BLOG: LWSY in Milan: Part 2
Day 2, and the list is longer than yesterday. Today was planned to explore all the exhibitions, installations and showroom/galleries that were dotted around the city. Lovely if you have a week, slightly nerve-racking if you are trying to complete this in just a day. Due to some clever hotel planning I was all set to start my day on foot. Via Tortona is one of the hubs of Design Week, with installations by Beijing Design Week, Dutch brand Moooi, and Designersblock, I could tackle my first hour with ease…
You might not know the name but you might recognise some of their more famous designs. Have you ever seen the giant black horse with a lampshade on it’s head? Or the life size black pig with a cocktail tray on it’s back? Both Moooi. Responsible for the more outlandish of designs, boss man Marcel Wanders stands guard over Moooi, and with a collective of other quite respectable designers creating future classics for the brand, Moooi’s representation in Milan just gets bigger and bigger each year.
Above one of my favourite new pieces at Moooi, Bucket Lamps by Studio Job.
A quick run through Designersblock Milano on via Tortona also. One of the busiest design areas of the week, this is a greast place as a new designer or artist to grab the attention of the international buyers and press. With installations, product launches, and presentations, Designersblock have been in this business since the late 90’s. Catch them in London next…
My friend below, always ready for her close up…
My next stop was luckily just next door. The team behind Beijing Design Week shipped over all their favourite designers from Taiwan, HK & China. This leading platform brought over the work of 30 designers and makers to present to an audience you may not have ever been to any of the events on that side of the world. I tell you something, it certainly made us want to go to Beijing for the next Design Week. Pieces below by Neri & Hu, this is part of the Zisha Tea Set series.
A quick cab ride later, I’m at 10 Corso Como. It’s imperative I visit this concept store every time I come to Milan, major FOMO comes into play if I don’t pop in if only for 10 minutes. Former fashion editor Carla Sozzani created this space using the gallery and bookshop as the core base with a small hotel concept called 3 rooms upstairs. The ground level is split between a cafe/restaurant and the most carefully edited fashion & lifestyle store. The courtyard café runs through the middle and offers a perfect vista for people watching. With 3 other stores in Seoul, Shanghai & Tokyo the Corso Como brand is known the world over nowadays. As a designer, you know you’ve made it once you’ve been chosen to present your collection there. My favourite place is the bookshop upstairs. I challenge you to find anything to buy for under £50 though….
One of my favourite chairs by Verner Panton, the Heart Cone Chair by Vitra.
Another quick taxi over to MOST Salone & to the Museo Nazionale Della Scienza e Della Tecnologia. A space curated by Tom Dixon this design destination during Design Week provides a space for forward thinking culture, commerce & creativity. In it’s second year the space pulls together over 100 brands & designers presenting new collections, installations and topics for conversation. With the Tom Dixon team behind this incredible space the installations are always really clever. This year, Dixon’s installation was set up as a Loading Bay. Walking through this warehouse space in one of the great halls of the technology museum, stacked boxes and warning signs lead you through to the pop-up tea shop where you can test out some new designs by the team and have a restoring cup of tea in his new tea sets. My stand out piece though were the giant Etch pendants.
The basement was a real treat. I’m losing count how many times I’m telling you that this is another favourite piece or brand, but really, Stellarworks are the most wonderful design brand. They were already tipped for great things during last years Design week, Wallpaper* named them Best New Brand of Milan 2012. Although their HQ is in Shanghai, Stellarworks have a very strong Danish aesthetic. After securing the rights to re-issue vintage pieces that were otherwise forgotten, Stellarworks are now selling pieces by Vilhelm Wohlert (Who’s Grandson now looks over his heritage) Mogens Andersen & Carlo Forcolini. Mixed with collections by Space NK, & Neri & Hu, Stellarworks are really doing great things in the furniture world.
Studio Job
Another short cab over to Spazio Rossana Orlandi to see Sé & Baroncelli…
New collections by HAY
Muller Van Severen
Yet another cab, this time to EDIT at Designjunction on via Perlota. By this point in the day (4pm ish) I had quite frankly forgotten what was left to do so just trusted my map that I had planned out on google maps and just asked my taxi drivers to just drop me off at the address given. Problem was, I didn’t always remember to write down the name of the exhibition or event so each address was becoming a bit of a surprise. Even more so for this location. I always remembered that I wanted to check out a new burger place that I remembered was in a similar area to EDIT. Problem was, when I thought I was going to EDIT, he dropped me off at the burger restaurant. Luckily it was just a few doors down! Crisis averted! Back to Edit, it’s a leading destination for contemporary interior design, busy with journalists and buyers this event has hop footed over from London Design Week. This is the first Milan edition which presented an edit of global brands with a focus on quality & authentic designs. Ercol, Oyuna & Case were 3 British brands amongst their selections. No time for photos here, I was far to concerned with getting around in super speedy time. I still had to get myself to the Fritz Hansen showroom, the Maison Hermes installation, & Ceccotti Collezioni all before a dinner reservation at ne a Acqua. By this point, coffee was replaced with an Apersol spritz.
Republic of Fritz Hansen on corso Guiseppe Garabaldi. The entire store was stripped of furniture to make way for Jaime Hayon’s new piece, the Rho Chair.
They went a bit CGI and invited visitors to try out their magic chair. Here I am snapped and transported to a different world..
Ceccotti Collezioni opposite the Armani Hotel.
Maison Hermes Installation…
Pane a Acqua to Spazio Rossana Orlandi. Dinner, finally after the longest day ever I was dying for a glass of wine. Which I promptly spilt all down my brand new Sophie Hulme coat. Nightmare. The cheese plate made up for it though.
Tomorrow, back to the fair for a handful of appointments, then the train to Florence…