Milan Design week 2018, a playground for grown ups delivering a feast for the senses.
By Roisin Lafferty
I love visiting Milan, and when I was kindly invited to travel to Milan Design week with the DFS design team I jumped at the chance. It was a wonderful opportunity to see where the inspiration for their collections come from, but it was also a chance to gain an appreciation for the quality of the materials they work with while gaining a deeper understanding of how they translate design concepts into reality. Two of their most exciting new designs stemmed from last year’s Milan adventure, the DFS Melody Corner Sofa and the DFS French Connection Hoxton.
It is safe to say that Milan Design week 2018 reached new levels of imagination and creativity and having spent four days in the city, I went home with renewed energy, stimulated senses and an excitement for the endless design possibilities.
Experiential
Technology has completely transformed the world and with our new fast-paced lifestyles and constant social media habits, desire and demand of the ‘experiential’ has become tantamount.
There is now a constant stream of international design inspiration imagery readily available on the likes of Instagram and Pinterest. Simply put, there are just some things a photo can never do. To stand out, it is more crucial than ever for brands to do something different in this highly competitive and saturated market. People want and expect more. They seek the unusual and the unexpected. Consequently there was a significant focus on creating encapsulating environments that made the visitor tap into their emotions and feelings as an atmosphere gives so much more and leaves a longer lasting impression than a photo ever will.
Emotion was palpable throughout the city. This new approach has appealed to a much wider demographic, bypassing the, often elitist, design approach and subsequently offers a more inclusive atmosphere. There was a real sense of whimsy, nostalgia and dream like imagination. It reminded me of the passion and infectious energy that good design can ignite! One of the exciting things about this approach is that every visitor has a completely unique experience and feels and reacts differently.
Battle for Your Senses
Of particular note was the immersive nature of the installations and the wonderful assault on all the senses. It was a symphony orchestra of music, colour, material, and tactility. It was like a grown-up playground that instilled the wonder of a child into all who explored and absorbed the visual and sensory feast surrounding them. The best part is that they were all open to the public and free of charge.
Nilufur Gallery with installation bar from India Mahdavi
Giant toy-like sculptures, oversized mid-century lighting and vibrant jewel tones fabrics greet you when entering this renowned treasure chest.
India Mahdavi took over the first floor, providing a shaded and cozy bar space, further pushing the rich, jewel colour palette. Her trademark curves and shapes flooded the walls, custom furniture and free standing bar, cocooning you and providing a visual treat.
Gubi at Palazzo Serbelloni
Gubi furniture and designs from throughout the brand’s evolution were showcased in the most breath-taking backdrop, the Palazzo Serbelloni. The historic 18th century building featured intricate plasterwork, hand carved joinery, inlaid brasswork, polished marble and terrazzo floors and sky high ceilings… and that was just the backdrop.
Framing sets of Gubi pieces, this wonderful display sought to show off the timelessness of the Gubi designs, combining collections from different eras in carefully considered roomsets, each view and vignette exquisitely styled. I could not help but appreciate the ageless quality of the products. The best part of all was that we were encouraged to touch and sit on the pieces. This lack of preciousness made the whole experience more accessible, a much better sales approach in my opinion!
‘Life in Vogue’ – Vogue Italia offices reimagined by a selection of international designers
Without a doubt, one of my major highlights. Combining beautiful fashion photography with creative inventiveness, a collection of some of the world’s most inspiring designers were tasked with transforming the iconic offices.
Designers include Faye Toogood, Patricia Urquiola, Muller Van Severen, Sabine Marcelis, Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel, Quincoces-Drago, Mario Bellini and Michael Bargo.
This gave me a feeling of being somewhere I shouldn’t, a fly on the wall experience and the thrill of seeing into other people’s worlds. Blurring real and imagined, the Vogue Italia staff worked in half of their office, whilst the rest was taken over by design enthusiasts and designer installations.
Each designer had a unique approach of depicting the offices evolution, resulting in a juxtaposition of unique interior styles, from hand painted wall coverings by Faye Toogood to mouth-watering furniture design by Quincoces-Drago. The sighs of awe echoed through the building.
Bulgari Labyrinth Installation
Mind blowing; a full-sized snakes and ladders meets Tetris installation, to climb over, under, through and on. This was pure fun and play. Neon endless tunnels and signage, haunting soundtrack, mirrored ceilings reflecting monochrome pattern, chiming bells of copper, brass and chrome stimulating every sense in this absolute beauty.
Carlo E Camilla
The most beautiful restaurant I have stepped foot into. Created by Michelin starred chef Carlo Cracco and art director Tanja Solci; this converted industrial saw mill has been transformed into a theatrical vision: stripped back design heaven of vaulted ceilings, crumbling brick, chalky polished concrete floors and antique chandeliers and furniture. On my last day in Milan, this visit had the feeling of everything falling into place. I managed to get a lunch reservation and wandered around in awe for hours. A complete sensory wonderland from the delicious food, that was as beautiful as it was tasty, the fantastic wild flower arrangements, inside and out and the mid-century delights. I happily stayed for three hours and could have permanently moved in!
Rossana Orlandi Gallery and Gardens
The international style icon Rossana Orlandi set up this eclectic gallery and gardens curating a tapestry of international design items from furniture to jewellery, artwork to garden sculptures in a beautiful overgrown setting. Located in an old Tie factory, crumbling courtyards cascade into undulating buildings with inventive retail displays throughout. The Italians do it better… this shopping experience also has food, wine, entertainment and sun lit terraces to while away an afternoon.
Ventura Centrale
Following the success of last years Central station exhibitions, the vaulted warehouses in the historic building were once again transformed and taken over by a collection of different brands and products including Surface Diner in collaboration with David Rockwell – a neon hipster diner experience, Stephen Hurlemann and his ‘Giants with Dwarf’ installation of the most charming timber crafted, full sized creatures, Eileen Fisher and her beautiful collection of handcrafted wall hangings made from recycled waste textiles, to name but a few.
Exhilarating and humbling
A feast for all the senses, Milan Design week is an overwhelmingly creative experience, exhilarating and humbling in equal measure. It was a privilege to be amongst such beauty and creativity in the Milan sunshine, sharing these unique and transient experiences with fellow designers and kindred spirits. But Milan Design is not just for designers. It is for anyone who appreciates design, innovation and art, and for those who enjoy conjuring their inner child in a playground for the senses. I couldn’t recommend a trip highly enough.
While all opinions are my own, our visit to Milan was in collaboration with DFS and I wish to extend to them my sincere thanks for organising travel and accommodation. And a special thank you to Niamh O’Carroll from O’Carroll Consulting who made all this happen.
