Milan 2013: The Fiera

So we're back from a long week roaming the halls of the Fiera and the cobbled streets of Milan and now we're gathering our thoughts. What did we think of this years design extravaganza? 

Budri Italian marble inlay

Overall, the Fiera itself felt quieter than usual. Perhaps the Euro crisis is finally catching up with the Italian producers, but there seemed to be less bluster, less pizazz than normal and visitor numbers seemed to be down. Of course, this is based solely on the fact it was easier to walk through the aisles without meeting a traffic jam, and not on official figures, so it will be interesting to hear what the organisers have to say. The perceived reduction in visitors made for a more pleasant experience - you could actually stop, look and try the new products on offer.

The colour palette was fresh and light on the whole with zingy bursts of pinks, blues, yellows and the occasional orange on white or pale grey backgrounds. Light woods, brass, copper, marble and gradients appear to be the finishes of the moment. 

Arper stand design architectural plant wall

Eames Hang It All in new colour palette by Hella Jongerius for Vitra

Amidst the ubiquitous names of Urquiola, Bouroullec, Nendo, Starck et al a new name emerged - Sebastian Herkner. Slowly building his name for the last few years, this feels like the year he finally broke through. His Bell table, while not new, was much lusted after and the new Bell lights (both for ClassiCon) struck a fine balance between function and aesthetics. In the city you could find his marble and copper Salute side tables for La Chance. Watch him become a design star. 

Moroso is always a bellwether of the state of design. New designs came from Atelier Oï and their wonderful, fantastical Oasis system, the child-like Dumbo by Tomek Rygalik and a new collection of soft seating and tables called Cradle by Benjamin Hubert. 

Cradle by Benjamin Hubert for Moroso

Oasis by Atelier Oï for Moroso

Dumbo by Tomek Rygalik for Moroso

Claesson Koivisto Rune continue to lead the way for Swedish designers. Their Kelly series for Tacchini (inspired by the US artist Ellsworth Kelly) - pure, vibrant colour and organic shapes coincided with a new Cromatique direction for the brand. Use the large ones in reception, the low ones in a break out area and the relaxed one in a lounge - perfect!

Kelly E and Kelly H by Claesson Koivisto Rune for Tacchini

Galleria bench system in wood, fabric and marble by Pearson Lloyd for Tacchini

Konstantin Grcic's new Traffic system for Magis is both modernist and modern. The intricate exposed frame contain solid blocks of colour.

All in all, a good year for the Salone, not a great year. Let's see what 2014 has to offer.  
  

Örsjö at Euroluce 2013

Euroluce comes but once every 2 years, and Örsjö were back for their 4th time to show the Italians how the Scandinavians do lighting. 

Showcasing the acclaimed new Vinge light by Note Design Studio launched in February, alongside a cross-section of other popular products, the stand showcased the versatility and functionality of the Örsjö collection. PJ wall lights, now with direct connection, the Lean double pendant and the black chrome version of Benjamin Hubert's Crane light all received healthy interest from visitors from as far afield as the USA, Asia and Australia.

Örsjö will return to the Farmiloe Building during Clerkenwell Design Week in May, exhibiting all of the new products. Be sure to visit, but in the meantime, if you would like a copy of the brand new brochure just send us a quick hello.

Ӧrsjӧ collection 2012

The Stockholm Furniture and Northern Light Fairs have just finished and the immediate vox pop response to the new Ӧrsjӧ collection has been amazing. New products from new designers and new family members to compliment popular pieces made for an interesting display, with something for everyone.

Jonas Wagell is definitely a name to watch. With products for Mitab, Muuto, his own collection for Hello Industry and now Ӧrsjӧ, he is one of the fastest rising names in the Scandinavian design scene.

Wagell often takes the extremes of nature or industry as his inspiration. In the case of Studio he chose the latter, turning a photographer's studio light into a consumer product. Over-sized shades and reflectors are combined with more refined details like the solid steel handle and the polished reflectors. His first light for Ӧrsjӧ, Studio was presented both as a table light and a floor light. 

Jenny Bӓck has added a stunning new pendant to the ever popular Lean family, so now all bases are covered - ceiling, wall, table and floor. In keeping with the retro lines of Lean, the double shade pendant adds a new material; thin steel suspension cables tied together with delicate brass clasps. The familiar blend of materials (textile cable, brass, powder-coated steel) is still visible, just in a new form. Graceful in white, yet bold and graphic in black Lean continues to display Ӧrsjӧ's knack of creating lighting with real character.

Baklava by Claesson Koivisto Rune, originally designed for Nobis Hotel, is now available in pendant and wall versions, and both versions are available in two sizes. Talking points when used individually, when used in clusters Baklava is truly stunning.

Crane by Benjamin Hubert was presented in a new gloss yellow finish. Perforated metal, bright colours and gloss were all trends at the show and Crane encapsulated all 3 in one super slim task light. Functional, but never boring.

The new products will reach stores later in the Spring and will all be on display at Clerkenwell Design Week in May. Watch this space for further details.......

Ӧrsjӧ at the Northern Light Fair

IMM Cologne Highlights

The prevailing trends at this years IMM were natural materials like wood, leather and marble and pale grey/brown background colours accented by a pop of fluorescent yellow or pastel and jewel tones.

Left: Müller Mӧbel, Centre and Right: Schonbuch

Mellow Daybed by Formstelle for Zeitraum

Das Haus by Doshi Levien was an update on the Ideal House concept and showcased their taste for the eclectic and colourful. A house crammed with design and arranged around a courtyard, classics by Alvar Aalto and Nelson sat alongside their own designs for Moroso, Authentics and Cappellini as well as pieces from e15 and Flos. You could also find some religious icons and family photos pinned to the walls. 

It was certainly more engaging than the surprisingly lacklustre Patricia Urquiola A&W Designer of the Year show in the city centre. Of more interest was Patricia's decision to pass the baton, via the Mentor Award to young British designer du jour Benjamin Hubert. He is certainly making a name for himself in the international design world.

The Ineke Hans Collection was shown in the Pure Village area. Simple rough wooden planks, almost as if they had been recycled from pallets were fixed to precision metal joints and painted in candy colours to provide a cheerful and almost childlike alternative to the slick designs elsewhere.

 

Studio Kepenic attracted some blog attention even before the fair, with a post appearing on the influential Dailytonic for their new Plug&Play series. A simple idea of how to make flat-pack furniture less of a chore, Plug&Play comes with 2 sets of beautifully turned wooden legs - a main set and a second extension set which enables you to turn your coffee table into a dining table with ease.

  
Finally, a mention to Richard Lampert who revitalised their classic Hirche lounge chair from 1953 (shown below in the outdoor version) and showed it alongside Dish's Island by Alexander Seifried.

So, as the door closes on IMM Cologne for another year, we're keeping our luggage close to hand. Next stop Stockholm!

Mitab and Ӧrsjӧ at Tramshed 2011

Mitab and Ӧrsjӧ joined forces last week for the London Design Festival 2011, coming together to exhibit at Tramshed. Here are a selection of photos. More photos from Tramshed can be seen in our Facebook album HERE.

 

Mitab and Ӧrsjӧ at Tramshed 2011

The 2011 London Design Festival is fast approaching and is bigger than ever. Back for its 9th year, design districts are springing up all over London and there is so much to do that unless you have a tardis or a will of steel you won't make it to everything. Our advice is to pick up a copy of the yellow ICON Design Trail distributed across the city to make best use of your time.

Having said that, can we recommend you make some time to visit the Tramshed in Shoreditch, where Mitab and Ӧrsjӧ have joined forces to present some of the hottest names in Swedish design. Furniture by Form Us With Love, Swedish Ninja and Jonas Wagell will sit alongside lighting by Claesson Koivisto Rune and Matti Klenell.

Form Us With Love have quickly established themselves as a force to be reckoned with on the Swedish design scene and look set to emulate the international success of Claesson Koivisto Rune. Matti Klenell is the master of quiet craftsmanship, preferring to let his work do the talking, while Jonas Wagell and Swedish Ninja bring a certain sense of joy and fun to their work.

The Tramshed debuted at last years LDF and has already become a "must see" show. New collections by Søren Rose and Benjamin Hubert for de la Espada, the ever-fresh Ercol and new British design from the likes of Plant & Moss and Reeves Design will all be complimented by a seminar series conducted by Sam Grawe, who until recently was Editor-In-Chief at American style bible, Dwell.

Our hotlist for the rest of the Festival includes the CKR retrospective at Skandium, Hemma at the Swedish Ambassador's Residence, Noma Bar's "Cut It Out" at Outline Editions, John Pawson with Swarovski in the stunning St. Paul's Cathedral, Viaduct's Show 3 and if all else fails, make sure you give yourself a couple of hours at the V&A. Acting as the festival hub, the V&A will play host to a myriad installations, displays, talks and workshops. The perfect one stop shop if you're pressed for time during LDF.

For more details on the events happening across London check out the LDF website and Twitter feed. If you are a Twitterer, use the hashtag #ldf11 to search for posts and promote your event. We'll be tweeting as we go - you can follow us HERE.

See you at the Tramshed!

Clerkenwell Design Week 2011

We've been very slow posting our thoughts on this years Clerkenwell Design Week. Suffice to say, since the show ended we've been busy catching up with enquiries generated by the show (actually, we've been pretty busy since we started putting the stand together).

The reaction to the Ӧrsjӧ collection was fantastic. For many visitors it was the first time they had seen the pieces in the flesh, so we tried to select a cross-section of pieces, new and old, that reflected the Ӧrsjӧ commitment to quality and innovation. From the new 2011 collection Baklava, Crane and Great White sat alongside the perennial favourite that is Lean and relative old-timers like Mushroom and Ginko. Our only regret was that we couldn't show more.


We have posted a few images here, but we have added an album to our Facebook page.

The Farmiloe Building is a wonderful venue for an exhibition. The old glass merchants lends a relaxed atmosphere to proceedings, and everyone certainly seemed to enjoy an after work stroll through the stands with a beer or wine in hand.

There was certainly a strong Scandinavian presence in the Farmiloe Building, with Swedese, Zero, bsweden, Bolon, Offecct, Magnus Olesen and Muuto all showing alongside big-hitters like Andreu World, Moooi and Ligne Roset. Note to self: brush up on basic Swedish for next year, because I think they'll all be back!
British brands also had a strong showing with new collections from Lee Broom for Deadgood, Hitch Mylius, Another Country, Pinch and Scene.
The one downside to being an exhibitor is that you tend to miss out on other events taking place around Clerkenwell, and there was certainly a lot to choose from. The House of Detention showcased younger designers and brands, the normally quiet showrooms hummed with activity, Lulu Guinness invited everyone to be a pin-up and then of course there were the parties..........

All in all, we're looking forward to Clerkenwell Design Week 2012.