In addition to the major furniture showrooms like B&B Italia, Capelillini, Driade, and DePadova, such prestigious brands as Dolce Gabanna and Missoni staged presentations of their own, making Design Week in Milan an event for the entire city to enjoy.
Zona Tortona:
Via Tortona, a street but also a long, narrow district in Milan's lively Navigli area, where designers from all over the world get together every year in this interesting part of the city: architects, designers, opinion leaders, buyers, curious passers-by and design fans came together in an open-air showcase of the latest trends in contemporary design. For the design community, the event has become synonymous with ‘alternative’ or ‘independent’ design garnering a reputation for more experimental work than the mainstream-oriented.
Superstudio Piu with two rising stars: Belgian-Dutch Studio Job and Spaniard Jaime Hayon
Big installations by
Marcel Wanders – Moooi –
That’s Design – Khodi Feiz – Designers Block – Tom Dixon –
Paola Lenti / Under construction – Ineke Hans – Moss –
Molo – VIA
Salone Highlights -
Porro – Ligne Roset – Moroso –
Living Divani – Poltrona Frau –– Quinze & Milan – Flos –
Riva 1920 – Great Brits –
Edra –Kartell – Cappellini
Around Town:
Droog Design –
Design Academy Eidhoven –
Swaroski Crystal Palace,
Established & Sons,
Great Brits – B & B Italia –
Moroso – Ingo Maurer –
10 Corso Como – REmade -
For me personally, the big disappointment was the lack of eco-consciousness at the event. While not having the time to see everything, to me it seemed it was mostly the younger designers who seemed to care for the environment - making products out of sustainable woods or other recycled materials. Of the established firms, Artek, under direction of Tom Dixon, was a nice, and notable exception. Meanwhile the big brands seemed to be churning out their high designs in lacquer, metals and rare woods at high costs.
Next year!
Watch out for your footprint
Zoe Melo
zoemelo.com
