ZUVALifeCulture: Milan Design Week: Salone del Mobile Day 3, Ventura Design District

Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2013 Day 3 was spent in the amazing Ventura Design District. This is an area of Milan where young designers gather together in shared spaces to exchange ideas – some still at prototype stage – and show their new products. I loved this day because the products these designers proposed were fresh, challenged the norm and were informed by their desire to offer functional solutions to their users.

This is a great district to watch, especially as traditional designers are increasingly collaborating with young designers and students to revitalize their historic brands (e.g. France’s Baccarat’s collaboration with the ÉCAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne).

How can I describe Day 3 of the show: Refreshing, challenging.

What themes stood out: Increasing use of copper in furniture and accessories (David Derksen Design), resurgence of pastel as a dominant product language, innovations in materials (Janelli & Volpi outstanding felt and velvet wallpaper series), unexpected combination of materials in objects e.g. wood and copper, marble and glass, spotlight on 3D printing (a method to create rapid prototypes – Diederik Schneemann).

What were the showcases like: Collaborative, energetic, interactive (e.g. Watching video of Diederik Schneemann making one of his pieces), discursive (speaking with the designer of a bookshelf made entirely out of replicable units made of sheet metal) and diverse.

Where did I go:

Unveiling of a new product line – Janelli & Volpi, Neutra

Store Visit – Spotti

Store launch – Alpi, Corian

Pop-up space – Diederik Schneemann, Smool, Marchigue, Talent’s Manifesto Concept Store, Tjep, Triennale Internazionale del Legno

Brand experience – Rossana Food and Design Show Cooking with Bento Restaurant

Exhibition / Gallery – Another Perspective, Hans Wegner – The Household Poet, Mindcraft 13, Osmosi, Plus Design

Shared space designer showcase – 010-020 (Dutch designers), Swedish design showcase, You Tool

Highlight of the day: Attending a Show Cooking event at Rossana with the chef at Bento Sushi Restaurant. I was served calamari on a bed of mashed sweet potato with a drizzle of black bean sauce and something else. The sweet potatoes were… umm… not sweet (awkward) but this was made up for by a never-ending stream of spumante (sparkling wine), feather-thin sliced ham and a delicious cheese from I-forgot-to-ask-where. Lovely!