Milan in Perspective 2013: Design Duality

7/30/2019 Milan in Perspective 2013: Design Duality

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M I L A N I NP E R S P E C T I V E

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A report by

Mariel Brown &

Chloe Amos-Edkins

@Seymourpowell

#SPMilan

DESIGN

DUALITY


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3A report by Mariel Brown and Chloe A mos-Edkins, Seymourpowell

Both inspirational and overwhelming, the annual design fair in

Milan is the largest show of its kind in the world, and as such

has been recognised for decades as the centre of the emerging

design universe.

In this, its 52nd edition, the overarching theme that struck

us, as we reflected on the shows highlights, was that of

duality. We are currently moving through an age of great

contradiction; where the nightmare of political, environmental

and financial instability coincides with the fantastical dream

of rapidly advancing technolog y. As students, designers and

manufacturers attempt to navigate their way through this

chaos, a dichotomy of design responses were bubbling up at

the fair. These reflect the complexity of our current situation,

and the contradictory nature of the human conditio n.

Seymourpowell has highlighted this duality by arranging eight

key trends from the fair into four contradictory pairs.

M I L A N I N P E R S P E C T I V E 2 0 1 3

D E S I G N D U A L I T Y A repor t by Ma riel Bro wn and C hloe A mos-Edk ins

Cover images: Lana Mangas rug detail by Patricia Urquiola for Gan (top), whale bone detail from

the Iceland Whale Bone Project by the University of Art and Design Lausanne (bottom).


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5A report by Mariel Brown and Chloe A mos-Edkins, SeymourpowellMilan in Perspective 2013 - Design Duality

At the show t his yea r, many de signersfelt it was timely to focus in on only theessential elements of a product, findingcomfort in this age of chaos through theprocess of rationalisation.

Excitingly, this approach is creating a newpoetic simplicity, an example of whichcould be seen in lighting manufacturerFlos new String Lights designed by

Cypriot designer Michael Anastassiades.The lights are comprised of an LEDbulb w ithin a shade, which is conn ectedto metres and metres of thin blackelectrical cabling. This cabling cord isused to draw geometric shapes in the airand was inspired by the electrical cablesfound in city landscapes. We particularly

enjoyed the functional element of thelong cables that allow users to arrangethe design around their needs rather thanarranging their lifestyle around the design.Anastassia des sai d, I love how hu maningenuity works around problems createdby eve ryday t hings in the ho use (l ikeswitches and power points) that othershave chosen to position where we dontwant th em.

Allo wing a sense o f fle xibil ity thro ughmodularity could also be seen fromStudio Vit, who presented their newGlobe Lights at the Salone Satellite.The Globe Lights are a deconstructedassemblage consisting of small, mattwhite, globe shaped pendants and larg e,

gloss white, steel reflectors. The ceramicspheres can be used on their own,grouped together, or used to cast light onthe reflectors.

The notion of Essential Elements wastaken to the extreme by acclaimed Frencharchitect Jean Nouvel, who made aninteresting diversion into footwear designon behalf of Italian shoe brand Ruco Line.

His design, called Pure, was created withthe philosophy of reducing the conceptof a shoe to its purest form. The resultis a shoe made of rubber and leatherwith a n uncomp romisingl y monol ithicappearance. The only embellishment is aserial number along the top of the boot,making each one unique to their owner.

The Poetry of the Essential

Main image: Globe Lights by Studio Vit

Top: String Lights by Michael Anastassiades for Flos

Bottom: Pure by Jean Nouvel for Ruco Line

many designers felt it was timely to focus inon only the essential elements of a product,finding comfort in this age of chaosthrough the process of rationalisation.Excitingly, this approach is creating a newpoetic simplicityMariel Brown


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7Mi la n i n Pers pec ti ve 2 01 3 - D es ig n Du ali ty A re po rt b y Mar iel B row n a nd Chl oe A mo s-Ed kin s, Sey mo ur po wel l

Main image and left: Job Office series by Studio Job for Lensvelt

Right: Anomaly seat by Front for Moroso

Bottom: Bucket lamp by Studio Job for Moooi

Whil e some designe rs soug ht torationalise and focus in on the essentialduring this time of great flux, others we remore inclined to be swept along in thechaos of the moment and we witnesseda burgeoning return to a more playfulaesthetic that has taken a back seat sincethe global recession first hit in 2008, whenembellishments quickly became seen asfrivolous and unnecessary.

Belgian artists Studio Job are wellknown for their witty aesthetic andat this years fair they presented somebold new pie ces th at buil t upon theirheritage of unapologetic individualism.At the MOST exh ibition they pre sentedtheir new Job Office series for Dutchbrand L ensvel t, wh ich wa s compr ised

of stark achromatic objects brought tolife by bold gold dipped features suchas crassly oversized switches, comicnose shaped handles, and giant toy-likekeys. Across town at the Dutch brandMooois exquisitely lavish exhibition TheUnexpected Welcome, we saw furtherexamples of Studio Jobs leanings towardsThe Joyful Absurd as they presentedtheir Bucket & Tub lamps which were,

as the name suggests, lamps shaped likeupturned buckets and bathtubs.

In fact, many of the pieces on show atThe Unexpected Welcome seemed tosignify that an art for arts sake approach todesign was on the rise once more. StudioJob exp lains, we have redisco vereda lost path. Consciously and carefull y,

we are positio ning dec orative arts inthe twenty-first century. Is that design?Whateve r. Is that art? W hatever, really.

An interes ting aspe ct of The JoyfulAbsurd t rend is that de signers areexploring the boundaries between thebizarre and the beautif ul. Th is cou ld beclearly witnessed in Swedish design groupFronts new seat calle d Anomaly, which

has the look of a strange headless animal.The seats polarised opinion, but forFront that was exactly the intention. Theydescribed the work as Objects to awakenyour cu riosity, your af fecti on or p erhapseven repulsion.

The Joyful Absurd

we w itnessed a burgeoning return to amore playful aesthetic that has taken aback seat s ince the global rece ssion fir sthit in 2008, when embellishments quicklybecame seen as frivolousMariel B rown


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Across Mi lan we felt that de signers wereseeking to justify the value and relevanceof their work by focusing on precious yetfunctional objects. In particular, therewas a n oticeabl e interes t in prod ucts w ithwhich we fo rm emot ional a ttachmentsthrough cultural or ritual use. Theseare not intended to be passing stylestatements, but instead something youincreasingly appreciate over time, cherish

for life and want to pass on to futuregenerations.

Business-savvy British designer TomDixon spearheaded this trend with thelaunch of his eclectic range in 2012,offering designs at prices the averageperson might reasonably afford,alongside his bigger ticket items. Thisyear he expande d the range th at he hopeswill be treas ured by you or a love d one.The accoutrements of tea drinking were

spotted at numerous exhibits. SebastianHerkners Chado tea set for Verreum wascreated for ritual whilst Tea With Georgeby Shol ten and Ba ijings f or Geo rgeJensen, effo rtless ly fus ed Japane se teaceremony with Dutch coffee culture. Thetrend for Heirloom Rituals continued atTurkish brand Gaia & Ginos show, wherehookah pipes were given a contemporarymakeover by Jamie Hayon, Karim Rashid

and No Duchaufour Lawrance.

A key f acet of this tre nd is e nduringmaterials and handcrafted quality ofwhich could be se en in abu ndance atthe Japan Handmade exhibition, whereeach of the Kyoto-based craftsmen wason hand to demonstrate their skills andknowledge. It felt particularly pertinentthat several of them were reinvigoratingskills that had been passed on by theirmaster-craftsmen fathers. We loved

the woven metal and wood-handledmagnifying glass by Kanaami-Tsuji, thattook a time honoured skill usually used tomake simple kitchen wares, and applied itto a new category, creating a practical yetprecious result.

Heirloom Rituals

Main image: HookHayon pipes by Jamie Hayon for Gaia & Gino

Left: 'Tea With George by Scholten & B aijings for George Jensen

Middle: Magnifying glass by Kanaami-Tsuji

Right: Chado tea set by Sebastian Herkner for Verreum

there was a noticeable interest in productswit h wh ich we form emoti onal attach mentsthrough cultural or ritual use. These arenot intended to be passing style statements,but instead somethi ng you increasinglyappreciate over time...Chloe Amos-Edkins


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Whil st some more e stablish ed de signerssought to justify their premium pricetags with luxury materials and exclusivecraftsmanship, young designers andstudents were challenging the acceptednotions of value and luxury, at timeseven questioning the meaning ofconsumerism itself.

A key a spect o f the Redef ining Value

trend is that it flips the commonlyaccepted concept of material value onits head. Precious metals and rare stonessuddenly seem gaudy and insubstantial,and instead, beauty and meaning is craftedfrom the unexpected often uncoveringvalue in the waste mate rials from hu manor natural activity.

We loved the Centr al St Ma rtins Textil eFutures MA student exhibition. MoeNagatas bold From Creatures jewellerywas cre ated usi ng waste material s fromthe food industry in London and harkedback to tribal animism t hat respe cts (andmakes use of) every part of an animal

- challenging todays global problem ofwaste and over-co nsumption . Whi leEmilie F. Greniers Disquiet Luxuriansproject stood out, it took a thought-provoking look at luxury. Interestinglyher collection focuses on the materialfeldspar the wo rlds most abundantmineral. As she explains, she explores howto transform this otherwise meaninglessmineral into a series of post-luxurian

artefacts and in doing so challengeconcepts of rarity and val ue.

There was also a sense of rejecting overlyperfect industrial materials and finishingtechniques and raising natures ownmaterials and finishes to a newly elevatedposition. One lovely example was MattiSyrjls Sil Container set withunfinished birch bark providing a uniqueand jewel-like lid to each container.

Anothe r academ ic grou p that i mpressedwas the Universi ty of Art and DesignLausanne (ECAL). We were enchanted bytheir Iceland Whale Bone Project which

was fo cused around ma terials originati ngfrom the Icelandic sea - all flotsam andjetsam f ound o n the b each. CharlotteBaverels Grma mask for example wascomposed from raw and primitive seal,shark and whale skins and bone. Thematerial choice perfectly grounded thedesign within the Icelandic landscapefrom which it came, to create a piece thatfelt primitive, yet simultaneously ancient

and significant.

Redefning Value

Main image: Disquiet Luxurians by Emilie F. Grenier

Top: Sil container by Matti Syrjl

Middle: Grma mask by Charlotte Baverel

Bottom: From Creatures jewellery by Moe Nagata

Precious metals and rare stones suddenlyseem gaudy and insubstantial, and instead,beaut y and meaning i s crafted from theunexpected often uncovering valuein the waste materials from human ornatural activity.Chloe Amos-Edkins


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Our always on digital culture is creating adesire to escape from our hyper-connected lives, and causing us to seekrefuge in safe comfort of familiarity. As aresult we are seeking moments ofsanctuary in our physical spaces, allow ingus to re-charge and re-gain ourequilibrium. The Soft Sanctuary trendseems to offer a welcome and reassuringlyfamiliar break from the frenzy of the

modern age, with soft forms, calmingcolours and inviting tactile surfaces seenacross Milan this year.

Its unsurprising that design superstarPatricia Urquiola seems to be at theforefront of this trend, with her trademarkwarmth and tact ility apparent i n almos teverything she does. Muted andsometimes nostalgic pastel shades wereeverywhere, with dusky pinks and greysbeing a popul ar choi ce. O ften th ese

palettes were kept fresh and modern withmore vivid accents in yellow or coral asdemonstrated in Patricia Urquiolas LanaMangas collection for Gan, whose chunkyknitted textures remind us of cosy jumpers.

But this trend was also manifested inphysical form, with soft rounded furniturea strong theme. Chairs and sofas withergonomic curves and seductive padding

seemed to want to embrace the sitter in agenerous hug. Jamie Hayons CatchChair for Copenhagen-based &Traditionis a single piece, anthropomorphicallyshaped chair that appears to be reachingits arms out to you.

Furniture that relaxes with you wasfound at the Miyazaki Chair Factorysexhibit. Their pursuit of qualitycraftsmanship and ergonomic pleasurehas resulted in a collection that is soft at

every imaginable touch point thecurved armrests of the IS Lounge chairwere pa rticul arly pl easing.

The From Yuhang exhibition offered acalming sanctuary from the bustle ofZona Tortona. Their designs fusetraditional Chinese crafts withcontemporary design. Their L Porcelaintables were showcased in glossy pastel

colours, the forms of which w ere minimalyet round ed, i nviting yo u to r un yourhands over their surface. Their soft edgedG Colour Chairs, made from formedbamboo pulp a nd upda ted in c almingpastel shades for this years show, wereequally gentle and inviting.

Soft Sanctuary

Main image: L porcelain tables

Top: Catch Chair by Jamie Hayon for &Tradition

Middle: Lana Mangas collection by Patricia Urquiola for Gan

Bottom: IS Loung e chair by Miyaz aki Chair Factory

we are seeki ng moments of sanct uar y in ourphysical spaces, allowing us to re-chargeand re-gain our equilibrium.Chloe Amos-Edkins


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As dig ital inp uts bec ome an evermore omnipotent part of our lives, theboundar ies of our ph ysical a nd dig italworld s are b lurring . In the same wa ythat screens are no longer a borderbetwe en us a nd our content, so ourcontent is beginning to bleed into ourphysical spaces.

These digital forays into the physical

space often take the form of interactiveexperiences that allow us to escape thehumdrum of daily life. In Milan weobserved this at Universal EverythingsThe Art and Science of Fit installationfor Nike, where intricate multi colouredwoven patterns d ance ac ross the screensintelligently conforming and fitting to thesilhouette of the visitor. (Nike)

Artist/ designe r duo Carnovsky sZigzagging for fashion house Missoni,was ano ther f antastical exhib it. Animmersive light, colour and soundinstallation that felt a bit like walkinginto a giant kaleidoscope. Whilst we feltit would have been best suited to a partyvenue, the innate sense o f drea m-likefantasy was powerful.

Along w ith inf luencing our spac es, th etrend for Digital Fantasy is also having aneffect on the colour, material and finish ofthe products. Across the fair we witnessedoptical effect fabrics, vivid and iridescentsurfaces and surreal graphic gradientsas seen in Droogs Family Vases andthe Wood Bikini Chair by WernerAissling er for Moroso. Powerfu l fl ashes o fimpossibly vivid colour were everywhere,as seen in Stefan Diezs This That Otherseating series available in an eye-poppingneon pink.

Vivid colou r was u sed to tell t he timeat Spazio Rossana Orlandi, where wespotted MA Student Jay Hyun Kims AMoment. His experience of d esigningdigital user interfaces for smartphoneapps had inspired him to create moreintuitive 3D objects. His 55-minute timerreveals a beautiful array of vivid colours astime slowly passes.

Digital Fantasy

Main image: Zigzagging installation by Carnovsky for Missoni

Top right: Wood Bikini Chair by Werner Aisslinger for Moroso

Middle right: Family Vases by Studio Droog

Bottom right: This That Other seating series by Stefan Diez

Top left: A Moment by Jay Hyun Kim

Bottom left: The Art and Science of Fit installation by Universal Everything for Nike

the boundaries of our physical and digitalworld s are blur ring . In the same way thatscreens are no longer a border betweenus and our content, so our content isbeginning to bleed into our physical spaces.

Chloe Amos-Edkins


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Great global unrest and upheaval, alongwith ma turing w ireless and cl oudtechnologies, are driving many people tolead a more nomadic lifestyle. At thisyears sho w we s aw many e xample s ofdesigners creating pieces that respondedto this growing human desire forspontaneity, transformation and movement.

A comp elling exampl e of t his tren d was

the collaboration between influentialdesigner Tom Dixon and Adidas, whichhad generated much pre-showanticipation. They presented TheCapsule - a collection that they describedas everything you can pack neatly in a bagfor a week away. Fittingly, the exhibitionwas ho used in a for mer rail way statio nthat had been brought to life with soundsof steam trains and intermittent puffs ofsmoke. A perpetual state of motion was

achieved with conveyor belts, whichrotated the collection past expectantviewe rs. The range f ocused on the notionof transformation and multifunctionalityby incl uding ite ms such as parka s thattransformed into sleeping bags andbackpack s that u nfolde d to f ormmakeshift wardrobes.

Whil st we e njoyed The Capsu le

collections contemporary utilitarianaesthetic, we also appreciated the morefolk embellished expression of NomadicDesign on show from Beirut baseddesigners Bokja. They presented TheMigration Collection, which had beeninspired by the hopes and fears of peoplewho m ake the decisio n to create a homesomewhere other than the place they wereborn. Their coll ection include d Th eMigration Sofa which appeared to carry a

burden of rol led u p rugs and be dding o nits back. Migration Wallpaper and Rugsbore th e moti f of birds re flec ting the irannual migration from one side of theworld to anoth er, and plates a nd cupswere e mbell ished with m otifs of pe oplewho h ave mig rated be cause o f war,political instability and even love. Wewere am used to see th at the notoriou smigration of film star Grard Depardieu,

who h as rece ntly reg istered as a Rus sianresident amid a tax row with France, wasalso referred to.

Nomadic Design

Main imag e:The Capsule by Tom Dixon and Adi das

Top: The Migration rug by Bokja

Middle : The Migration sofa by Bokja

Bottom: The Mig ration pl ates by Bokja

At t his years show we saw many examplesof designers creating pieces that respondedto this growing human desire for spontaneity,transformation and movement.Mariel Brown


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As the mass migra tion to the wo rlds citi escontinues and our hyper-connected livesbecome more fa st-paced , we increasingl ydesire moments of contemplative stillnessand seek to take time out to re-connectwith t he bea uty of nature. Ind eed, for th elast three years or so in Milan, one couldwitness designe rs refe rencing naturein both their form factor and materialchoices. However, this year we felt that

something new was emerging and that thelove for all things natural had taken on analmost spiritual or meditative meaning.

We were pa rticul arly d rawn to t hosedesigns that blended the technologicalwith t he natur al, a s they seemed to hintat a future where technology wouldenhance our sense of wellbeing ratherthan decrease it. An example of this couldbe see n from Jap anese te chnolo gy g iantsToshiba, who had partnered with designstudio IXI to create an installation titled

Soffio which is the Italian for breath. Theinstallation was comprised of tiny LEDlights and crystals that hung in a darkenedroom slowly fading from dark to half light.As the lights brightne ss increa sed, thecrystals next to them created a halo effectaround the light, allowing ephemeral thinrainbows to appear.

Similarly lifting our spirits through the

recreation of natural phenomena wasthe Ripple Project by Studio Shiikai andPoetic Lab. The Ripple Project lampcasts out dappled shadow and lightthat are reminiscent of those found onsurfaces of water. The pleasing effectis created by projecting a beam of lightthrough a gently rotating mouth-blownglass dome and offered a meditativemoment to passing show goers who tookthe opportunity to sit down in front of itas a break from the hustle and bustle ofthe show.

The trend for Reflection on Nature tooka celestial turn at Spazio Rossana Orlandi,where Eindhov en base d desi gn duo OSand OOS were exhibiting a clock/lightthat was inspired by lunar eclipses. Thenew piece is a build on their Syzyg y rangeof lights, which have been named afterthe astrological term that describes thealignment of three celestial bodies in thesame gravitational system. The clock/

light responds automatically to light levelsin a room; after dark the light increasesand during daylight the light outputdecreases. What we particularly enjoyedabout the design was that it tapped intoour innate human desire to gaze up at thesky and wonder

Reections on Nature

Main image: Ripple Project by Studio Shiikai and Poetic Lab

Top: Syzygy lamp/clock by OS and OOS

Bottom: Soffio installation by Studio IX for Toshiba

this year we felt that something new wasemerging and that the love for all thingsnatural had taken on an almost spiritualor meditative meaning.Mariel B rown


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Mariel BrownHead of Trends at Seymour powell

Mariel has over nine years of experienceworking in desig n, tech nolog y, andsocial trend forecasting. Since joiningSeymourpowell seven years ago she hasworked on a di verse range o f proje ctsincluding user research, product strategy,and global trend studies.

Mariel won a D&AD Award forProduct Design and a D&AD Award forEnvironmental Design, before gaining anMA in Design Products from the RoyalCollege of Art.

In her current role as Head of Trends,she translates her trend, market and userinsights into tangible future directionsfor numerous clients including Samsung,Panasonic, LG, Dell, Ford, Unileverand ASICS.

Mariel has contributed trend commentary

to numerous international publications,most recently, Contagious and ViewpointMagazine.

Chloe Amos-EdkinsDesign & CMF Researcher at Seymourpowell

With a m ultidis ciplinar y backgro undcombining design and CMF research,Chloe has eight years experience withdesign innovation projects for clientsranging from transport and consumerelectronics brands, through to FMCG.Her skills combine design research andconsumer, lifestyle and design trends

analysis. These are used to inform futurefocused design strategy, visual languageand CMF direction.

Chloe gained a first-class honoursdegree in Design For Industry fromNorthumbria University. Whilststudying, Chloe won an RSA StudentDesign Award for a public toilet concept,which eventua lly l ead to a n interest ingdiscussion about toilets with The Queen!

Some of Chloes clients include Ford,Dr. Martens, Unilever and LG.

A repor t by... and...


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Milan in Perspective 2013 - Design Duality

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Milan in Perspective 2013: Design Duality