduate Hozan Kangana presented his unique work at Ventura Lambrate. His poetic sculptures are imbued with historical references and take cues from his his life experiences of growing up in Iraq, and then taking refuge in Netherlands
At EuroCucina, Dutch designer Lex Pott has experimented with oxidisation for his model for luxury French oven manufacturers La Cornue, taking their brass wares to a new level described as a cross between alchemy and art
At Baars & Bloemhoff’s experimental exhibition ’Transitions’ in Lambrate, Dutch designer Lex Pott played with colour across his geometric ’Chroma’ collection that used a mix of Abet Laminati and metal laminates from Homapal
Alternatively, De Intuïtiefabriek explored designs using coloured MDF. Inspired by architectural buildings, they formed graphic carved pieces and titled them ’Spatial’
’Maybe we were very avant-garde ten years ago,’ jests Jaime Hayon as comments are made about the distinctly contemporary feel of the Showtime 10 collection for BD Barcelona which is, in fact, celebrating its 10th anniversary this season. ’We found that the designs still worked, still popular, so rather than creating something "new" and unnecessary, we are just fine-tuning the current offering; new colours, finishes and so on.’ All whilst keeping true to Hayon’s playful style, of course...
Lighting brand Foscarini has a knack for the fantastic and bright. This season they enlisted designer/architect Ferruccio Laviani to play with scale in an Alice in Wonderland-like installation of Foscarini lamps and their giant versions
’We want to keep the plurality of Driade,’ explains David Chipperfield, the famous British architect and Driade’s art director since 2015. Speaking from within the Pompeii-inspired stand at the Fiera, Chipperfield contemplates the future of the Italian furniture brand and the need to tread carefully, though decisively: ’the landscape of companies in the furniture business is complex and Driade has a very particular history and we shouldn’t lose that’, he says.
Placing his trust in few individuals – namely Konstantin Grcic, Naoto Fukasawa, Philippe Starck and Fredrikson Stallard – the new collection strikes a balance between design success and commercial credibility. Pictured left: Fredrikson Stallard’s ’Camouflage’ chair. Pictured right: Konstantin Grcic’s ’Mingx’ chair
Neri & Hu’s ’Ren’ collection for Poltrona Frau is designed with the entryway of a home in mind. Wood, brass and leather make for a refined and elegant approach to a space often neglected
Innovators in radiator design, Tubes Radiatori presented Alberto Meda-designed ’Origami;’ a cross between a room divider and heating device
Maruni presented new colourful designs from Jasper Morrison and Naoto Fukasawa at the Fiera
In the most conceptual and analytical project of all, Hella Jongerius and Louise Schouwenberg’s window displays for La Rinascente, commissioned by the Serpentine Galleries, reflect on the state of affairs in design though a whimsical shadow play. Prompting a consideration of the meanings that hide behind a display or object, ’A Search Behind Appearances’ proposes we move beyond commercial success, beyond style differences and beyond personal taste
Architect Roberto Baciocchi of Baciocchi Associati went for high impact with his ’Mirror Room’ at Nilufar Depot. Covered in ancient mirrors, each and every detail is evocative and carefully selected
Arper’s booth at the Fiera focused on the essentials for living with a calming and creative concept by creative directors Lievore Altherr Molina from Barcelona, booth design by 2x4 and styling by Studio Bakker from Amsterdam
When Hella Jongerius started her studies into the properties and possibilities of colour with Vitra over a decade ago, we would never have guessed that the results would be quite so fun. Aside from the Vitra Colour & Material Library produced by the research, the ‘Colour Marchine’ installation sprang – or spun – into life at the temporary location of CasaVitra at Corso Como. Aside from spinning tops, nine colour wheels celebrating particular parts of contemporary and classic furniture – like Prouvé’s ’EM Table’ or the Eames’ ’Plastic Chair’ – also took up residence in the space
Spotted at Lambrate were these unusual yet refined objects by Studio Oink. Appearing as if a sculptural vanity kit, the range of conceptual wood, porcelain and glass pieces were titled ’Design with the unknown’ and made in collaboration with collector Aimee Bollu
At the Fiera, Artek explored technicolour with new upholstery for their 1960 ’Kiki’ design by Ilmari Tapiovaara. The range of benches, sofas and lounge chairs was coated in the new maritime ’Reflex’ fabric by Raf Simons for Kvadrat and set up against an equally vibrant electric blue backdrop
Brazilian designer Gustavo Martini presents his version of a room for the first time at Satellite. Titled ’Edge’, the experimental frame contains furniture in the same structure, with walls that you can see through for what the designer describes as straddling ’design and installation, idea and reality’
If ever there was any doubt as to the pairing behind design and gelato, Hem have put it to rest once and for all. The online furniture brand celebrated the launch of their new designer products by Philippe Malouin, Form Us with Love, Max Lamb and Karoline Fesser with #IceCreamSocial at via Varese 12. Gelato flavours were, naturally, inspired by the hand-splattered ’Last Stool’ by Lamb
An eclectic mix of brands were chosen at the first exhibition curated by Secondme gallery and PS design consultants in the 5Vie district. Featured within the ’Colourscapes’ installation of small acrylic paintings by Tommaso Fantoni was abstract Mario Milana furniture
People flocked the streets for Seletti’s Design Pride carnival on the Wednesday, with an array of vibrant fun floats by Gufram, Fabio Novembre and Pepsi’s new collaboration, and Toiletpaper. Sprawled across the city, the party included political and radicals signs such as ’Stop boring design’ and ’I’m here for the gangbang’. The party ended at Piazza Affari with a party by Disaronno, celebrating their limited edition bottle by Studio Job
As well as designing for this year’s Wallpaper* Handmade, playful and sculptural duo Vera & Kyte presented new experimental pieces at Satellite. Included in the collection was a swing-like pendent, and ornamental ’Triadic’ figurines that pay homage to the Bauhaus
Alessi has gone digital. Led fearlessly by Studio Iacchetti’s Giulio Iacchetti, ten different designers have experimented with the potential of 3D printing to create pens. More of a research project than a product launch, the exhibition brought a touch of the digital world to proceedings
Fashion brand Marni left its sartorial mark on Salone through a Colombian Cumbia-inspired ballroom, filled with sun-seeking furniture, naturally
On show at Galleria Clio Calvi Rudy Volpi were these powerful vases by Andrea Branzi, made in juxtaposed materials of solid gold and plaster
A dichroic film applied to the seat of Eli5e Design’s ’Prismania Chair’ creates a colourful iridescent glow
As part of the Lexus design awards, winner Studio Ayaskan created a ’Trace’ clock under the mentorship of Snarkitecture. The RCA graduates formed the poetic piece using light sensitive pigment activated by UV lasers, leaving the colour behind it as the time moves
Located in the Pharmacy Courtyard at the University of Milan, Stefano Boeri Architetti have created ’RADURA’ – a circular installation consisting of 400 cylindrical wooden pillars that reach up to six metres high. Doubling up as a seating area and an LED light feature come evening, ’RADURA’ proposes a (very welcome) place to relax and decompress during the bustle of Design Week. Photography: Laura Cionci
Alberto Biagetti and Laura Baldassari’s ’No Sex’ clinic offered up rubber, copper and latex in subtle hues of pink. Photography: Delfino Sisto Legnani and Marco Cappelletti. Courtesy Atelier Biagetti
David Rockwell’s sculptural lights for Gaia & Gino include the ’Twist Floor’ lamp (left), ’Leaf Table’ lamp (middle) and ’Ribbon Table’ lamp; each cradling a light source and creating a soft reflection with twisting shapes
Nendo’s Oki Sato invited us to view the wondrous marble collections of Italian manufacturers Marsotto in the most mesmerising way. In an exhibition titled ‘Light and Shadow’, he split the set up in half, with the white pieces on one side, the black on the other. The split was mastered using an assortment of the Japanese designer’s new collection for the brand, that he has produced in both light and dark. Photography: Takumi Ota
We were immersed into the rich craft of Arita with the launch of the 2016/ brand led under the creative direction of Scholten & Baijings and Teruhiro Yanagihara. Displaying 16 collections from 16 different designers, included were these pieces by Kueng Caputo that use a specialist technique of airbrush painting to create the impressive gradients. Photography: Takumi Ota
ÉCAL students teamed up with technology brand and Wallpaper* Design Awards nominee Punkt to make our lives easier. Or the basic electronics we use more intuitive, at least. Among the electrical appliances tackled were the internet radio, designed by Terkel Skou Steffensen to make it fun and easy to navigate thousands of stations; Nadine Schaub’s wall-mounted printer (pictured); and Jeremy Faivre’s ’Digital Camera’ which strips the piece down to a keychain, viewfinder and shutter button
Tory Burch, CEO of the eponymous US lifestyle brand, loves to entertain and is an avid collector of vintage spongeware. Using traditional techniques, she has designed and hand decorated her own blue and white tableware. The collection is distinguished by its dappled, hand-applied patterns and variegated colour palette. Inspired by the ’Spongeware Collection’, we commissioned London design studio Glithero to conceive a striking installation for Tory Burch’s Milan store on Via della Spiga during Salone del Mobile. Glithero experimented with sponge, attaching pieces to a mechanism that pressed them intermittently against the shop window, ‘like a gentle kiss’, say the designers.
As originally featured in the May 2016 issue of Wallpaper* (W*206)
Dimore Studio returns to their Via Solferino space with their theatrical set up ‘Intermissioni’. The Italian designers presented their newest products that always straddle classic art and design in a dramatic dim-lit apartment…
.. and their 2016 offerings mix jungle prints with pink and opal glass lighting
Featured in the Alessandro Mendini-designed Fragile showroom in an exhibition titled ‘Perspectiva’, these playful ‘Doodling’ tables and shelves by Roberto Giacomucci experiment with materials merging white Carrara with brass or copper
As part of an ongoing 50th birthday celebration, Gufram has partnered with Sir Paul Smith (pictured, left) on a psychedelic, limited-edition version of the iconic ‘Cactus’ coat stand. Originally designed by Drocco and Mello in 1972, the ‘Cactus’ is no stranger to special interpretations: it was cheekily paired with two eggs by Toiletpaper in 2013, and bore the colours of the French flag for a recent Maison & Objet outing. ‘Gufram and Paul Smith are two dimensions descending from the 1970s,’ says Charley Vezza (pictured, right), Gufram’s global creative orchestrator. ‘Smith did not merely cover a cactus with colours, but he reimagined it, drawing inspiration from the hallucinogenic vibes of that crazy period. The outcome is psychedelic, a creativity peyote.’
As originally featured in the May 2016 issue of Wallpaper* (W*206)
As well as creating a spirited pop-up sake bar, Sfera launched a new collection called ’Sacred Essence’, inspired by the belief that the human soul is a shining disc. The ’Moon Shadows 2’, pictured, is influenced by the tradition of Shinto mirrors, which were displayed on elaborate stands made from carved wood or ornate metalwork
Over the course of the week, Tom Dixon’s elemental kitchens were cooking up themed cuisine at the impressive Rotonda della Besana. Made using Caesarstone quartz, each kitchen boasted an experimental design based around one of the four elements associated with medieval alchemy – water, fire, earth and air, with menu courtesy of food design studio Arabeschi di Latte. Photography: Peer Lindgreen
Terracotta might soon be knocked off its pedestal by an unlikely new challenger dubbed ’merdacotta’. Conceived by architect Luca Cipelletti, the material is crafted from a pure, organic and fully sustainable form of recycled cow poo. Mixed with Tuscan clay and sizzled at 1,000 degrees, merdacotta is lighter than traditional terracotta and scent-free, thanks to a rigorous methane removal process. Cipelletti has designed a collection of merdacotta products, including floor tiles, vases, plates, bowls, stools and even a toilet, which boast cheeky names such as the ’Shit Pot’, the ’Shit Giga Brick’ and the ’Shit Soup Plate’.
As originally featured in the May 2016 issue of Wallpaper* (W*206)
Exhibiting for the first time at Salone was Frenchman Hervé Van der Straeten. Revealing a selection of his abstract pieces including his newest ’Exposure’ side table alongside ’Rebelle’ mirrors, all 30 products will remain on show at Galleria Marco Voena till 31 May
South London-based husband-and-wife team Russell Pinch and Oona Bannon launched Pinch in 2004, and have since made a name for themselves carefully crafting furniture that successfully straddles the gap between classic and contemporary style. At their Salone del Mobile space, at Via San Gregorio 40, they’re launching a new version of their ‘Nim’ table (pictured above), made from cast Jesmonite impregnated with copper dust, which gives it a lovely dull sheen. The ‘Copper Nim’ comes in a limited edition of 50, each priced at £7,750. Also new is the ‘Euler’ coffee table, which Pinch describes as ‘an experiment in managing the natural waywardness of timber’. Based on a grid, it pairs English oak with a resin infill. ‘It might look simple and almost mathematical,’ says Pinch, ‘but it has involved a lot of engineering and development to force the timber to go against its natural inclination to move and twist.’ At the more classic end of the Pinch spectrum is the walnut and leather ‘Menton’ desk. ‘We believe space is the biggest luxury,’ says Pinch, ‘so it’s not greedy about the space it inhabits, but it also has a lot of functionality built in – the cored-out leg houses a flex so there are no ugly wires hanging down, and there’s a hidden space for chargers and plugs.’ No need to be pinched for space, then.
As originally featured in the May 2016 issue of Wallpaper* (W*206)
Dutch design collective Artifort introduced new designs at the fair including ’Perching’ by Ilse Crawford (left) and ’Palladio’ by Claesson Koivisto Rune (right)
Set in the courtyard of the Facoltà Teologica dell’Italia Settentrionale, Nendo designer Oki Sato’s installation of 50 mirrored chairs references the grid-like structure of Manga comics. Each seat references a different element from Manga, such as speech bubbles or emotional symbols including sweat and tears. Photography: Jessica Klingelfuss
Over in the rough and ready Garage San Remo in the 5vie district, Raw Edges gave everyone an insight to their design techniques with their show ‘Herringbone’. Set up by Federica Sala, the design duo offered an interactive experience of on-site dying and drying to produce their iconic print in intriguing ways
Lee Broom took his Salone release on wheels this year, travelling around the sunny city hitting all the hotspots, starting at Rossana Orlandi. The delivery-style van was ironically embellished as the interiors of a palazzo, adorned with baroque wall detailing and a contrasted laminate floor, with just the new graphic ’Optical’ lights shining bright
In the hope of putting sanitary wares in the same