Milan’s design feast: A taste of the best.
LIVING EDGE
YELLOWTRACE
NOTE FROM YELLOWTRACE
I
f you are reading these pages, the chances are you are pretty well aware of the importance of Salone del Mobile and Milan Design Week as the single most anticipated event on the annual calendar for the global design industry. Major products are released, trends are made and broken, new ideas are tested, and inspiration is to be found in abundance. Salone is also special because this is the time when Milan really opens up and reveals its hidden beauty – unexpected places transform into elaborate installations; bars and cafes host the work of young designers; historic homes, courtyards, terraces and even garages become temporary showrooms, and the nights come alive with the sound of endless launches and parties. During this week, the entire worldwide design community arrives in Milan to either show, consume, trade, learn or simply get inspired. The energy throughout the city is intoxicating. Design can be seen and experienced literally everywhere. Over recent years, due to its prominence and importance, Salone del Mobile has attracted a huge amount of praise and criticism in equal measure. As the world’s biggest design event, Milan has been heavily criticised for not taking responsibility for promoting and encouraging sustainable practice amongst designers and manufacturers alike. This can of course be incredibly difficult to do, as most brands come to Milan to make their mark and are faced with an enormous amount of competition. This in turn results in brands trying to outdo each other with an overwhelming amount of new releases and a never-ending schedule of events that is impossible to juggle and physically manage, which can lead to major burnout.
ABOVE AND COVER Š Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace
© Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace
This page, clockwise from left: Courtyard at Antonio Marras; Sleeve by Wonderglass; Supernova by Lasvit. Far left: Marni Mercado de Paloquemao; Dana TomicHughes and Nick Hughes. Cover: MINDCRAFT15 by GamFratesi. A Design Week highlight, this exhibition explored the span between experimentation, innovative and conceptual design, and the field of tension in between mind and craft.
© Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace
As Milan was preparing for the 2015 World Expo, with“Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life” as an overarching theme, the topic of food and food production was prominent in many of the exhibits across the city. The idea of redesigning the way we eat has launched many experimental restaurants and unconventional dining experiences over the past decade. Milan saw this idea hit a more mainstream note – not surprising as we feel our natural resources diminish while the human population continues to expand. How we create and process food has never been more urgently in need of innovation. This year many brands demonstrated a desire to change focus away from always presenting new products to creating new ways of experiencing existing products, often staging immersive brand experiences. Car companies are a good example of this; most of them, like the fashion brands, having a prominent presence in Milan. The fairgrounds in Rho were once again filled with thousands of exhibitors showing us the best of the future of the furniture industry. The design of the stands and the way the products are displayed are crucial for a visitor’s experience, with stand designs in some cases overshadowing the product releases. Other brands took a more considered, gallery-like approach while cleverly creating a sense of preciousness around the objects on display. The most dramatic innovation seemed to come from the biannual Euroluce lighting show, which was interesting as a gauge of the progression of an industry marked by rapid technological development. Following the gradual phasing out of the incandescent light bulb, more flexible LED technology has opened up what seems like an endless range of forms, freeing lamps from the strictures of bulb-based systems. It’s an incredibly exciting time to be designing (and buying) lighting. © Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace
Dana Tomic-Hughes, Yellowtrace
MILANTRACE 2015 EDIT IN PRINT PRESENTED BY LIVING EDGE
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LINES, GRID & BLOCKS AT HERMAN MILLER Herman Miller and Maharam partnered with Dutch design duo Stefan Scholten and Carole Baijings to present Lines, Grid & Blocks at Herman Miller’s showroom in Milan.
Central to the program is ‘Blocks and Grid’, a woven textile range purpose-created by Scholten and Baijings in collaboration with Maharam to transform select furniture pieces from the Herman Miller Collection. The textile was applied to the Wireframe Sofa by Industrial Facility’s Sam Hecht and Kim Colin, Brabo Club Chair by Vincent Van Duysen, Tuxedo Bench by BassamFellows, and a selection of classic Ward Bennett seating. The textiles repeats are long – almost 8.5 metres – lending unique character to each application. Visitors were able to view the expansive repeats in unbroken floor-to-ceiling vertical panels. Scholten and Baijings’ work is characterised by minimal forms, simple geometric patterning, and an acute sense of colour. Unsurprisingly, the subtle colours of this program are intentional. Baijings explains, “When we design a quilt or pillow we can add spicy hues or even fluorescent colours, but furniture has a long life and upholstery should therefore have a timeless quality.”
Clockwise from top left: Wireframe Sofa by Hecht and Colin; Bumper Lounge Chair by Ward Bennett, Tuxedo Bench by BassamFellows, Rolled Arm Sofa by Ward Bennett; Brado Lounge Chair and Side Table by Vincent Van Duysen. Opposite, clockwise from top left: Made in Ratio exhibition space; DC01 Fayland Table, DC02 Fawley Bench, DC03 Langley Stool or Side Table; Pleat by Made in Ratio.
DAVID CHIPPERFIELD MARKS 20 YEARS FOR E15 E15 has celebrated its 20th year with a collaboration with renowned British architect David Chipperfield. The result is a solid wood table, bench and stool family that pays tribute to the purity of the material and the concise design language shared by Chipperfield and e15. Originally conceived for an architectural project in the English countryside, the DC01 Fayland table elegantly highlights linear forms and a clear structural concept. David Chipperfield has completed the solid wood family for e15 with the DC02 Fawley bench and DC03 Langley stool.
© Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace
MADE IN RATIO BY BRODIE NEILL This year marked the third annual Milan exhibit for Made in Ratio and the launch of Alpha chair, the latest product in the brand’s self-produced collection. In the production of the Alpha chair, Creative Director Brodie Neill experimented with the use of CNC routering techniques as a production tool, rather than as a means to produce prototypes for manufacture in other materials. Each element of the chair’s curvaceous form, including the jointing detail, was designed using 3D computer software. The digital files are sent to the CNC router, which cuts each piece down from a solid block of wood. Finally the parts are assembled with the curves meticulously aligned and joints hidden. The chair’s seamless organic appearance was inspired by nature, especially the sinuous lines of whale vertebrae that Neill used to see washed ashore on the beaches of his native Tasmania. © Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace
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����: INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF LIGHT
© Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace
© Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace
© Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace
M
ilan’s festival of light, Euroluce, is held every two years in conjunction with Milan’s Salone de Mobile. This year it celebrated its 28th edition.
Czech lighting maestros Lasvit created a “Temple of Light” for the exhibition, uniting unique designs with masterful glass production. Lasvit’s unique vision included Supernova, an interactive kinetic installation by designer Petra Krausova that magically transformed its form in response to the viewer’s movements. Lasvit also presented collections by world-class designers and artists including the Campana Brothers, Maxim Velcovsky, Jan Plechac and Henry Wielgus and Studio deFORM. The fantastical installations of WonderGlass straddle the line between design and fine art, combining the tangible with the intangible. Original ideas and design excellence are at the heart of the brand, and this was demonstrated again this year at each of their two Milan exhibits. At the Istituto dei Ciechi, Wonderglass celebrated simple elements made elegant by unique combinations of material and shape. Nao Tamura’s ‘Momento’ light expressed a dialogue between nature and technology, capturing the ephemeral beauty of a water drop falling from a leaf. Zaha Hadid Design’s statement piece, Swarm, employed traditional techniques of glass craftsmanship to create subtle refractions onto organic surfaces, the impact magnified by its sheer size.
© Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace
At Euroluce, WonderGlass launched Calimero by Dan Yeffet, a crossover pendant design in copper and handblown glass inspired by luminous spheres from the past. Nao Tamura’s sculptural Flow [T] floated serenely in space, her design a crossover of cultures rather than materials – the colours of the Venetian lagoon and the duality of Venice’s character interpreted with a subtlety suggestive of the designer’s Japanese heritage. Clockwise from left: Swarm by Zaha Hadid; Droplets by Jan Plechac and Henry Wielgus; Buster + Punch ‘Blackout’; Momento by Nao Tamura; Candy by the Campana Brothers; Flow [T] by Nao Tamura.
Equally impressive was Jaime Hayon’s playful Masquerade; a chandelier made up of a collection of characters inspired by the Venetian masquerade ball. In amber blown glass, with variations creating interest and depth, the creation has all the hallmarks that have made Hayon one of Times Magazine’s 100 most relevant creators of our times. Also at Euroluce, New York wunderkids Theo Richardson, Alexander Williams and Charles Brill from Rich Brilliant Willing introduced new LED lights Crisp and Queue as well as the thoughtfully engineered Palindrome chandelier, Mori lanterns and Radient sconces. “We don’t compete in that area of making another square box,” said the designers. “Our philosophy is about creating light that is lively and expressive.” Critically acclaimed, UK-based lighting newcomers Buster + Punch cast Milan into complete darkness for their first appearance at Design Week with The Blackout. Celebrating the launch of the LED Buster Bulb and Heavy Metal, Buster + Punch created a breathtaking installation of over 1,000 Buster Bulbs in a completely blacked-out show. Hot on the heels of the opening of their new London showroom and workshop, the presentation was another coup for the brand, garnering an enthusiastic response from fair-goers. Their story feels like it’s just beginning.
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A TIME FOR CELEBRATION AND RENEWAL
WALTER KNOLL TURNS ��� For Walter Knoll, 2015 is a special year. The company that began in a leather shop in Stuttgart in 1865 has become an internationally respected modern furniture brand, now celebrating its 150 th anniversary.
Walter Knoll’s ongoing success lies in its ability to preserve and interpret true values – masterly craftsmanship, the very best materials and lasting design – to shape living spaces. The relevance of its designs in the contemporary marketplace is reflected in its bottom line – the company has never received as many orders in one quarter as it did in the first quarter of 2015. At this year’s Salone del Mobile Walter Knoll extended its showing to a second stand, for the first time presenting ideas for modern working worlds in Milan as part of the special “Workplace 3.0” exhibition. Born from the inspiration and expertise of acclaimed designers and architects, Walter Knoll’s 2015 product releases are shaped to fit the needs of modern living. Notable collaborations include that with the grand seigneur of architecture, Meinhard von Gerkan; Austrian design studio EOOS, London’s PearsonLloyd and Claudio Bellini from Milan. In the spirit of celebration and renewal, Meinhard von Gerkan’s classic Berlin Chair, designed in 1975, has made its return. In the same spirit, the successful Jaan Living range has been extended to include new variations. Sculptural Tama side tables are made of high-grade marble or onyx marble. The timeless aesthetic of the new Healey Lounge belies its functionality as a support for the rituals of today’s technology-driven lifestyle. Over 150 years Walter Knoll has earned trust for uncompromising quality. The benefit of the company’s long experience is coupled with a real understanding of the modern lifestyle – demonstrated convincingly in Milan – to make products that will last many decades to come.
Above, clockwise from top: Jaan Living Sofa; Berlin Chair; Healey Lounge. Below, this page and opposite: Walter Knoll exhibit at Salone de Mobile 2015. Opposite, top: Healey Chair and Tama Coffee Table.
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BACK TO THE BASICS: AUTHENTICITY, TRUENESS OF MATERIALS.
© Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace
When BassamFellows launched their Lifestyle Gallery in Milan’s distinctive Brera neighbourhood in early 2014, it signalled the firm’s expanding sphere of influence. Its fit-out featured a customised version of the BassamFellow’s much coveted desk*, constructed entirely from solid walnut with inlaid leather dyed in Corbusier’s signature cobalt blue. Inspired by a Corbusier retrospective at MoMA, the piece was something of a precursor to further brand collaborations, exhibitions and limited editions to be showcased in the space.
A year later, the Connecticut-based design firm has unveiled its debut collection of men’s and women’s apparel and accessories. The small, luxurious collection includes shoes, cashmere t-shirts, sunglasses and boots (with leather accessories to follow), all made with utmost respect for materials and craftsmanship. These are pieces designed to stand the test of time. A partnership with master Italian shoemaker Franco Cimadamore has yielded boots for men and women that are durable, luxurious and ultra-comfortable. In collaboration with exclusive Parisian eyewear company E. B. Meyrowitz and Italian knitwear specialist Spagnol, BassamFellows has created sunglasses and cashmere t-shirts with the same classic lines and rigorous attention to detail that are integral to the brand. While there are numerous examples of fashion brands making forays into furniture design (Diesel, G-Star RAW, Fendi and Alexander Wang to name just a few) the reverse transition is more rare. “We’ve been recently toying with this idea of a post-luxury brand,” Fellows says of the studio’s practice. “Designers now are focused on creating an experience. But we want to look closely at the object. We’re going back to the basics: authenticity, trueness of materials.” *An edition of the desk pictured in BassamFellows Lifestyle Gallery (left) is on view now at Living Edge’s Melbourne showroom.
Opposite left to right: Salon Sofa and Tray Rack Side Table with Circular Coffee Table; Circular Dining Table with Mantis Chairs. This page, top: Lifestyle range accessories. Centre and left: BassamFellows Lifestyle Gallery, Brera, Milan.
MILANTRACE 2015 EDIT IN PRINT PRESENTED BY LIVING EDGE
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#LIVINGEDGE First things first – we love Milan Design Week. It’s a design marathon, but it’s always incredibly rewarding and often delivers unexpected gains. It’s tiring and inspiring, definitely the best way to explore new products and new brands, and a great chance to catch up with the extended Living Edge brand family. This year was particularly satisfying for us, with the focus on Euroluce coinciding neatly with our own growing lighting stable. It was a pleasure to see spectacular exhibits from all of our new brands Lasvit (Czech), Wonderglass (Italy/UK), Buster + Punch (UK) and Rich Brilliant Willing (USA). Also new to the Living Edge fold and a notable presence in Milan’s Brera district was Made In Ratio by London-based Australian designer Brodie Neill, who embraced digital manufacturing techniques to produce his stunning latest design, Alpha. As an example of how advances in manufacturing might impact the design landscape, it’s a promising sign of things to come. Longstanding favourite BassamFellows did not disappoint with their Milanese Lifestyle Gallery – the perfect launchpad for their exquisite new lifestyle range. Industry heavyweight Walter Knoll celebrated 150 years in the business of making some of the world’s best furniture. The brand’s impressive exhibit clearly demonstrated its leadership in the sector and an admirable ability to continue to build on its history. We’ve partnered with the Yellowtrace team this year to present Milantrace 2015 and bring some of the Salone Del Mobile and Milan Design Week experience home to our Australian design community. The provenance of each authentic Living Edge piece is what really dinstinguishes it, so we’re pleased to have the opportunity to share some of the design backstory in more detail.
Aidan and Jo Mawhinney
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MILANTRACE 2015 EDIT IN PRINT PRESENTED BY LIVING EDGE