Virgil Abloh and limited edition design in the time of Instagram
One of the many options for furniture design in the last 15 years is that of limited editions. Products that are already in the catalog, reissued in special versions in a few copies, or new products designed by celebrities or personalities from other fields. Or again, new products designed by archistars in a few pieces: all of these are occasions to involve an alternative public to the regular buyer of furniture, with a foray into art and fashion.
The social networks dedicated to images, which until a few years ago were primarily interested in fashion, are now extending their influence to the furniture/design sector. Figures such as Virgil Abloh come from there. A Millennial from Rockford, Illinois, art director of Louis Vuitton, founder of the luxury streetwear brand Off White, an all-around creative who, in his short life, collaborated also with Vitra, Ikea, and Braun.
Who is Virgil Abloh
Born in the United States in 1980, and sadly passed away in 2021 at just 41, Virgil Abloh was an engineer and architect, and later also a fashion designer, an entrepreneur and a designer. More than a stylist, he was an entrepreneur-creative, who, after working with Kanye West, opened a concept store in Chicago - RSVP Gallery -, then continued with his fashion label, Off-White, and, from 2018, was artistic director of Louis Vuitton Men’s Collection.
Virgil Abloh, of course, counts 4.5 million followers on Instagram, and designed Hailey Bieber's wedding dress. It would seem the furthest thing from a style icon for a product like Vitra's or a democratic one like Ikea's. But apparently it does not.
The Prouvé collection for Vitra, re-interpreted
On the occasion of DesignMiami Basel 2019, Virgil Abloh designed a special installation at Zaha Hadid's Fire Station, at Vitra Campus. The exhibition Twentythirtyfive tried to imagine what the home of today's teenagers could look like in 2035. Abloh furnished the imaginary house with products by Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Arnio and Jean Prouvé, some of which were original, others reinterpreted in his version.
The designer redesigned the Petite Potence lamp and the Anthony chair by Jean Prouvé in a limited edition. All the pieces of this collection, included the brick that completed it, have been sold.
Abloh pointed out that this exhibition had been an opportunity to bring Jean Prouvé's projects closer to a younger audience, probably often lacking in knowledge on this subject. His, therefore, could be defined as a 'messenger' function, of someone who conveys the value of historical design to the younger generations.
The Markerad collection for Ikea
In addition to his work for Vitra, a company known for its research and endless portfolio of historical design icons, Virgil Abloh developed a limited-edition collection for Ikea. Two extremely different collaborations, aimed at an equally different audience.
The Markerad collection, a limited edition by Ikea, includes a few pieces of furniture and different accessories and complements, 15 pieces in total. Ikea planned the sale of these limited edition products for limited periods, in November 2019 (each country had different dates). The goal was clearly to reach a transversal audience, trying to personalize their home but without spending a fortune.
The Markerad collection was on sale in Milan and Rome, at Ikea stores, from November 1st, or online, from November 11.
Later, Virgil Abloh also collaborated with Braun, revamping some historic products. Abloh examined and explored the original concept design of Wandanlage, the 1961 stereo system, adapted for modern technology.
On the other hand, with Off-White, his fashion brand, he edited a limited edition of the BC02 alarm clock, designed by Dieter Rams in the late 1980s.
The question that pops up is: would the operations linked to Vitra, Ikea, and Braun have taken place without the social networks? Given that Virgil Abloh is first and foremost an architect, designer, and fashion designer, how much did his presence on social networks influence the choice? (Roberta Mutti)
Michael Anastassiades: Designer of the Year, Maison & Objet January 2020
Simplicity is a complex thing. These words summarize the design philosophy of Michael Anastassiades, Designer of the Year at the next edition of Maison & Objet, in Paris from 17 to 21 January 2020.
Despite being famous mainly for his collection of light fixtures, Michael Anastassiades designed products of different kinds, from furniture for B&B Italia, Herman Miller, Cassina, to glasses for Lobmeyr, to loudspeakers for Bang & Olufsen.
His projects are exhibited in the permanent collections of the MoMA in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and many more, in addition to London streets.
Master of Light
Anastassiades, born in Cyprus, opened his own design studio in London in 1994, and in 2007 launched the eponymous lighting brand at the trade fair held in Paris. His objects are characterized by primary shapes – line, circle, sphere – that define apparently simple products with a complex soul, exactly in the same way as a perfectly tailored suit made with fine fabrics combines simplicity and refinement.
Darkness is the starting point to design light, according to Anastassiades. Lights must not turn night into day and lamps are furnishing objects, off about 80% of their time. Therefore, lamps interact with the designed environment and their appearance is crucial in an interior design project.
Sustainability is a timeless object
The objects designed by Michael Anastassiades are timeless and go beyond the concept of sustainability. According to his design philosophy, things must last for a long time, forever if possible. That’s why he does not even feel the need to speak of sustainability: precious objects are eternal.
On the occasion of Michael Anastassiades Maison & Objet “Designer of the year”, all his 16 Mobile Chandeliers will be showcased together for the first time: in a dark space, the lamps, powered by motors, will move as if they were planets. This exhibition will highlight once again the concepts of darkness and light, emphasizing the magic resulting from their interaction.
HOMI, The lifestyle trade fair 2020
Back from 24 to 27 January 2020, in Rho Fieramilano, HOMI, The Lifestyles Exhibition. An international platform for quality design and research, ranging from decoration to the table, from cooking to textiles, from fragrances to gift items and decorations for ceremonies and celebrations.
The new edition hosts historical and established brands alongside the new designers. In line with the needs of an increasingly specific industry, within HOMI coexist multiple proposals, from craftsmanship, innovation and research, which make the show a reference point for the home and its setting.
To meet the needs of an increasingly demanding public, the visit routes follow the logic of distribution to match today's demands, rather than a market breakdown now outdated by the times.
HOMI - The Lifestyle Trade Fair - Rho Fieramilano, January 24-27, 2020
Festivity, January 22-26
HOMI - Visiting
The first path is HOME Retail Inspiration, dedicated mainly to specialized stores, GDO and e-commerce platforms. HOME Retail Inspiration presents a varied and versatile selection of products, spread over the two areas Fragrance Inspiration and Textile Inspiration.
HOME Boutique&Design, is the space for quality manufacturing, targeting department stores and concept stores, as well as interior designers and architects, with original proposals. Here you can find Creazioni Italiane, (Italian Creations)the area dedicated to Italian craftsmanship and design made in Italy. Also in this space is World Designers, which hosts the proposals of international designers.
The multi-product distribution and international import-export market can find a wide range of products, for different price ranges, in the HOME International Delivery section. For an even wider offer, in this area are also available gadgets and stationery.
Thanks to the layout of the exhibition paths, HOMI provides solutions for all professionals, both from a commercial perspective and for those looking for ideas and creativity. Objects and materials feature styles and trends, coming from Italy and abroad.
Finally, HOMI also proposes Festivity. The exhibition dedicated to festivities and decorations for special occasions, will focus on Christmas decorations and the art of the Nativity scene.
HOMI - The Lifestyle Trade Fair - Rho Fieramilano, January 24-27, 2020
Festivity, January 22-26
Info: Homimilano.com
Heimtextil 2020: the 50th edition
The 50th edition of Heimtextil, one of the world’s most important fairs dedicated to home and contract textiles, will take place from 7 to 10 January in Frankfurt, in the pavilions of Messe Frankfurt. About 3,000 exhibitors from all over the world are expected to take part in the next edition.
Sustainability at Heimtextil: the Green Directory
Among the exhibitors, around 250 will exhibit sustainable products and have already adopted sustainable practices connected to their participation in the fair. The Green Directory, which brings together these companies, is now in its tenth edition, and the list of companies with a “green” approach grows every year.
Discover the furniture by organic plastic and recycled plastic here
Also the Future Materials Library, in the Trend Space, hosts materials that undergo a sustainable production cycle. Here are recycled fabrics and grown fabrics – the so-called “living fabrics”. In this area there will also be certification bodies and, for the first time, the United Nations will present its Sustainable Development Goals.
Future trends in furniture: Trend Space
An area covering about 2,000 sq m, designed by Stijlinstituut Amsterdam, will host new materials and new projects. Here, it will be possible to have a look at colors and design trends in general, along with solutions that make projects more sustainable.
'Decorative & Furniture Fabrics', the segment dedicated to furnishings, is experiencing a ‘golden age’ and grows year by year. Forty companies will join this section in 2020, totaling over 400 exhibitors specializing in textile furniture, curtains and linen.
Heimtextil 2020, January 7-11
Discover more on Heimtextil here
Still on the subject of trends, Design Dialog offers a perspective on furnishing trends, with the contribution of Christiane Müller from Studio Müller Van Tol, Anne Marie Commandeur from Stijlinstituut Amsterdam representing the Heimtextil Trend Council, designer Werner Aisslinger and Susanne Tamborini-Liebenberg, editor-in-chief of md-Magazin, who will chair the event.
Interior architecture and hospitality
An area of Heimtextil is dedicated to the contract industry, with proposals addressed to architects and interior designers. Called the “Hospitality Library”, this is a special section featuring a selection of products with specific characteristics such as water-repellent, sound-absorbing and soundproofing, abrasion-resistant and flame-retardant.
50 years on display at Heimtextil
Finally, to celebrate such an important anniversary properly, an exhibition was needed. 'Beautiful Living', in Hall 9.0, illustrates the 50 years of history of the fair, along an exhibition path organized into four different scenarios. Four projects that illustrate the colors, shapes, furniture and design objects of the last decades. This showcase will be complemented by a café, in collaboration with the magazine Schöner Wohnen.
See you at Heimtextil 2020, January 7-11
Read more on Heimtextil here
An apartment in Rome, reminiscent of a classic palace, with the help of Neolith
Architects Roberto Bassignani and Stefano De Vecchis designed a spacious apartment in the centre of Rome, with a classic style. The customers' desire was a pure and essential architecture, inspired by Roman classicism, with neutral colours and natural materials.
Neolith is 100% natural stone, so it's a perfect material for walls and floors. The white Carrara and Black Marquina finishes impress with their accuracy and attention to detail, and the material features unique mechanical strength requirements.
For the walls and floors of the entire apartment, the the architects chose the polished Estatuario, a classic finish perfect to create the atmosphere of the ancient Roman palaces. The glossy white applied to the large surfaces opposes the dark grey of the Pietra di Piombo finish, which outlines paths and functions, and the light grey of Pietra di Luna Silk, applied to the balcony. The three colours are perfectly integrated, for a refined and elegant, classic and essential allure.
Neolith sintered stone: perfect for bathroom finishes
The Neolith sintered stone and the wide range of finishes and colors offered a wide choice for walls and floors of the three bathrooms.
For the master bathroom, the architects chose the glossy Black Marquina, to create a strong contrast with the white, polished Carrara Estatuario of the living room. It is a classic cladding, as a Roman palace.
Light brown and tobacco shades define the guest bathroom with the Pulpis Polished finish. Warm and delicate colors create a refined and sophisticated look with a relaxed atmosphere.
Finally, the children's bathroom features an equally elegant but much more casual atmosphere, with Pietra di Luna Silk and Lava. A combination of rich surfaces and warm colors softens the atmosphere, making it less formal and more playful.
Neolith, thanks to its high resistance to agents, shocks, stains, scratches, and the infinite range of sizes, colors, and finishes, is an ideal choice for wall and floor coverings, allowing you to create different atmospheres.
Info: Neolith.com
More efficient heating and cooling with Sofi HC by Cordivari Design
Cordivari Design presents its latest product: Sofi HC, the perfect radiator for those looking for a device able to combine hot and cold, beauty and efficiency in a single appliance.
Sofi HC is both a decorative radiator and a fan coil unit, being thus able to offer both heating and air conditioning functions.
Sofi HC by Cordivari Design is the perfect solution for maximum comfort; ideal for working even at low temperatures, with heat pump generators, condensing or solar thermal boilers, it is also highly energy efficient and cost effective.
Among other features, Sofi HC is equipped with filters that block dust, dust mites, bacteria and odors to ensure maximum environmental hygiene. Moreover, these filters reduce the presence of allergens, improving air quality.
Discover also Frame + Lynea, by Cordivari Design
The Sofi HC radiator and fan coil unit can be used also with traditional systems and is a perfect choice also in aesthetic terms. Available in over 90 colors and less than 15 cm thick, it can be placed anywhere.
Info: CordivariDesign.it
Discover also Decorative radiators
The light that purifies air
In recent years, healthy and clean air at home has become an increasingly important element for our well-being. Air purifiers, which have become increasingly popular, are the result of sophisticated design and are often integrated into appliances that perform other functions. Moreover, the trend of integrated kitchen and living areas, with central kitchen islands, creates a need for alternative solutions for the installation of the hood, which is no longer wall-mounted.
For this reason, several extractor fan manufacturers have developed models of ceiling-mounted hoods, enriched with the lighting function. The chandelier hood performs the same suction/filtering functions as common hood, and, in some cases, is even a ionizer and air purifier. They are a brilliant idea for a healthier and cleaner air at home, as well as contemporary furnishings able to match different styles and needs.
The hood hidden in a pendant lamp
Furthermore, a lighting hood can be placed anywhere in a house in order to have clean and purified air in every room – even in the bedroom, the study or the spaces dedicated to home office. Thanks to their construction technique, they exhaust air directly to the outside, and today’s technology makes it also possible to easily remove filters and wash them in the washing machine. Last but not least, extractor fans are now equipped with especially quiet motors, solving also the problem of noise.
Falmec hoods equipped with E.ion system, besides filtering and purifying air, are also equipped with ionizing system. In this way, the LED ceiling lamp becomes a complete system allowing you to have constantly clean, healthy and scented air. The hood, equipped with a sensor, turns on only when needed. Filters can be removed and washed in the washing machine.
Discover also Sintesi, a hood, a concept
The chandelier hood: a furniture piece
Among the several models offered by Elica, Interstellar is an impressive decorative element. The external surface is made of polished steel and 1,150 spectacular pieces of glass. With the Interstellar chandelier hood, it is also possible to adjust and direct the lighting system and to automatically calibrate suction power depending on the vapors emitted.
On the other side, Audrey, another product by Elica, has a slightly bell-shaped silhouette and a central LED ceiling lamp for a higher light intensity. Finally, Summilux, by Elica again, combines mirror polished steel or copper with a contrasting frosted glass surface for an impressive decorative effect.
Mood by Novy is a pendant lamp consisting of two shells containing the filters. Light can be adjusted choosing between warm or cool light, punctual or diffused, and gradual dimming.
Another Novy product, the Cloud hood is a minimal ceiling lamp that illuminates the room thanks to the LED bars distributed along its perimeter. Depending on the models, the homogenous light can be adjusted from the cooktop or with the remote control.
Carlo Colombo designed Glow, by Faber, a hood designed expressly for the living area. The suction and filtering functions are integrated into a ceiling lamp that becomes a perfect furnishing accessory. Glow is equipped with a mechanism that allows you to lower or lift the hood as needed, while working.
At imm cologne, Das Haus 2020 lands in Spain with MUT
Every year, in January, imm cologne is the first furniture fair of the year, presenting the latest trends to an international and professional audience. On the occasion, every year an internationally renowned designer or studio presents its idea of a fully furnished home: Das Haus - Interiors on Stage, a complete architecture of about 180 square meters. The designers in charge design the architecture and all the interiors, choose the finishes, furnishings, lighting and everything that makes up the house.
imm cologne 2020 edition has chosen the studio MUT, a multidisciplinary creative firm from Valencia that brings a Mediterranean flair into the ideal home. Mediterranean and, specifically, Spanish: a lifestyle that combines outdoor living with indoor spaces, where nature and inhabited space have always coexisted in harmony.
"A la fresca", Das Haus at imm cologne 2020
“Das Haus offers designers the opportunity to create a project that is free from the rules of the market and production," commented MUT. "Our project is inspired by the traditional Spanish culture of living, where houses bring together nature in their interior”.
Their project for Das Haus focuses on the concept of the Spanish house, adjusted to the contemporary mood. The interior space, with its kitchen, bathroom and sleeping functions, combines with the outdoor spaces, as in the Spanish patio tradition.
The ambiences thus become fluid, and the different functions are mixed, creating continuous spaces with no too many divisions between indoor and outdoor. The MUT studio, on the other hand, stands out for the different disciplines it is active in, and so will their multi-functional, multi-faceted home.
Since the first edition in 2012, different designers from around the world have been involved in the project: Doshi Levien (2012), Luca Nichetto (2013), Louise Campbell (2014) Neri & Hu (2015), Sebastian Herkner (2016), Todd Bracher (2017), Lucie Koldova (2018), TrulyTruly (2019).
Browse previous editions of Das Haus at imm cologne here
Find out more about Das Haus here
Sacco Goes Green
The Sacco by Zanotta, (the bean-bag) a multi-award-winning and one of the most copied design pieces of the world, has turned 50 and so needed to regenerate a bit. Created in 1968 from an idea of three architects from Turin, Piero Gatti, Cesare Paolini and Franco Teodoro, Sacco marked a radical break with the concept of chair, armchair and sofa.
A 'bag' in the very sense of the word, it was made of a plastic coating filled with polystyrene balls. Thanks to the absence of any structure, it flattens out and stretches under the weight of the body, thus becoming a generational manifesto.
A bit because you can sit there only if you are young and athletic, but also for the idea of having a single element encompassing three, and had (and still has) a very affordable price.
Sacco achieved a worldwide success; from Fantozzi's movies to pop culture, the 'Bean Bag' - so called in English language - spread throughout the world a new way of sitting.
But times change, and our times have changed a lot. The plastic, the revolutionary material which was so exciting for the the baby boomers, today is presenting a huge bill, and it is necessary to think of alternative materials. So Zanotta decided to think of a new 'green' version of Sacco.
Discover the furniture by recycled plastic and bio-plastic
The new Sacco Goes Green
Sacco Goes Green is filled with BioFoam microspheres by Synbra, a bioplastic (PLA) made from sugar cane and similar to the EPS (high strength expanded polystyrene) of the first version in terms of structure, properties, and technical performance. Unlike EPS, BioFoam pellets are of vegetable origin.
The internal and external coverings come in ECONYL, a regenerated nylon thread made from recycled fishing nets, scraps of fabric and industrial plastic. For the Sacco Goes Green collection, Zanotta collaborated with Pierre Charpin, who designed a decoration for the external covering inspired by the concept of mesh. The dense interweaving of coloured lines is available in three different colours, and the mesh pattern can follow the Sacco's movements without any distortion.
The Sacco Goes Green collection is a limited edition, in three series of 100 pieces each, which stand out for the patterns.
Discover the furniture by recycled plastic and bio-plastic
Info: Zanotta.it
I-Made, made in Italy in London
The first edition of I-Made, an exhibition curated by Giulio Cappellini at the Saatchi Gallery, debuted in London during the London Design Festival 2019. More than just an exhibition, I-Made could be viewed as a platform to celebrate design Made in Italy, combining trade booths with cultural exhibitions.
Giulio Cappellini explained that the idea behind I-Made, was to showcase Italian excellence, whether large or small companies, from different industries. Made in Italy design is not only furniture. There are excellences in design also in architecture, or in the technological, naval and automotive areas.
Moreover, the choice of an art gallery such as the Saatchi Gallery, allowed to display the products in an ideal and prestigious setting.
The so-called 'business' area was complemented by 'Please Take a Seat', an exhibition dedicated to iconic Italian design chairs. To highlight the value of the Made in Italy product, the exhibition had a museum setting, which highlights how some chairs can be compared to works of art.
The first edition of I-Made in London attracted an audience of professionals and trade press, and confirms the importance of London as a hub, specially for brands operating in contract business.
Moreover, is also confirmation that design made in Italy doesn't mean just furniture, but also includes other areas, such as yachting, hospitality, automotive and more.
Info: I-Made.co.uk