12/04/2013

Salone 2013: Ventura Lambrate

If you were to choose – be it for the lack of time, be it for the lack interest – only a couple of things to see at Salone del mobile, one of those should be Ventura Lambrate. A particularly ‘independent’ design district in the corporate-owned design fair, this cluster of internationally acclaimed creatives, young talents and small creative brands is the place to be.


This year Ventura Lambrate sees the return of some of its already established appointments, like the one with Cos, once again presenting their pop-up shop this year designed by Bonsoir Paris. On the other hand, some other well-established companies have sensed the appeal and particular reputation of Ventura Lambrate, moving their stands away from the centre of Milan, like Established & Sons whose polished and eclectic furniture creates a quite strong contrast with the surrounding shows. Another (fashion) design giant has turned to Ventura Lambrate: we are speaking of Diesel, who has also created a special restaurant in the zone in collaboration with Amaro, named The Diesel Social Cafè Club.


While the popularity of the zone is attracting established design companies and thus, potentially, putting in question its role as hub of young and independent design talents, the presence of some of the most interesting European design schools surely brings it back on the ‘research’ track. You can see the works of Royal College of Art graduates that range from contemporary furniture, to interactive installations, to more narrative-based pieces, “all aiming to challenge the perception of design and provoke a change that would fundamentally shape our future world”. On the other hand, the provocative young designers of Design Academy in Eindhoven have concentrated on the process of designing, explored with the exhibition “Linking Process” whose goal is to reveal the beauty of creation putting on display the “phases of concept development, trial and error, sketching, building and rebuilding, and the new discoveries” that result from that processes.

Hopefully the sudden appeal of Ventura Lambrate won’t spoil its denomination as place of research, investigation, critical approach and speculation which the overcrowded corporate design world so much needs.

Rujana Rebernjak 
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12/04/2013

Salone 2013: Studio Formafantasma

We met Simone and Andrea, authors of some of the most challenging yet exciting design projects, at Triennale di Milano in the midst of the hectic design week Salone del Mobile 2013. The duo, working under the name Formafantasma, was invited to participate in Triennale design museum’s latest exhibition called “The Syndrome of Influence”, where they were asked to interpret and play with Roberto Sambonet’s work. Even though Simone and Andrea’s work got us chatting for quite some time and there would be much more to say about them, here are a few lines that might clarify their role as one of the most promising designer brand of the future.

Could you tell us something about your project for the Triennale, “Cucina Sambonet”?

We were invited to interpret and develop the project on the work of Roberto Sambonet, who was in a way one of the last famous Italian designers. The reason why it is called Cucina Sambonet is because he designed a lot of objects for the kitchen, he was also a good cook and had a column in “Il Sole 24 ore” about cuisine and food. While the overall concept for the Triennale was very interesting, we also fell that we wanted to use this possibility to say something that goes beyond the work of Sambonet himself. We needed a fictional project where his works and drawings, drawn from his archive, could become scenographies. We worked with a movie director and an actor interpreting Sambonet, basically preparing a dish using his most famous piece within the same scenography. The text used comes from an interview he gave in 1994, where we selected some parts and kept on writing it, imagining him thinking about what would happen with design in the future. So, we are more or less making a statement on the necessity, for instance, of no longer talk about national design, while also trying to push back history, since the tendency in Italy is to keep on reviving what happened in the past.

How has this design culture influenced your work, seen that you have studied abroad?

I think you can see there is the Italian influence in most of our projects, but it is mixed with more conceptual projects related with Dutch design. We really enjoy not belonging to anything or anywhere. We always say we’re bastards, because if you put together Dutch and Italian design, it seems like nothing can come out of it or have a strong identity. That’s why we are so sick speaking about national identity or national design. It’s absolutely irrelevant.

So, let’s take a step back. How did you two meet and started working together?

We met when we were both studying at ISIA in Florence. We started to collaborate when we had a little bit of freetime because, even if ISIA was a product design school, we were interested in graphics design. We worked together on preparing our portfolios for two different schools where we wanted to continue our studies at. In the end we decided to go to Eindhoven because we could really relate to what was happening in the Netherlands. 
The story of how we got there is actually really nice, because we sent only one portfolio! Since the beginning, we applied as a team and when we came there we discovered that it was quite an exception.


What would you say is the most important characteristics of your work?
It’s critical and conceptual and not really formal. Of course it is formalized, but we don’t start by sketching a lot of shapes. That’s not the point in our work. We are really interested in the ideas and the expression of ideas and concepts through our work and not only the formal qualities of an object.

You often experiment with new or unusual materials, showing the process of your work. Why do you think it is important to also show the process of the design and not only the final product?
I think that in recent years, we displayed production, because things are produced elsewhere and you don’t know where they come from, you don’t know how they are produced. It’s a way of giving information. I think people nowadays want to be more involved and knowing where things come from and how they are produced. Showing the process is really about transparency.


You don’t work with the industry but mostly with galleries on specially commissioned projects. Do you feel this as a necessity or is it a conscious choice for you? What does this type of production allow you to do?
No, not really, because we are now, hopefully, starting to work with companies. It’s not a choice, it’s an option we investigated in the beginning. Let’s say that the way we worked until now is really much more speculative and galleries fit in much more with this type of production. Galleries are a place for discussion.

Let’s finish with your thoughts on this years Salone. Do you have any other projects displayed around Milan?
We have a couple of other projects displayed but we are more focusing on September and February when we will have two solo shows. We actually haven’t seen so much of the Salone yet, but we have a strange feeling of calmness. There is the crisis, and it’s visible. That’s nice though, because it’s not about big bold statements but about the human scale in things.


Rujana Rebernjak & Lisa Olsson Hjerpe, photos Alessandro Furchino 
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12/04/2013

Bathing, Books and Tea

Bathing, Books and Tea

Brimming with literary allure, Old-world architecture and British quirk, Bath is a city that draws you in and lifts you up. Refined yet playful, it’s been a little different from the start.

Discovered by the temporarily ill-fated Prince Bladud around 863 b.C., the waters of Bath, which cured the aforementioned royal of his skin condition, have mesmerised the Celts, Romans, Saxons and Georgians and remain utterly mysterious. The water you bask in today fell as rain around 10,000 years ago before sinking deep into the earth (it’s impossible to say just how far down this water travels). Heated by high temperature rocks, it returned to the surface, and the city’s baths, through a network of ancient cracks. Naturally, no one is entirely sure where these cracks actually are.

Once you’ve wandered the original Roman Baths and indulged in a little local history you can take advantage of the city’s famed water at Thermae Bath Spa. Mixing ancient and contemporary architecture and focusing of internal wellbeing, here you learn that few things are as delightful as bathing in a steaming rooftop pool as snow falls and the neighbouring Abbey is illuminated by the sunset.

For those after more than just water there’s plenty of Austen. While Jane may have had mixed feelings about this city of stone and poise, which she called home from 1801 to 1806, she shall forever be associated with it – I mean, have you read Persuasion! Connect with the ultimate lady of letters by venturing to the Jane Austen Centre or perfectly preserved Assembly Rooms, conveniently located above the Fashion Museum. You can spend hours waiting for a Darcy here.


Alternatively, you can just focus on indulging. Don your finery, be flabbergasted by the effortlessly elegant Royal Crescent and slink through the door of number 16 for the ultimate high tea. Overlooking a blossom packed garden, this thoroughly secluded haunt, otherwise known as the Royal Crescent Hotel, makes overindulging feel rather glamorous. Match your afternoon foodie selection with an equally delightful place to spend the night. The Queensberry Hotel, found just behind The Circus a little away from the boutique-lined cobbled streets, reminds guests not to duel or ride horses in the lobby and recommends removing motorbike helmets before downing a cocktail. There is just a touch of Wonderland in the air here.

Relaxing, indulgent and just a little stuck in Regency days gone by. Bath is modern England at its Georgian best.

Liz Schaffer

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11/04/2013

Tom Dixon’s MOST at Salone del Mobile 2013

Rough and smooth, traditional English tea with scones, cucumber sandwiches and strawberry jam, hip sportswear, young design brands, brass buckets, metal lamps, angular furniture and gemstones, science and technology, forward-thinking culture, dramatic surroundings, disruptive design and robotics. What do all these things have in common? Well, nothing more and nothing less than Tom Dixon, the grand master of British design, whose work has changed the way we perceive design and “the materials, technologies, production techniques and distribution systems” it uses.

Tom Dixon has charmed the design world during last year’s Salone del mobile with his project Most, held for the second year round at the Museum of Science and Technology in Milan. More than a project, Most is a platform for contemporary design that combines a distinctive mix of performances and events with young design brands and studios, interacting with almost all areas of creative production: from food to fashion, from art to product design, from technology to traditional crafts.

To prove the versatility of the event, we must mention this year’s most photographed and talked about feature: Tom Dixon’s collection for Adidas, comprising a collection of garments and accessories that “you can pack neatly in a bag for a week away”. Besides this enviable collaboration, Mr. Dixon is also presenting his new line of products, made primarily from metal – his signature material – and named “Rough and Smooth”, recalling the physical qualities of lamps, tables, tea sets and champagne buckets included in the collection.


Even though Tom Dixon is the main star of Most, it would be foolish visiting the Museum of Science and Technology only to see his latest creations, since this giant location is packed up with exciting new talents, great pieces of design and a positive vibe we hope might last even after the lights of this year’s Salone are turned (finally) off.

Rujana Rebernjak 
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11/04/2013

Olympia Le-Tan – Quirky Intellectualism

During the last seasons, Olympia Le-Tan’s eponymous label and goofy pret-à-porter presentations have become a compulsory go-to during fashion weeks. If Ronnie Spector doesn’t turn up out of the blue singing ”Be My Baby”, the soundtrack from Sound of Music echoes through halls of Le Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature in Paris. Or perhaps the models will perform a Betty Pagesque striptease, you never know.

But prêt-a-porter aside, Le-Tan started out back in 2009 as an accessory designer. Since then, she has brought back the minaudière from its conservative right wing grave, and given it a spiffy intellectual twist. Clutches in the shape of book covers, accompanied by a respectful price tag. All of the pieces are hand sewn, numbered and limited to 16.

French cosmetic powerhouse Lancôme saw commercial potential in her work and launched a collaboration with the designer back in February: a clutch filled with various make up goodies. Though, looking at the price, we can maybe retract that commercial statement and position the result higher. The other week, the school girl theme was taken yet another step further when it was announced that Le-Tan had teamed up with Maison Kitsuné: a wool felt “K” badge in wide array of colors for those who strive to complete the boarding school look.



There’s also a more pop cultural element to her work: totes that fit the 7” records, for those who still happen to carry them around. “Ever since I did the book-clutch I have been hearing the question, ‘when are you doing a record cover clutch?’. The 7″ is my little history of black music, from jazz and blues to the girl groups of Phil Spector‘s wall of sound – my favorite genre.”

In April, a Nick Lowe’s “I love the sound of breaking glass” will be up for grabs through her online site. Why does it feel like we’re in for a round of quirky lunch boxes come fall?

Petter Köhler 
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11/04/2013

Punk: Chaos to Couture at MET

Punk: Chaos to Couture at MET

Every year the Costume Institute of New York organizes a big exhibition at MET, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, paying tribute to important names and/or movements belong to the past and the present of the fashion field. This year is the turn of Punk, arisen during 70s, strongly influencing fashion up until today.


The exhibition Punk: Chaos to Couture will juxtapose original vintage garments from punk era, and the various designers’ interpretations through time, divided into seven different rooms, classified by various themes. The first one will be dedicated to GBCB, a famous club in New York, with a significant emphasis on the famous singer, Richard Hell who was credited by Malcolm McLaren as inspirational for Sex Pistols. There will also be a section about Seditionaries, the London shop created by McLaren himself, together with his peer Vivienne Westwood; the couple that definitely helped the development of punk in terms of fashion. The third space will present all those designers that have contributed through ages in extending the visual language of this culture; Hussein Chalayan, Rodarte, Karl Lagerfeld and Rei Kawakubo to mention but a few.


The probably most interesting aspect of this combination, punk and fashion, is the fact that the punk culture itself, born as rebellious and aggressive, detests every form of authority, with no exceptions. It all started up as a protest against society, wearing, literally, all stuff one could find around, not following specific rules to be identified: random, often self-made clothes in a careless way to express their awkwardness. As an opposite, haute couture and Prêt-à-Porter follow the principles of made-to measure. Two parallel line, apparently very far from each other.

The exhibition Punk: Chaos to Couture will be open from May 9 until August 14. So, if you’re planning to be in New York for holidays this may be a place worth visiting. Get your hands also on the book about the entire concept by Andrew Bolton, the organizer and curator of MET’s Costume Institute.

Francesca Crippa

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10/04/2013

Have You Ever Been to Olympus?

Have You Ever Been to Olympus?

A popular Italian belief says that Gods live on the Amalfitana Coast. We remember “What?”, the beautiful Roman Polanski movie, that was set in Sofia Loren‘s villa, not far from Amalfi. In that setting occur surreal situations and the sun and the sea do the rest. If you are lucky enough to spend a few days in Amalfi, you have to try Zaccaria, a small restaurant suspended on a stone balcony. It is located near Atrani, and instead of giving you a menu the waiter will ask how hungry you are. The fish arrives early in the morning from the boats which have spent their night at sea. The view is breathtaking and the white wine will help you to reach ecstasy.

Walking is the best thing to do here. It’s also the best way to see the most hidden and unknown places. Over the mountains you can find vineyards, cheese makers, the old paper mills. Further down, however, there are the lemon gardens, fragrant and tasty. You must try Limoncello, lemon liqueur, or coffee with lemon, they are delicious. It’s true, in this piece of coast there are really all the ingredients to live a heavenly life.






Stefano Tripodi

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10/04/2013

In Memoriam: Paolo Soleri

Paolo Soleri, the quixotic Turinese architect, maker and theorist passed away yesterday at 93. And while during his lifetime he may not have become a household name, he was by all measures a heavyweight among his contemporaries. His was a vision of utopia, a radical rethink of the priorities of architecture. He thought prodigiously (and wrote beautifully) about the interconnectedness of social and ecological systems in cities long before it became almost obligatory to do so. He was acutely aware of architecture’s role in shaping its societies, and his designs, pro-social by nature drawing heavily on local materials, were a direct reaction to the anti-social big-box landscapes of the postmodern world. His career-defining masterpiece, Arcosanti, was imagined from the ground up as an achievable utopia in which sustainability and social currency were to be every bit as valuable as monetary currency.

I was fortunate enough to visit Arcosanti for the first time late last summer, when these photos were taken. The breathtaking earthen Oz lies at the end of a badly washboarded dirt road off a stretch of Arizona interstate halfway between Flagstaff and Phoenix. It is literally a city unto itself, set against its stunning desert backdrop, and where everyone warmly referred to its designer as just “Paolo.” It is palpably happy, optimistic place, abuzz with activity and surprisingly future forward in its artisanal ways.

Arcosanti is still under construction today, more than four decades after its inception, primarily because it has foregone traditional models of financing and contracting. It is being built from the inside out, organically and mindfully and not-for-profit, by its own inhabitants–a scale model tucked into a corner of the complex reveals that it is as of yet only 1/4 complete. Seasonal volunteers and permanent residents work year-round, some smelting bronze for bells in the atelier to raise money for the community, others framing, landscaping or forming and laying earthen bricks. Everyone works with his or her hands and community is key.


Soleri studied at the Politecnico di Torino and moved permanently to the desert Southwest in the 1950s, where he and his wife founded Cosanti, handcrafting one-of-a-kind earthen and bronze wind chimes. The business helped to finance his architectural endeavours, leading ultimately to the founding of Arcosanti. He created notable works of of public art, appeared in numerous films, and won numerous awards over the course of his career, including the Lione d’oro at the 2000 Venice Biennale d’Archittetura. A new film The Vision of Paolo Soleri: Prophet in the Desert was completed earlier this year and has been screened in select cinemas. Sadly, his landmark amphitheatre in Santa Fe was recently demolished to make way for more utilitarian buildings.

Our sincere condolences today to the Soleri family and the Arcosanti community.

Tag Christof 
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09/04/2013

Tag Christof: Truth or Consequences

Truth or Consequences, tawdry little town. Its hot springs still gurgle, sulphuric and scalding, held hostage in courtyards of musty midcentury motels. Old Oldsmobiles rest rusting in dusty driveways. Tired houses bake perched atop balding tyres. The town’s sole supermarket, trimmed in fluorescent and pressed particleboard, stocks “Shur-Fine” and Twinkies and grape drink not from a vine. There are no sounds, no rush, and no work.

And it is impossible to tell a dumpster from the dirt.

In 1950, the radio gameshow “Truth or Consequences” issued a challenge to small town USA: change your name to ours and we’ll air our show from your town! Hypnotised by the prospect of celebrity, tiny Hot Springs, New Mexico rose to the occasion and was reborn as Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Nothing much came of the name change, but the town is dotted by dozens of natural mineral springs and is adjacent to a massive desert reservoir. And just a few miles drive away is Richard Branson’s new Norman Foster-designed Spaceport America, the launch point for all Earth-orbiting Virgin Galactic voyages.







Tag Christof
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09/04/2013

Triennale Design Museum – The Syndrome of Influence

One of the most expected events in the design world inaugurates officially yesterday: Milan’s Salone del mobile has opened its gates to hundreds of visitors hungry for design novelty. It is inevitable, though, that a few questions are raised about the purpose of this event, its influence and its role both in the past as well as in the present. Tracing the past of Salone brings us to Triennale di Milano, a historical Italian institution devoted to the culture of design, born as an international event nearly 90 years ago with the idea of creating a platform for exchange between the industry and the applied arts.


Looking at the shows presented every three years at Triennale, we can see the Italian design culture grow and develop itself in what will later be recognized as an untouchable international excellence. From the shows devoted to Italian regime during the 30s to the innovative pavilions designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Rai, each and every Triennale was a showcase of true design spirit, the one that changes profoundly our material reality. It is exactly this spirit, particularly significant in the context of the Salone, that the current Triennale Design Museum tries to reflect upon in a show that intertwines past, present and future, titled “The Syndrome of Influence”.

Structured in three different chapters, the show’s main goal is to tell its visitors how the famous Italian design culture was formed, starting from the period between the two World Wars. Hence, the first part of the exhibition gives the opportunity to several contemporary Italian designers (among which our favourites Studio Formafantasma and Martino Gamper to reflect upon the work and heritage of some of the most appreciated masters of Italian design. The second part of the show features a series of interviews with designers like Enzo Mari or Mario Bellini, who have witnessed the radical crisis in Italian design in act after the economical growth of the 50s and 60s.

The final stage of the show displays the work of some of the most interesting Italian brands, like Magis, Kartell or Alessi, reflecting upon the relationship between Italian companies and single designers, particularly significant for Italian design. Thus, this part of the exhibition tells us how ‘made in Italy’, which we are all so proud of, would never have happened without the curious intelligence of a handful of talented impresarios.

“The Syndrome of Influence” is particularly significant seen in the context of Salone del mobile, since it can teach us how only through silent dedication for one’s work, passion and wit, design classics can be brought to life, quite the opposite of what we can witness during one of the most frenzied design weeks, driven by pure need for novelty, marketing and, fundamentally, economy.

Rujana Rebernjak 
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