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Cover Feature
With so much going on during the Milan Furniture Fair, it can be hard to define the underlying trends on show at this global design showcase. Mariel Brown and Karen Rosenkranz from design consultancy Seymourpowell put some of their findings into context
FOR
designers everywhere, all roads lead to Milan. Something of a
lighthouse which illuminates the future of design, Milan is both geographically and aesthetically the centre of the emerging design scene. This year marked the 50th anniversary of
the show and we were keen to explore the broader relationships between cutting-edge design and the cultural trends that surround them.
SURVIVALISTS The global recession, concerns over fuel shortages, highly documented natural disasters, and political unrest are contributing to a feeling of unease, the desire to be self-sufficient and to live ‘off the grid’. In Milan, the design response to this trend was seen through the creation of products that encouraged independence. One of our favourite design expressions
of this trend is Jorge Mañes’ project ‘Ultreia’, which explores an alternative and more flexible process of manufacturing. He created a portable self-sustainable factory on wheels comprised of a rotational moulding machine, a tent and a solar panel. To show off Ultria’s capabilities Mañes
cycled his factory around the 700km El Camino ancient pilgrim route in Spain. On his two-week trip he created a series of products that were informed by the locations, materials and people he met along the way. ‘Ultreia’ celebrates the sociable nature of this trend and reflects the necessity of working together with like-minded people in order to make a success of ‘off the grid’ living. The ‘Survivalist’ trend is intrinsically eco
in nature and as such we witnessed many examples of designers exploring new uses for waste products. From Mieke Meijer and Vij5’s ‘KrantHout’ - which is a wood created from old newspapers - to Gionata Gatto and Mike Thompson’s ‘Trap Light’, which converts waste energy back into visible light, the emphasis is on creating less of a drain on the world’s resources and re-thinking the way we make life’s necessities. Studio Formafantasma take the thought of sustainable materials to the extreme with its exciting new project ‘Botanica’. It imagines a post-fossil age where fossil energy sources have been completely exhausted. ‘Botanica’ is based on the principles and science of botany and takes inspiration from the 18th and 19th centuries, a time when scientists first began experimenting with plant secretions in order to create new material sources with plasticity. The studio explores plant derived
materials including Rosin, Dammar, Copal, Natural Rubber, Shellac and even Bois Durci, a 19th century material composed of wood dust and animal blood! To underline the origins of these new resins, Formafantasma created plant like forms, whilst colour palettes of natural amber and honey like tones were chosen to evoke early bakelite objects.
With Botanic, Studio Formafantasma has
created a strikingly ingenious project that is both archaic and contemporary. Whilst this new aesthetic may not appeal to every taste, we believe it will have a strong impact in the long term. To many, the Survivalist trend implies a
Mieke Meijer and Vij5’s ‘KrantHout’ - a wood created from old newspapers
rustic design language. However, renowned Anglo-Indian design duo Doshi Levien showed that this trend needn’t look unsophisticated when they presented their new project ‘Impossible Wood’. It uses a new material (a synthetic fibre) that is an eco-compatible compound that can replace the usual plastics while maintaining its characteristics of pliability and strength. The elegant chair is testament to the fact that Survivalist living ideals needn’t be niche.
NEW MYTHOLOGY In an age of austerity, folklore and mythology offer an opportunity to magically escape the bounds of human existence and reconnect with the planet. Designers are going back to the early origins of man and are reviving forgotten customs, skills and narratives. Old traditions are re-appropriated for our modern times in a bid to imbue products with character and soul that respond to our need for storytelling and narrative. Front, an all-female design collective from Stockholm, have always been interested in stories communicated through design objects. For their most recent project, ‘Story Vases’, Front worked in collaboration with the Siyazama project in South Africa, which promotes women who work with traditional bead craft. The vases tell the personal stories of
five women living in remote villages in post-apartheid South Africa. This project is a fantastic example of how designers
Above: Gionata Gatto and Mike Thompson’s
‘Trap Light’, which converts waste energy into light
Above: Impossible Wood chair by Doshi Levien for Moroso
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