16 Jun 8 footsteps across the latest design trends made in ITALY!
8 footsteps across the latest design trends made in ITALY!
I am going through a belated newsletter as it has been my intention to tell you about the “Salone del Mobile” Tradeshow in Milan. I attended the very first real edition of the fair after the pandemics. The 60th edition to be precise.
The “Salone” has been since ever a blend of different cultures to be meeting in Milan once a year. I had the opportunity with my father to gather 25.000 steps by foot every day in order to make the most of the Italian designed new items.
Why is it so interesting? Sartoretto Verna, and my family, have always been interested in attending the world’s main trade shows as far as design is concerned. Research, new products and ideas get along well together and create a new and precious challenge for our profession. Our state-of-the-art brand is always the result of a ceaseless confrontation with the new design trends. We are always on the forefront as opposed to our competitors as we constantly feel that there is a lot to do. It is a time-consuming investment, and takes plenty of our resources, but it is the core of our job and makes clients working with us eventually happier and more satisfied.
Please find enclosed my opinions below.
I have noticed design lines to be very rounded now. Bubble shape is a must. No more squared or sharp corners. No rigid shapes. And in the event there is no chance to go round, then the tapestry plays a big role: buclè patterns or materials with a suede and soft effect.
Comfortable and relaxing forms, almost extra-large, seem to be a must: chairs, armchairs and sofas are very large and appealing. The idea is always to look at the cozy and relaxed atmosphere, just as if the experience to be reproduced could remind a stress-free, peaceful and easygoing concept.
Natural colors and materials are the new trend, and wood is on the forefront. However, I also noticed a diffused multi-material use. There is a combination of natural and no-natural materials to create items and pieces of furniture. In that respect, there is plenty of research and innovation, even though with a lack of new design ideas.
I thought that the end of pandemics could have left many hidden ideas to come through. It was not like that though. Fears and issues must have softened creative souls throughout.
That being said, please find enclosed #8 objects capturing my attention as I was meandering through:
1) a chair in vegan vegetable leather equipped with an audio system audible only by those who are seated and which allows you to interact with the pc or led tv. It is an interesting idea to be developed for smart working or for all those situations in which acoustic privacy is needed.
2) a glass desk with a frozen effect with minimal and clean lines, in many very attractive colors
3) a table with a single span of 3.7 meters totally in 100% aluminum and covered in mortar and with wheels for easy movement. A sustainable concept and well designed for both indoors and outdoors situations.
4) another glass table with a huge span and clean and minimalist lines looking like it is suspended in the air.
5) a patented surface for exteriors that is soft to the touch and is able to transform polypropylene into something soft and attractive as if it were alkantara.
6) a swiveling “Auto Rotation” LED TV applies the mobile experience to the big screen, displays art in full screen and offers new layouts for a MultiView configuration. It can be used with a stand or mounted on the wall, so whatever you look at, the entire screen fills up to optimize viewing.
7) carpets that seem printed with a 3D printer and instead are hand-woven with three threads of different material involving traditional techniques that are the result of skilled hands, the art translated into fabric.
8) flexible induction hobs with an IT memory and without predefined cooking zones. Thanks to up to 48 state-of-the-art inductors, it automatically recognizes the position and size of the cooking dishes. In this way, up to six pans can be placed on the griddle.
Thanks to the Memory function it is possible to move them without the settings being deleted, and they can be managed by touch control with a color graphic display.
One more reflection. I noticed many large stands completely closed in visual terms, even after a registration one could only access some areas while others were by invitation only. If on the one hand I totally understand the need to protect new ideas from plagiarism and forgery, on the other I think that fairs are organized to show and create sensationalism. Conversely, I might invite my clients or future clients to my showroom or to the “fuorisalone” events by invitation only. What’s the point of going to a fair where entire pavilions are closed off and where they make you feel rejected? The fear of plagiarism must not create these consequences. I think that EXPERIENCE must always be the basis of any product presented.
Arch. Fiona Sartoretto Verna