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| 100% Design London

September 27, 2006 _fairs

UK's best-known design event has just closed its doors and we are ready to weigh up what we have seen. With this edition being bigger and better structured than before, it welcomed the 100%Light and 100%Details areas, the show seems to be consolidating as a the leading showcase for design vanguard. Even if the show is small compared with Milan's Salone del Mobile or Cologne's IMM, the quality of the exhibition in terms of creative productivity was very good; populated by new generation designers, young talents and small companies challenging and trying to seduce the industry.
What I appreciated most was finding more ideas than mere aesthetical exercises, the intelligent experiments with latest materials and technologies but also with ordinary materials, the redesign of used products and the potential of self manufacturing and small series.
100% Design is a fresh explosion of creative energy, not to mention it takes place in one of the liveliest cities of the world.

All our pics here

|Salone del Mobile 2006: Tom Dixon

May 15, 2006 _fairs

Expressionist, geometrical and with an eastern touch, these are the words that Tom Dixon uses for describing his new collection. Ornamentation is an internal urge in humans and he embraces this philosophy for emotive sake.The new patterns are inspired by the underlying structure of things: woven textiles, chain-mail, microscopic cell construction, and have a protagonist role in the Plane tables, the Tall chairs and last year's Soft System.
Wired steel structures characterise the Link armchair and the new Cage light available in two different sizes.
One of my favourites pieces was the Fat Spot, I loved the prismatic polycarbonate shade internally coated with copper and the hand beaten brass lamps Beat Light. The Diamond Light is a large-scale pendant light in folded aluminium with anodised finish.
All the images after the jump.

New geometrical patterns enrich the collection

Link easy chair

Cage Light

Fat Spot

Beat Lights

Diamond Light

| Salone del Mobile 2006: Diamantini Domeniconi

May 11, 2006 _fairs

Italian company Diamantini&Domeniconi has changed its image in the last years thanks to talented art director Pascal Tarabay and a young team of international designers. Among the new products they presented Data, a metal coffee table and magazine holder, the Basic chair and Hi!, a clothes stand in plywood designed by Pascal Tarabay. Lorenzo Bustillos signs the storage unit Pits and together with Juan Carlos Viso the original coat stand I Pali.

Basic chair by Pascal Tarabay

Data coffee table by Pascal Tarabay

Pits TV unit by Lorenzo Bustillos

| Salone del Mobile 2006: Materialise.MGX

May 10, 2006 _fairs

Magic company Materialise.MGX has suceeded again in surprising the audience. At Milan's Superstudio Piu they presented the new series pieces along with breathtaking prototypes.
Dan Yeffet from JellyLab designed the Hidden vase, a beautiful piece of Rapid Prototyping nature and the geometrical Polyvase available in a beautiful grass green.
All pics after the jump!

Lamp by Philip Treacy designed for the G Hotel in Ireland and Handshake by Arik Levy

Foldable stool by MGX

Fruit bowl

Hidden vase by Dan Yeffet

Polyvase by Dan Yeffet

| Salone del Mobile 2006: Driade

April 28, 2006 _fairs

Aluminium is the absolute protagonist of Driade Store novelties. Matteo Thun presented the Isu series of chair, armchair and stool in anodized aluminium treated to produce both a particular luminosity and a pleasant touch. Philippe Starck signs the Cafe' series of chairs and tables, classic styled pieces in sandblasted anodized aluminium. Francisco Gomez Paz presented his original magazine holder Omero, Christophe Pillet designed the Paris Bar stool, a minimalist shape obtained thanks to elaborate production technology in mirror finished aluminium.
Ron Arad signs for Driade Aleph an intriguing stool, Screw is adjustable in height by a screwing movement, the result is a strange shape not very appealing to me and I guess quite complicated to produce. Tokujin Toshioka designed a low armchair with mirror polished steel structure and leather strips. Patricia Urquiola does it again with her Pavo and Pavo Real chairs, the talented spanish designer continues her exploration of craftmanship production and past languages with outstanding results.

All pics after the jump!

Cafe' series by Philippe Starck

Gomez Paz's Omero magazine holder

Crisptophe Pillet in the picture showing his Paris Bar stool

Ron Arad on his Screw stool

Urquiola's Pavo Real

Tokujin Toshioka in the picture seating on his Ori chair

| Salone del Mobile 2006: Danese

April 26, 2006 _fairs

The historical italian brand Danese was present at Milan with many novelties, beautifully expressed in the outstanding images of photographer Miro Zagnoli. DANESE N.E.W.S. (North-East-West-South) is the concept behind the new generation of products, merging cultures and environments in a dynamic and adaptable collection. Yves Behar signs the multifunctional Kada, ready to transform itself into a stool, a seater, a low table, a tray or even a hub; and also the chair and newspaper holder Farallon.
Japanese star designer Naoto Fukasawa created the Amila chair. James Irvine paid tribute to Italy with his Belvedere mirror.
Carlota de Bevilacqua presented TET TAN, the evolution of last years's lihts TET, a nice combination of textures and languages gives a wide range of possibilities. Last year's Bincan series by Fukasawa was expanded and Ovidio table by Francisco Gomez Paz was presented in the final production version.

Yves Behar's Kada

Gomez Paz's Ovidio and Behar's Kada

| Salone del Mobile 2006: Vitra

April 24, 2006 _fairs

Vitra, for the first time at Milan's Fair, presented a nice range of new products. Hella Jongerius has been working lately to breach the strict boundaries between mass-produced industrial products and unique handcrafted objects and she successfully achieves her intention with The Worker, a solid armchair with a tough character and a large selection of upholstery materials and The Handles, a series of pillows with a prominent handle, colourful embroidery and sewn-on label. I loved her series of vases and bowls One Grip made of anodised aluminium in gorgeous colours.
Bouroullecs reinterpret the classic armchair in their Slow Chair, which uses an extremely strong, precisely shaped knit stretched over the frame of the chair like a fitted stocking. Their new Late Sofa guarantees comfort thanks to its soft upholstered structural panels and the pliable, extra high side and back panels. Roc is an original system for organising spaces conformed by variously shaped cardboard panels covered in multi coloured fabric.
Vitra's beautiful colour palette was rich of blues, natural browns shades and red.
All the images after the jump!

| Salone del Mobile 2006: Edra

April 17, 2006 _fairs

Edra's stand was dominated by one colour: white. Not only the architecture was white but also the company's collection: the Flap sofa, Campana's armchair Corallo and Vermelha, last year's Mummy and Jenette chairs where all presented in white; the ideal backdrop to present the vibrant colours of the new products.
Campana brothers presented the Brasilia table, as usual for the couple's production the table is more an sculptural piece than a real product and I find hard to understand why should we call this design when is art, the result is emotional effective but the functionality of the table is seriously compromised by its constructive logic. Francesco Binfare presented a wild sofa with metal structure and softly uplholstered named Corbeille.

| Salone del Mobile 2006: Moroso

April 14, 2006 _fairs

Moroso's stand last year was breathtaking and this year was no less. Designed by Patricia Urquiola and Martino Berghinz; it was surrounded and internally divided by endless moving panels displaying the new products, in a synthetically black and white graphic expression, that reminds very much the one used by Alias.
An impressive amount of new products, a growing number of young and affirmed designers and deep investment in innovation, material research and creative verve make of Moroso one of the most influential companies in the contemporary furniture scene.
(For all details on the new products please read more after the jump!)

Patricia Urquiola presented the Shanghai Tip seating system with a vague Oriental inspiration. The new pieces represent very much Urquiolas's design style, simple, fresh, sophisticated, functional, perfect proportions and never banal. My favourite piece was Antibodi, a clever lounge chair also available as chaise longue; created from a cellular structure of reversible materials sewn in triangular shape, creating from one side a clean, geometrical structure and from the other side an extremely organic, flower petals like 3D pattern.

Shanghai Tip

Antibodi by Patricia Urquiola (in the picture)

The Spanish designer signs the greater part of Moroso's product range, but there is also space for young designers such as Tomek Rygalik with a self-supporting leather armchair; Clemens Weisshaar and his Countach table created with a software that controls the generation of unique geometries, the guys from 4Use presented a series of upholstered furniture with moveable backrest and Italian Luca Nichetto & Massimo Gardone presented Around the Roses, a collection of low tables with alicrite tops and textile based photo prints.

Raw Chair by Tomek Rygalik

Countach by Clemens Weisshaar

Around the Roses by Luca Nichetto & Massimo Gardone

Ross Lovegrove with Supernatural chair, Ron Arad with Ripple Chair and Konstantin Grcic with the brand new Ultra Chair represent the company's approach to plastic.

Ross Lovegrove's Supernatural

Ultra chair by Konstain Grcic

Ornamentation master Tord Boontje presented his collection of Corian tables; Nest, a new rotationally moulded armchair with embossed floral decorations; outsized upholstered seaters called Closer and a collection of vases and ceramic containers with various beautiful decorations.

Nest chair

The Other Side of Ceramics

Ron Arad presented the results of his collaboration with APAC (A Piece of Cloth). Using an innovative digitally enhanced process Arad has created a garment that has a dual function of clothing a person's body or the Ripple Chair.

| Salone del Mobile 2006: Kartell

April 11, 2006 _fairs

Kartell had a very impressive stand. It covered 900 sqm and the company's entire collection since the beggining till the brand new products.
Optic (in the picture below) is the new stool designed by Patrick Jouin; the cube has a geometrically faceted surface but the effect is as natural as water.
Omnipresent Starck presented the series of coffee tables Top Top with their combination of different materials, shapes and finishes; the rotating moulded stool Royal T and the, at least strange if not more, stool Chicos (all the images after the jump).
For the first time Marcel Wanders joined the selected group of designers working for Kartell, he presented Stone, a jewel-like stool with an irregular surface. Also Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec joined for the first time, they designed a lovely transparent container, Panier, available in a wide colour palette.
The prolific (and always surprising) designer Patricia Urquiola presented the final version of her T Table, with decorated top.
My own favourite designer Alberto Meda presented a folding chair made of honeycomb plastic and metal. Antonio Citterio introduced a refined, high performance trolley, Flip. Piero Lissoni showed a series of upholstered sofa and armchair with transparent structure and high visual impact print.

Starck Top Top series of tables and Chicos stool

Royal T by Philippe Starck and Stone by Marcel Wanders

Panier by Bouroullecs

T Table by Patricia Urquiola

Honeycomb by Alberto Meda

Flip by Antonio Citterio

Pop by Piero Lissoni

| Salone del Mobile 2006

Milan Design Week closed yesterday and I have lots of material to share with you. We have been walking and talking and shooting and it has been extremely inspiring.
For the first time this year the Salone moved to its new house, the new Trade Fair designed by Massimiliano Fuksas. The building is simply outstanding, it has a great transparent central axis that gives visual and functional continuity, on both sides the pavilions are clean and neat buildings covered with reflecting metal; the result is a huge transparent building that virtually disappears to the sight.

| IMM Cologne 2006: Design Post

March 10, 2006 _fairs

In the former Deutsch Post building a new design showroom has been recently opened in Cologne during IMM. The characteristic building along the Rhine has been transformed into a stunning location where a total of 21 European manufacturers will exhibit their design collections in permanent showrooms: Moroso, Moooi, Arco, Montis, ClassiCon, Prandina and more.

| IMM Cologne 2006: Design Talents

March 6, 2006 _fairs

At Cologne there was a hall dedicated exclusively to young designers: Design Talents. Small if compared with the enormous Salone Satellite at Milan but still fresh and inspiring.
What first caught my attention at Design Talents was the lounge that swedish giant IKEA set up presenting its latest additions to the PS Collection: Hella Jongerius gorgeous vases; side table, fun cushions and decorative figures by the prolific Maria Vinka, the ingenious half rocking chair Ellan by Chris Martin and the mummy stool by Mc Elroy and Findlay among others. All while watching the making of videos of the products explained by the designers and eating macrobiotic food.
The hall hosted also the presentation of the Inspired by Cologne awarded projects, the Future Point showcasing Design schools accross the world and the NRG show dedicated to promoting young designers.

After the jump all the pics!

Inspired by Cologne

Ninfea is a set of beautiful seaters made of layers of wood and felt designed by the duo GAMplusFRATESI.

Kevin Fries and Jakob Zumbuhl presented Hakeln, a clever coat hook made of bended metal sheet that can be freely connected in various combinations creating an ornamental effect that is both beautiful and functional.

Idan Friedman and Naama Steinbock presented the Yakuza table that was awarded with the first Prize of the Inspired by Cologne 2006. The table has a digitally printed tatoo, a strong cultural identity.

Austrian designer Robert Ruf presented a clever adjustable lamp that can be quickly built or dismantled, PLG is made using a standard safety plug ans socket.

Warit Tulyathorn presented his project Volume of Light, that consists in a reading lamp that abstract the cone-shaped volume of light creating a private space, blocking out noise and visual distraction.

Czech designer Halka Marsakova presented three decorative fabric panels that I loved from the very first second. Patterns and motifs are all inspired in the city of Munich.

NRG

Design duo Mixko was also present, this time they decided to split in two separated booths. Nahoko Koyama presented her known felt lampshades and a new collection of felt bags and hats. Alex Garnett went for a new series of furniture inspired in football.

I was delighted to find a group of chilean designers, not only because I could speak spanish to them but also because they were lots of fun. Rodrigo Alonso, creator of Musuc, lab of happy projects, presented the comfortable wearable sleeping bag Selk'bag. Designers from Onceneto showed some of their creations, among them the chop sticks for those that are less skilled with traditional ones. Sebastian Errazuriz from MeetSebastian presented his crazy lamps.

I loved this simple yet bright piece of furniture designed by the trio Speziell. The radiating ability of gleaming bright colours creates a fascinating effect by reflecting in the white shelves.

Our friends from Sternform presented their range of products that will also be available at Milan next month.

| IMM Cologne 2006: the Fair (4)

February 21, 2006 _fairs

More from the fairground. Magis presented the new aluminium stool Deja-Vu designed by japanese star designer Naoto Fukasawa. New entry is also the Table_One that completes the famous seating system Chair_One designed by Konstantin Grcic.
Italian company Plank presented for the second time the Miura stool by Konstantin Grcic, awarded with the Interior Innovation Award Imm Cologne 2006 in the Best Item category. In the picture also the Paper chair designed by Raul Barbieri in bent wood. I believe Plank's colour palette expresses at best the latest trends: black, red, dark brown, orange and acid green.
Fasem presented a new chair that combines both modern and classic design styles, a trend launched by Marcel Wanders last april at Milano that is slowly spreading around.
La Palma featured the Cox chair designed by Ostwald and Nolting along the rest of their collection. Although italian presence in the fair was numerous (all previous mentioned companies are italian) it was evident that big news will be showcased at Milan's Salone del Mobile next april.
Thonet presented the S 333 sleigh designed by Holger Lange. Even if it was completely curious to me it seems that the company has a long history in producing sleighs.

Magis Table_One and Chair_One seating system

Naoto Fukasawa's new DeJa-Vu stool

Miura stool and Paper chair by Plank

Fasem's latest chair,

La Palma

Thonet

| IMM Cologne 2006: the Fair (3)

February 16, 2006 _fairs

After only a few years we have got used to see in main design fairs new products realised with Rapid Manufacturing ... but only a couple of years ago this was absolutely rare. I love to see how these few (for the moment) companies based only in rapid prototyping technology are growing and keep proposing beautiful and innovative objects every time.
Jiri Evenhuis and Janne Kyttanen of Freedom of Creation were awarded with Innovation Award Cologne 2006 for their 1597 lamp designed by Janne Kytannen. But what I liked most was their new version of the V_bag (in the pics), which is platted in silver. If I had those 2000 euro I would have bought it in a second, but I guess I'll have to wait.
At Cologne I could also admire Materialise.MGX latest models along with the rest of the collection. Together with the company's best seller product, the Lily lamp there was the new lamp, a geometrically faceted oval available in green.

Freedom of Creation

Materialise.MGX

|IMM Cologne 2006: the Fair (2)

February 15, 2006 _fairs

Normann Copenhagen featured the vacuum jag Magma designed by Francis Cayouette, the soft touch finish, the form and colours definitely appeal to the senses. The danish company presented the lamps Norm 69 and Norm 03 dismantled, so it was clear how the complex structures are generated by assembling small pieces of plastic, an interesting design puzzle that challenges the user and caught my attention.
Italian Cassina put up a very dark, misterious booth. Sorrounded by a jungle of black plastic tubes which left small space to acces the inside. The internal spaces had little light, mainly backlighted walls and featured the new collection which stands for its futuristic, soft shapes. I personally love the armchair Aucklaund and the sofa Aspen designed by Jean Marie Massaud.
Walter Knoll showed the huge seating system for the office Circle, made of four parts that create an unbroken flow that allows from sitting upright to lying in relaxation. Circle can be mounted in different configurations, longest one measures 4,5 mts.

Normann Copenhagen

Cassina

Knoll

| IMM Cologne 2006: the Fair (1)

February 14, 2006 _fairs

Nature Rules.
It definitely rules this edition of Cologne's furniture fair. Nature inspires the shapes, the colours, the patterns and the materials of most products presented.
Some are very figurative, take Swedese's Tree Wall coat hunger by Michael Young and Katrin Petursdottir; the new flower decorated upholstery of the Bilbao lounge chair; the Flower coffee table by Christine Schwarzer or Nendo's Snow table and the latest Polar table with overlaping patterns. Another example is Bonaldo's new Tree coat hunger by Mario Mazzer.
In other cases Nature is the inspiration behind the applied patterns. Italian company Zanotta presented its collection in a flowery semi trasparent space created by perforated panels, showcasing the floral decorations of the Dora armchair designed by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba and the new upholstery for a modern classic and the Sacco easy chair designed back in 1968.
Vitra has also been struck by Nature, but in this case the result is a bit less obvious and much more refined. Jongerius's Polder assymetrical sofa which name refers to the tracts of land reclaimed from the sea in Holland is decorated with large buttons made of natural materials like horn, bamboo and mother of pearl and the mushroom shaped pouf Bovist is enriched with various motifs.

Swedese

Swedese

Bonaldo's Tree coat hunger

Inside Norway

Zanotta

Vitra

| IMM Cologne 2006: Ideal Houses

January 30, 2006 _fairs

The Ideal Houses are probably the most popular attraction at IMM Cologne, mainly because it confrontates renown designers on their own ideal conception of tomorrow's home interiors. In the past years we have seen Rashid vs Gcric, Campana vs Bouroullec and Jongerius vs Urquiola.
This year we could see the living design legend Dieter Rams against three (very) young designers: Joris Laarman, Stefan Diez and Astrid Krogh. I was expecting lots but I have to say it was not as much inspiring as previous years.
I liked Joris Laarman concept of open house very much, the idea of creating an open system where all objects inside and outside have the same power and interact with each other is very rich.
Stefan Diez's ideal house is refreshing and relaxed. An armonic young chaos I feel very close to real houses.
Astrid Krogh's house of the future was surprisingly cold and impersonal, I liked very much her seaters but I was expecting a much highly emotional space.
Dieter Rams defined his ideal house with his credo "Less, but better" but I got the feeling it could have been "Old, but better". I was definitely expecting much more from such an important designer.

Joris Laarman's Ideal House

Stefan Diez's Ideal House

Astrid Krough's Ideal House

Dieter Ram's Ideal House

|Ribbon

September 30, 2005 _accesories

Ribbon is a Japanese company making astonishing objects out of standard ribbon.
Makoto Yamaguchi designed the 0.6km table using 600 meters of ribbon for the tabletop, the silk effect of the material is simply delightful.
Uzu is a lampshade made entirely of ribbon. Designed by Rieko Miyata, the variation of the layers together with the light create a unique gradation of colour.

Also from the Uzu collection the bowl available in multiple sizes and colours.

|Surface Kingdom

September 29, 2005 _designers

From 100% Design London.
Helen Amy Murray is a talented designer that creates stunning sculptural fabrics. Using precious materials such as leather, suede, silk and other luxury fabrics she has developed her own techniques and nature inspired patterns that enrich any surface.
In the pictures Retro, a swivel chair upholstered in nubuck leather and Diva chair featuring the Rose pattern design.

|Bad Hair Day

September 28, 2005 _lighting

Seen in 100% Design London. Bad Hair Day is a clever statically charged pendant light designbed by AfroditiKrassa
Completely covered in yarn filaments, when switched on the lampshade becomes statically charged creating a unique live effect.
Also from their Divine Collection Pretty Big wallpaper where traditional ink patterns are combined with mirrored areas creating a composition which is unique to the space it reflects.

|Item

September 27, 2005 _lighting

More from 100% Design. Kou is the name of this impressive chandelier made of bone china designed by Item.
Inori is a set of stackable tableware in ceramics with a great sculptural impact.

| Y Light

September 26, 2005 _lighting

News from 100% Design! British company CTO Lighting launched the Y Light, a clever chandelier made of several Y shaped porcelain pieces.

| 100% Design

September 15, 2004 _fairs

This year marks the 10th edition of the UK's leading commercial contemporary interior design exhibition. 100% Design is internationally recognized as one of the world's most influential design events and this year's edition will take place from 23 to 26 september in London.
In celebration of the 10th 100% Design an event called 10x10 Designers of the Future will be presented: 10 world-renowned designers who made their names at 100% Design, including Michael Young, Simon Pengelly and Shin and Tomoko Azumi, will be predicting the names of the future by presenting a designer who is destined for great things in the next ten years.

|Anteprima Fuori Salone 2004

March 21, 2004 _fairs

When technology reduces to a minimum the steps of the production process, when the distance between thought and object is whittled down, when creative inspiration need no longer be dependant on the laws of mass production. This will be a great day for creativity and design.
OneOff presents the exhibition In Dust We Trust young designers proposals for rapid prototyping production on show from 13 to 19 of april at Fabbrica del Vapore in via Luigi Nono 7, Milano.

|100% Design

September 10, 2003 _fairs

Internationally recognized as one of the world’s most influential design events, alongside Milan, Cologne and New York. 100% Design combines dynamic young designer-makers with world-renowned manufacturers, creating an innovative and vibrant showcase for the latest contemporary interiors products.
The 100% Design 2003 edition will take place september 25 to 28 in London. Don't miss it!

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