Milan Design Week

by VISI BLOGGER & DEPUTY EDITOR Annemarie Meintjes

The largest decoration trade fair in the world – the Salone del Mobile – kicked off this week in Milan. VISI’s Annemarie Meintjes is there to celebrate the design week’s 50th birthday. Keep an eye on this blog for her regular updates…

15 APRIL

5 quickies (till I show-and-tell-it-all in my SALONI 2011 report back):

COLOURS: It’s all about wood, white, gold and copper, delft and chinese porcelain – and – accents of yellow, red and orange, and all the greens. Skin replaced by lilac.

MATERIALS: Living light. Everything that can be moulded into a desirable shape and which can live inside and outside.

EFFECTS: 3D and origami.

ATTITUDE: Guerilla, nomads and community.

LIFESTYLE: Communal living as opposed to online alianation (loneliness). A touch of “orginess” here… so expect porn.

15 APRIL

Everybody left the KARTELL stand smiling. Is it the product, the styling or the colour that does it? One wonders… I think people love colour. It makes them happy. And KARTELL never takes themselves seriously. They just have fun!

Also moved to TOWNHOUSE 8 in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele 11, 100m from the spectacular DUOMO. Above is the view from my room, where the champagne is free but you have to pay for coke (as in cola!). www.townhouse.it

14 APRIL

Since we had the scoop of Karen Roos’s Babylonstoren in VISI 52, it has appeared in almost every decor magazine on our shelves. The latest Italian Elle and the Spanish AD (both personal favourites) currently on sale here in Milan have a feature on Babylonstoren! But the SMSs to say that Babylonstoren has reached both the British and American Conde Nast Travellers’ list, called for a celebration!

The celebration had to be a classic, old-world Italian affair. So we chose BOEUCC “antico ristorante dal 1696” – the forever favourite of the patrons of La Scalla, situated between the Duomo and Teatro alla Scalla on Piazza Belgioioso. In the entrance of this famous restaurant, to greet us, was a framed poster of William Kentrige’s Magic Flute!

We South Africans end up in the best places, don’t we?! Congratulations to the Babylonstoren team!  

13 APRIL

Being in Milan is more than visiting Rho Fiera, Zona Tortona or The Triennale. It’s installations like the one pictured in the gallery above, by Mimmo Paladino, that stays with you for life!

12 APRIL

Designing the future was the theme for this year’s Salone Satelite designs. My favourites were:

– Carlo Contin’s FOREVER YOUNG, which portrayed the message that design can make us happy and teach us to never stop dreaming. This was illustrated as a happy zone with 16 playground swings. www.carlocontin.it

– SuperFarm by Scuola Politecnica di Design is an urban sustainable superfarm that will serve the society as a supermarket. www.superfarm.it, www.scuoladesign.com

It’s Wednesday and I’m already over stimulated with ideas and overloaded with printed matter! I should really leave at this stage, but there’s no way they’ll let me on the plane with with seven carry bags – and – I still have to do the bathroom stands! How do I manage to do this every year?

Crowds like never before, but not too many Japanese or South Africans around yet. Marc from ELDC was on my flight, saw Francesco from Spazzio at Driade, Chris from Limeline at MDF and Allan Fennell at EDRA (I was on the inside and he on the outside looking in!). Wonder when Lucilla and Paul Pamboukian and the Tonic-boys will arrive? But the week is till young…

Zona Tortonna is the place to be if you’re on a designer hunt – Marcel Wanders, Patricia Urquiola and Tom Dixon seem to be everywhere. Spotted Zaha Hadid at this stage only on the architectural magazine covers. She hasn’t made her entrance in person yet!

The Italian Design Giants were attracted by Foscarini’s light installation, METAMORPHOSIS, by Vincente Gracia Jimenez at Superstudio Più, via Tortona 27 – designs from the Foscarini collection multiplied and grouped together to form gigantic light sculptures in a theatrical setting. See www.vicente-garcia.com

11 APRIL

I usually land at Malpensa Airport in Milan and take a taxi (90€!) to The Ariston Hotel. Landing at Linate Airport has been a treat – it’s much smaller, less people, no rush and a BUS NO 73 that takes you straight to the Duomo for 1€.

It also gives me the excuse to pop into Zara, The Camper Store and Muji on my way to The Ariston, where I’ve been staying for the past six years.

I’m now on my way to lunch at Parlement, Tom Dixon’s pop-up restaurant and tea room from which “rising star Stevie Parle from Dock Kitchen London reinvents British cuisine for one week only”. Can’t wait! Pop in via E. Stendhal 35.

After lunch, press previews at Moooi via Tortona. Then down the road to Studio Piu’ for three presentations – a temporary museum for new design, innovation/imagination and home and spa design.

Have to be at Alessi for the launch of the David Chipperfield chair, the foreverlamp | AlessiLux, and the results of the workshop curated by Elric Petit.

Then to Edra at 8pm for cocktails.

And then at 9pm…… “un Ballo in Maschera” at da Driade on via Manzoni. I’m excited about the promise of not being recognised. I bought my mask all the way from Africa, but I fear my hairstyle is going to give it all away!

10 APRIL

OK. Finally on the Gautrain! Been to Frankfort in the Freestate and back today to watch Formula One with my dad.

It’s not too late to fly to Milan for Saloni 2011, though. The show starts tomorrow, provided you have a visa!

Check out the Air France website – not only good pricing, but also a good excuse to stop over in Paris to stock up on French magazines, music and fragrances we no longer get at home.

The last time I looked it was just over R6,000 for a return trip to Milan if you leave on Wednesday… See you there!