Widening net of world trade has emerged that the cause of 45 Salone Internazionale del Mobile international furniture fair is held on the outskirts of Milan, to host near-record 2500 exhibitors from 37 countries this month. This is the New Age trade caravan, and with it came an international hybrid aesthetic that even the Italians, 90 percent of the exhibitors, embraced.
Fairgrounds and new buildings in Rho-Pero, designed by Massimiliano Fuksas, the showroom in the city, and private parties leading up to opening day, and off-site events Tortona design district of slums I saloni time, viewers get a clear view of what will happen to the furniture, kitchen and bathroom design store this fall.
Milelong road Fuksas' - with a clear canopy small posts 120 yards in the air, flanked by buildings and transparent metal weapons shaped dirigibles stage Pavilions - such an exciting vision for the future. In the 20 exhibition halls, and towering in addition to Salone Satellite undiscovered young designers, fairgoers find the next wave of design - cross-pollination of ideas and sensual modern western, decorative, lace traditional themes seen in Japan, Spain or Latin America.
Cappellini is used to display the models come from the circle of life. With the theme of domestic nomadism, "the experience at home, without limitation," was promoted in almost no walls between the rooms, and also for aesthetic design with easy Crossovers and resurrection. Tom Dixon's classic Bolide chair and Marcel wanders' Red knotted chair, both published in limited editions, and the new Jasper Morrison Elise bed of his 1990 Jaipur couch repeat the obvious. Across the room, the new design is shown Crossovers technology and culture, including Francois Azambourg one-of-a kind of Mr. Bugatti chairs made of randomly dented cans filled with polyurethane, and Moroso Lotus smart chair.
Asian influence is clearly obvious "in the introduction of many manufacturers that we visited," said Cardenio Petrucci, an Italian and an owner of Dzine, a new modern store in San Francisco.
For several years the furniture industry has left behind sales - reported nearly 10 percent decline in income for the Italian company. The pressure to improve results through major design innovation high. A move away from simple, rectilinear clarity to the decorative, patterned spirit seems to be a popular determination, and even non-Italian company turned to the textures, patterns and bright colors.
British designer Tom Dixon's interesting geometrics on the laminate and textiles, there are patterns of flowers and animals are printed with thousands of people like Dutch Droog design and Tord Boontje. Collection of ceramic vases with bird and flower patterns for Moroso is Boontje's best work.
Another phenomenon, echoing the world of fashion, is a constellation of superstars in the industry. Some designers - Patricia Urquiola, Ross Lovegrove, Ron Arad, Philippe Starck, Naoto Fukusawa, Piero Lissoni, to name a few - look down the catwalk together for several high profile companies, including Porro, Driade, Moroso, Vitra, cartel, horm and Boffi. Such a strategy could easily backfire if the designer tried to dilute their vision is different for every company - or, worse yet, give each client the same thing.
Not so, says Starck. "I'm older and more experienced. I tried to show me. I design for my friends, my culture and my interest in the community," he said. "I finished the project depends on technology companies and what they can do. It depends on the details."
"Not every company I worked for interpreted wrong end of every technology. Only the cartel can make something like the Louis Ghost chair sa plastic. Emeco aluminum chairs can do."
Piero Lissoni, furniture also comes in a variety of labels, also created an unusual stand for Porro. "Every year he surprised us," said sales manager Amelia Tagliabue. Lissoni's panels of light from the two-story exhibition stands Porro dynamically from the surroundings. In the booth, an elegant room settings on display Porro's efficient, curved sections, with some Lissoni and Jean Marie Massaud.
Georgetti, known for his offbeat creations hand-cut beech, maple and cherry wood that seemed tailored to the owner Carlo Georgetti, has expanded its portfolio of fine designer generated population, Chi Wing Lo. The design was typical of Asia is good in the eyes. Among the least, but the most complex, both models show Georgetti factory in Meda, just north of Milan, is the EOS, tripod trolley / trolley unusual bond.
"It took a long time to decide on wheels," he said. "Each such table has a tendency to tilt, and if it has wheels, the pressure of the point where the wheels touch the ground." Lo Wing manipulate the steel reinforcing and Armature be firm and smooth waiter holds a tray top and a round wooden shelves to hold another tray below.
Lo Wing designed Georgetti's booth at saloni ko. "This year we opened," he said. "Space is a form of luxury. Contemporary luxury is time and place."
"My grandfather started the company. Of course you can change after 100 years," said Georgetti. He took the eponymous company of renaissance-style furniture manufacturing in many requests of modernism, which echoes the evolution of Italian design in general.
Thinking like in Milan also may refer to the time, as Berlusconi's right-wing, anti-immigrant, anti-change in the Italian government to get the boot.
Sa remarkable Driade showroom, a Palazzo of the 18th century and the paintings on the walls where paintings by more than 15 new products - many of aluminum - the prime, Naoto Fukusawa led a roomful of his design.
His extended Muku (solid) line of sofas, tables and a simple coat hanger all made of mahogany, white marble or Japan has a unique origin and Mingei mesh well with the rest of Driade's rationalist, minimalist system designed by the architect-designer Antonia Astori .
Astori worked in Driade aesthetic for 35 years, and he also appeared a tendency toward what looks like a Japanese aesthetic to his desk Virginia, cotton console and Eileen bookshelf. His 2003 Department Epiplos II, which has the same feelings, it seems like a tall pine Tansu chest. Based on the system box, cut the width and height have the appropriate share of the width (2.5 cm) from the slot that is used as a drawer pull.
"There is no ideal size is, but sometimes I force the machine to use the box. That way, they will not just furniture, but part of the architecture," he said, referring also to the kitchen and the toilet system was designed to disappear behind the door fold.
Other companies, such as Zanotta, depending on their own vision to achieve the same feeling, decorative aesthetic epitomized by Lama, a curved chair leather goods mounted on a steel frame by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba, and Veryround, beautiful, smooth laser - cut sheet metal, mat-like chairs for outdoor use.
Vitra cartel and, by chance beside each other, each representing the full spectrum of their oeuvres back decades. Cartel exhibited early Starck design and latest Top Top tables with translucent acrylic legs. The oldest poster design looks fresh today as they were when they were prime.
Cartel, which began as a company makes plastic parts for cars, also worked together to design a new brochure Citroen C3 Pluriel, launched one of the cartel. Rho-Pero sa lot of new models, including a collapsible trolley by Antonio Citterio, Panier plastic basket tables by Erwan and Ronan Bouroullec ($ 244 - $ 288) and hole-injection lace formed the tables ($ 227) by not unbearable, productive Spain Patricia Urquiola.
She cried during the Moroso party that he can not imagine how he became so busy. "Not long ago when we worked, too," he said. By changing the face of Italian design, this idea Milan designers clearly many requests.
His felt-covered chaises for Moroso, by lifting a red poinsettia against a white (like kimono patterns) is one of the more brilliant, fantastic year this design. Tip Shanghai, a set of sofas in painted sticklike legs, do not leave doubts about her Asian inspiration.
Sa Vitra, which is also part of design dedicated to the history, overscale pendant lamp shades made of snap-on leather and felt the panel system, designed by the Bouroullec brothers, appeared relaxed part of the company. Hella Jongerius, a designer first lady has invited the company folded in the year, added to the friendly, gentle, more decorative Vitra Home Collection.
His workers seem seats made of cloth and remaining ingredients - such homespun crafts project. Part of the purpose is to create a comfortable design in the eye and which may go to any settings. People do not always know what to do in their homes, he said, and in this way, "I helped them to create a language."
Central European companies, most Americans - Emeco, Heller and Odegard - held their own with a classic icon and a new design. Eames Demetrios, whose grandfather Charles Eames' work is part of Vitra's retrospective show, was enthusiastic about doing a series of films about how Emeco crafted design.
"Citizen Starck" shows the creation of well-known version of Starck Emeco aluminum chairs for the U. S. Navy and describes the designer in a philosophical mode: "I am not a designer. I am a citizen of the French meaning of the word," he was quoted as saying.
Ingo Maurer, New York lighting designer, is an impressive off-site design exhibition Lara Hedberg Deam, founder of the magazine alive, admired. San Francisco designers are also getting their names in lights. Galleria Alessandro De March Milano, lighting designer and artist Johanna Grawunder, a former partner at Sottsass Associati who often commutes between Milan and San Francisco, shows two limited-edition pieces. Show "New Position" consists of an easy chair with a lamp mounted on the bottom tube and a literal table lamp - a table filled with hundreds overscale incandescent lamp, he intended to be suspended above the table.
San Francisco's Yves Behar (over the years he has designed a chandelier for Swarovski and glass sail for Bombay Sapphire Martini) and students from California College of Arts show equipment such as kennels and fill their own drinking water, part of the collection Gino Dogs (now on display at the Commission in San Francisco). They were exhibited at Sportmax near bowls designed by French designer Andree Putman, all for Gaia & Gino.
Dixon and Droog near booth at Superstudio Piu, Bombay Sapphire Martini held a new competition glass. Winners Jorre van Ast and Tomek from British Rygalik made upside down, blown glass consists of skin stem rising from a shallow bowl. Rygalik also designed leather seats for all Moroso Raw.
For people to the house, Bombay Sapphire has another treat waiting at the airport Malpensa: Tom Dixon's Stretch sofas - long enough to accommodate a pair of stretched-out of new trade routes Bedouin.
E-mail Zahid Sardar at zsardar@sfchronicle.com.
