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It doesn’t seem like sixty years. The event that has just ended was a special one, because this year marked an important anniversary and because of the long wait that stoked anticipation in the design world. The circumstances of the pandemic did not mean the design furniture companies were sitting around doing nothing – just the opposite, in fact, as they have used this time for research, and the results are now out there for all to see, after a Milan Design Week that acted as an international showcase. The manifold trends influencing the new collections include reaffirmation and innovation. A phenomenon that has gradually been gaining ground, the emphasis on full environmental sustainability now involves an object’s entire production cycle, from materials choice to easy disassembly and subsequent re-use. The concept of sustainable living based increasingly on a circular economy was also the subject of the “Design with Nature” installation by architect Mario Cucinella, and shaped the philosophy behind the 2022 Furniture Show. A second theme linking a number of proposals is the search for multifunctional furniture, with pieces that can be moved from one interior to another, or from interior to exterior. The need to adapt to a home that has suddenly been forced to assimilate different lifestyles over the past two years, including smart working and distance learning, has encouraged research into a new flexibility in the furnishing industry, too. The Milan Design Week 2022 was also driven by a burst of creative energy. Many innovations and new designers made
Yacht Décor / Milan Design Week
by Marta Bernasconi and Désirée Sormani
their debut on the international stage, and numerous proposals appeared as re-editions of famous pieces that have shaped design history. And speaking of creativity and transmigration, this year the yacht-building sector also sought to take advantage of the vitality of the FuoriSalone - Sanlorenzo Yachts returned to the setting of Milan University with the Fabbrica project by Piero Lissoni as part of the exhibition/event INTERNI Design Re-Generation, revealing something of the place where the yachts are built and evoking the experience of stepping on board the new projects taking shape there. At the Superstudio, Rossinavi presented BlueE, an installation with a powerful immersive experience, a sort of plunge into the sea depths to engage in direct contact with phytoplankton, while up above the new generation of zero-emission catamarans Oneiric, a new line of multi-hull craft developed in collaboration with Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), sailed virtually through the waves. Pirelli, the Furniture Show partner, was present at Rho with a special edition of the 11-metre walkaround Pirelli 35 by TecnoRib, which recently won the Red Dot Design Award 2022. Finally, Azimut also advertised its presence with an event at Amdl Circle, Michele De Lucchi’s studio, open to the public like a furniture unit whose open drawers display its designs. All these cross-fertilisation initiatives show just how close the yacht-building and residential worlds really are, prompting us to present a collection of how THE ONE Yacht& Design would furnish a floating villa.
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The iconic graphics that have made the garment brand famous clothe the pieces from the home collection Dolce&Gabbana Casa in various materials and surfaces. In this photo, the Blu Mediterraneo line develops the theme of white and blue, evoking maiolica pottery and the interior of Southern Italian homes. The result is an entire furnishing line – its stand-out pieces include the Atena side table with top and base in decorated, polished wood and the Lavanda armchair with legs shaped by master carpenters
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YD Milan Design Week
The Costiera+Baia collection by Ethimo and Christophe Pillet presents a series of lounge items designed for the yachting world. Two lines with different features but sharing the same mood, so they can be placed together. Here, the Costiera sofa with large cushions, constructed with technical padding that enables it to define the line and structure of the seat. The powder-coated aluminium base is accompanied by wood inserts
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Kensaku Oshiro takes the collection of chairs he had already created for Poltrona Frau into the outdoors. Leplì Outdoor develops the pouf for exteriors through an elegant weave of polypropylene cord and an aluminium rod frame. The weave leaves spaces around the side but becomes closer on the seat. Available in three natural colour combinations. Comfort is provided by the elastic spring straps concealed beneath the tightly woven section of the seat
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YD Milan Design Week
Stefano Boeri designs the Crest The Outdoor Landscape System for Unopiù, a modular, multifunctional system for exteriors comprising chairs, chaises longues, tables and washbasins. Made of Okum wood, stainless steel and fabric
The collaboration between Driade and stylist Marcelo Burlon has inspired Edaiard, a mirror in an electric blue evoking the Argentinean sky and the corporate colour of the stylist’s County of Milan clothing brand
Piero Lissoni chose PLH Slim and Slim Custom decorative switch plates for the Sanlorenzo SX112’s interiors. Slim and Neo are entirely customisable, adding extra details and functionality to megayacht interiors
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Design and sustainability. Every element of Anorak, the modular system by Moroso designed by Patricia Urquiola, can be disassembled, as its cushions are not fixed but are slid onto the structure. The materials are derived entirely from industrial recycling
The Hashi collection is created by Federica Biasi for Gervasoni. Here, the modular sofa with minimal iroko wood frame coordinated with the cushions and light, water-resistant, hand-worked Jaquard Outdoor Accardi technical fabric
The powerful visual impact of the Valiant dining table by Visionnaire, designed by Alessandro La Spada, is based on a combination of refined materials and surfaces. Here, Ziricote wood coordinates with the pastel tones of the Michelangelo quarzite
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YD Milan Design Week
A balance between rigid and soft shapes, linearity and comfort, the Groovy sofa by Lema offers a variety of material and aesthetic solutions. The frame can be upholstered in leather or fabric, and a series of colour and material alternatives is available for the cushions. Designed by Officinadesign Lema
In the lounge armchair Ocean designed by Werner Aisslinger for Frag the shaped, rigid shell and cushions can be personalised with different leathers and fabrics. The is also a bi-material version. Rotating varnished steel base, also available in dark bronze finish and colours on request
For the new version of the Materic table by Porro, Piero Lissoni has investigated the expressive possibilities of the materials by using elementary geometries. The oval surface is supported by conical base. Both are in natural brushed ash wood with an extra-light finish
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