Milan trends via Nadine Botha

Nadine Botha, Editor of Design Indaba Magazine, was one of the lucky South Africans who packed their bags and jetted off to Italy for the Milan Furniture Fair in April.

Here, a number of trends caught her eye:

– The ongoing fascination with natural wood

– A quest for alternative sustainable materials

– An ongoing experimentation in salvaging and upcycling

– A blistering orange-red colour

However, Nadine was most intrigued by the increased interest in creating uniquely tactile fabrics to soften our over-modernised homes. “In particular, the amount of chairs using oversized knitting stitches was striking,” she says, noting that Patricia Urquiola’s BiKnit chair for Moroso and Sophie de Vocht’s Loop Lounger for Casamania were prime examples.

The design item Nadine wished she could bring back with her? The Klein Karoo Sushi Chair by the Campana Brothers for Edra: “Besides its material being sourced from South Africa and it being designed by the perennially cool Brazillians Humberto and Fernando, the presence and sensuality of the object is remarkable. Despite its neutral colour, the chair commands a room, while the ostrich leather is softer than a baby’s skin. And don’t even get me started on the incredible leather smell!”

More information: www.designindaba.com