More On Milan

Sum shelves by Peter Marigold

If you've seen the Milan Furniture Fair story by Anne-Maree Sargeant in the latest Inside Out and would like to read a little more on this sprawling, epic design showcase, here is freelance writer/stylist David Harrison's take on the event …



As promised (better late then never), here is a round-up of exciting – or at least very pleasing – products shown at Milan Furniture Fair. A few of these had been seen previously at a few other big fairs like Maison D’Objet, but most were being showcased for the first time.



I loved all the raw wood feel that came out of companies such as SCP. The firm's ‘Boxed’ collection was wonderful – simple, functional and understated. It was a real throwback to SCP's early years in the late '80s, when Konstantin Grcic first designed for them. It seems the brand reissued Grcic’s ‘Tom Tom’ and ‘Tam Tam’ adjustable side tables (above) to coincide with the new Milan pieces. From $645 each, these tables are really good value. SCP is represented in Australia by Hub Furniture.



In this unadorned timber vein was a beautiful plywood chair from Alias (see above), the overscaled and incredible 'Brave New World' lamp by Freshwest for Moooi (below) and the Castiglioni-esque chair bench from Sam Hecht for Established & Sons.



I also loved the 'Fingers' shelving by the Arne Quinze Studio (below) for its combination of precarious poles and citrus accents. I wonder if they have taken inspiration from Australian designer Nick Rennie’s ‘Chiku’ shelving for Porro shown at Milan last year? Arne Quinze is available in Australia through Corporate Culture.



At the other end of the scale was the highly detailed ‘Tout Va Bien’ sideboard (below) by Antoine+Manuel for BD Barcelona. The work combines relief hieroglyphics from numerous cultures and eras and while it will no doubt cost a fortune, it amazes me every time I look at it. The standard version comes in white, although the designers claim that limited numbers will be available in other colours.



BD Barcelona is available in Australia through Ke-Zu.

Quirky, too, was a little collection of bedroom/hall items from Casamania by Frezza. The ‘Marie Antoinette Pop’ range by Sam Baron consists of a mirror, side table and storage ‘thingy’. Like organic Eero Saarinen items with the added tactile qualities of wood, these are orderable in Australia through Insitu in Sydney and Melbourne.



Talking about '60s iconic pieces from Knoll … Casamania’s ‘Alieno‘ wire chair (above) owes a debt to Harry Bertoia’s wire chairs, like the 'Diamond' and 'Bird', but the ‘Alieno’ manages to show just how much further the wire chair can go. (If you love a bit of wire work, we have a 'Best Buys: Wire Chairs’ in the latest Inside Out.)

Cappellini’s presence at the fair was sorely missed as it was required to exhibit with all the companies now under the Poltrona Frau umbrella (Poltrona Frau, Cassina, Gufram, Gerbruder Thonet and Alias). While its new product was fairly thin on the ground, the brand still released a couple of knock-out pieces like the ‘Peacock’ chair (below) by Dror Benshetrit - a New York-based Israeli designer.



We are told it is made from one piece of folded wool felt. How it will go once it’s been sat on a few hundred times remains to be seen, but I love the reference to the ruffles of the court of Queen Elizabeth.



Not as theatrical, but still beautiful, is a new design by the master of simplicity Jasper Morrison. His ‘Bac’ chair (above) is really a reworking of his ‘Air’ armchair for Magis from 2005. The big difference is that the ‘Bac’ is an all-timber design and it now has a classic elegance. Morrison has reworked a couple of Magis products under the Cappellini brand name – I guess because he feels that the shape was already perfect and the only inhibiting factor was the Magis price point. Instead of polypropylene Morrison has used ash. I love the chair now it has acquired a feeling of a Danish piece – the similarities to Hans Wegner's ‘Wishbone’ chair are there for all to see.

Morrison’s close friend Naoto Fukasawa has been fairly quiet recently, but managed to release a number of products at the fair. One of the standouts was his ‘Grand Papilio’ for B&B Italia (below). Strangely similar in fact to Morrison’s ‘Monopod’ design for Vitra - the two designers seem to have an aesthetic that’s in total agreement.



Their designs are always pared back and simple so they never receive instant adulation from the press, but their work is consistently good and outlasts the fashion-oriented pieces of some of the more flamboyant designers.

B&B Italia showed several new outdoor ranges by the ever-present Patricia Urquiola.
While some might feel they’ve seen this woven-craft side to her style too much recently, these designs are extremely beautiful and hopefully getting the message across that outdoor ranges in plastic aren’t what everybody is after.



The ‘Ravel’ range (above) channels Paola Lenti a bit too much for me, but the cushion designs like on Urquiola's previous outdoor range for B&B Italia, ‘Canasta’, really are wonderful. It has a strong traditional Mediterranean feel but with fabrics in ink blues and browns, the result remains contemporary. More delicate looking is her ‘other new outdoor range for B&B, 'Crinoline’ (below). The collection is mostly for outdoors use, except the most exquisite floral version which is designed solely for inside use.



Paola Navone is another highly talented designer who loves an element of craft in her work. The new ‘Sweet’ chair from Gervasoni has that great '50s saucer shape in woven synthetic cane. Anibou is the importer in Australia and the entire range, which has been built up slowly over time, is fantastic.



I’ve already waxed lyrical on how good I thought the new Diesel ‘Successful Living’ range of homewares is (it seems many people don’t agree) and felt that these couple of lights were also worth drawing attention to.

Foscarini made the lighting for Diesel and I personally like the lights they have done for Diesel more than most of the brand's own stuff. I particularly like the quirky robot-like form of the ‘Fork’ light (above) which comes as a table or floor light in various muted colours. It seems Elle Decor agrees as they have featured them in the most recent issue.



The folding ‘Tri-P’ lighting (above) is pretty cool, too; oerfect when moving house often (no more dented lampshades!). The adjustable height is great and I have always been a fan of the music-stand element, as seen in several designs by Tom Dixon.



Talking lighting, it’s hard to ignore Ingo Maurer who is just about everyone’s undisputed god of lighting. His ‘Lacrime del Pescatore’ (above) was Vogue Living editor David Clarke’s favourite piece from the whole fair and I have to agree that Maurer uses crystals in a beautifully poetic way (unlike many designers who utilise them). The air motion given off by the fan moves the nets, causing the 350 crystals to tinkle and sparkle. The name means ‘The tears of the fisherman’ in Italian.

There were lots of Swarovski crystals on display at the fair, of course, as Swarovski always put on one of the most lavish events every year at Swarovski Crystal Palace. This year the installation ‘Osmosis’ was designed by Arik Levy (below) and was less about putting another million crystals onto a giant chandelier and more about the unique shape that is the classic ‘diamond cut’.



He used this motif in everything from huge marble monoliths to intricately detailed sculptures made with rapid prototyping machines. There was an interactive video wall where pressure pads, set into the floor, triggered graphics of diamond shapes and what Levy called a ‘modern cave’ – all hard facets of steel on the outside and soft warm upholstery on the inside. For an inside look, check out this link.



Moroso was in full force also with the company's stand (above) being designed by Patricia Urquiola and Martino Berghinz. The strong African theme from the M’Afrique show at the brand's central Milan showrooms (curated by Afro-American designer Stephen Burks) was replicated in some of the designs at the fair.

Urquiola’s inspiration for the stand was aerial roots found on the Banyan tree. Stylised as modern white glossy cylinders, the enclosing cocooning effect remained. Within this protected space, the fabrics were a riot of colour embracing many ethnic origins, not just African, with Urquiola showing her new sofa with upholstery inspired by Uzbekistani weaving, for example.



I also loved the new additions to Edward Van Vliet's 'Sushi' range (above), which itself has elements of Arab and Asian cultures in the fabrics. The spherical poufs are like colourful beach balls in these absolutely amazing textile patterns.

In SCP’s main range, British fabric-turned furniture designer Donna Wilson grasped the opportunity to show some Welsh heritage and produce her 'Henry' poufs knitted in fabrics which replicate traditional Welsh knitted patterns. Her ‘Nos Da’ range ('Good Night’ in Welsh) featured cushions and throws that were also lovely and reflective of traditional woven fabrics.



A sucker for an interesting side table, I loved both of these designs - one from Living Divani and the other from Zanotta (both through Space locally). The black one is called ‘Bolle’ (above) and is by Air Design (Nathan Yong and Jerry Low - a Singapore-based design group). The table resembles spinning plates and feels so dynamic for something totally made from steel; looking at it, you're left open-mouthed, like a child at the circus.



The white one from Zanotta called is far more earthbound, with the tray tops being sucked into the legs. I can’t go by a three-legged milking stool, so when I saw this (above), I was hooked immediately. By Ludovica and Roberto Palomba, who design a lot for Crassevig and Zanotta, the tables combine smoothness with just the right amount of wonkiness.

Despite the precarious financial outlook, two exciting new brands launched at the fair: Moustache from France and Italian label Skitsch. Moustache (below) showed floaty lights made from Tyvek (a building wall-lining material) by Inga Sempe, tables and chairs by Big Game and trestle furniture by Matali Crasset. This label has put together a diverse and challenging collection with a great sense of humour.



The company's first promotional photographs were taken at Les Arts Decoratifs in Paris by Tania Et Vincent and it is wonderful to see such wacky contemporary designs in this historical French setting. Check it out at www.moustache.fr.

Skitsch made a substantial splash with a reported 16 million euro investment, opening its new enormous store in Via Monte di Pieta within a stone’s throw of the extremely upmarket Bulgari Hotel which was, along with B&B Italia once owned by Skitsch’s backer Renato Preti. Skitsch (below) exhibited its first 50 pieces by some high profile designers such as Front, Todd Bracher and Xavier Lust, Maarten Baas and Bertjan Pot.



It wasn’t all big names however with many items being designed by less well-known Dutch designers, such as Miriam Van der Lubbe and Joost Van Bleiswijk. Skitsch will also sell furniture by other brands such as Serralunga, Magis and Spanish brand Horm. The full range can be viewed at www.skitsch.it.

David, freelance writer and stylist