The Design Week is one of the best opportunity that the city of Milan offers to the brands who want to present new products, innovative collaboration and unusual projects.
The so called Fuorisalone, the ensemble of the launch parties and events that take place inside the city during the International Furinishing Exhibition (Salone del Mobile), offered a rich programme of brand collaborations. In our review we will would like to make a rundown of what we found the most interesting projects.
Among the “new entry” brands of Fuorisalone, and maybe one of the most unusual, we find Chupa Chups and Mentos. Both Perfetti Van Melle brands, presented for the occasion two original collaborations one in design with altreforme and the other with the beachwear brand “Yes I Am” by Cristiano Rinaldi.
Another couple of bands surprised us with the presentation of unexpected and original products, O bag and Save My Bag. Two accessories brands that decided to bring their unique strengths and values in design. O bag proposed for the occasion O joy, a smart multisensory lamp designed by Franco Driusso, and O eat, a modular and colorful lunchbox signed laboratorio.quattro. O bag took this chance to announce the company’s intention to extend their presence also in design with the creation of a Home Design collection.
Save My Bag has instead presented Poly Carpet. After the introduction of the soft multicolored Poly Pillow, Save My Bag created special carpets reinterpreting, in a modern way, with bright colors, the classic Persian fantasies. The carpets are realized in Poly-fabric, the material used for the iconic bags, and Lycra.
Pijama, the lifestyle brand specialized in soft covers for electronic devices and design objects made of neoprene, has created for the occasion a very special “cover” in collaboration with Offfi, eclectic green space inside the heart of Isola district in Milan. We’re talking about a limited edition of soft pot covers with colorful and geometric fabrics chosen by Offfi.
Kartell, the iconic Italian design brand, for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of “I Componibili” – one of its most iconic piece designed by Anna Castelli Ferrieri – presented a special tribute collection. Fifteen designer reinterpreted this timeless products following their own style: Ron Arad, Mario Bellini, Antonio Citterio, Ferruccio Laviani, Piero Lissoni, Alberto Meda, Alessandro Mendini, Nendo, Fabio Novembre, Philippe Starck, Patricia Urquiola, Tokujin Yoshioka and the fashion brands Emilio Pucci and Missoni, as well as a special edition in collaboration with Disney, dedicated to the film “Beauty and the Beast”.
Many high-fashion brands, presented their Home collections during the Furinishing Exhibition (Salone del Mobile) in Rho Fiera Milano, of which we will give you a broader view in our next reportage (stay tuned!). Among the many, some brands decided instead to present their novelties exclusively at Fuorisalone. For example Avant Toi, which presented its first homewear line of products, or Missoni that, under the creative direction of Rosita Missoni, has launched its first line of wallpapers, Wallcoverings01, realized in collaboration with Jannelli & Volpi. Dolce & Gabbana, instead, after the collection of 100 colorful refrigerators launched in 2016, has decided to expand its cooperation with Smeg with a line of small kitchen appliances that combine craftsmanship and technology. The “Sicily is my Love” line includes: toasters, juicers, coffee machines, kettles, blenders, mixers and juice extractors with the typical Sicilian decorations.
Among the unusual collaborations we can’t mention Citroën and Gufram, which created a C4 Cactus show car, synthesis of innovation in the use of advanced materials with an ironic design.
Moleskine has instead organized an event with the New York street artist Bradley Theodore, who has customized with his art, the Classic Moleskine backpack, designed by Italian designer Giulio Iacchetti. Always talking about art, Isi & friends presented the dog collar designed by the artist Ugo Nespolo.
Back to the design, the Italian designer Paola Navone has added to its numerous collaborations Swatch and Frette. For the occasion, she created the “Swatch Art Special Thammada”, Thai expression meaning “simple things”, available in a limited and numbered edition of 888 pieces, sold only in the Swatch stores of Lombardy. For Frette the designer created instead a bedding capsules “B & W Signs” which describe the white in all its interpretations.
In the end, impossible not to mention the project “Barbie’s House of Dreams,” a romantic love declaration that the architect, designer and, above all, father Gabriele Pardi has made to his daughter Alice, transforming their home in Corso Como 5, in a real Barbie’s house thanks to the video mapping technique.
