Welcoming around 2,000 exhibitors and more than 300,000 visitors, Salone del Mobile (Milan Furniture Fair) is the world’s largest trade show of its kind. Yet, despite hosting studios from all over the world, including from Japan and South Korea, the event running from April 16 to yesterday did not showcase any from China.
Chinese talent was on display during wider Milan Design Week though, which is comprised of exhibitions and events as well as the Salone del Mobile.
After all, the week is one of the industry’s top opportunities: luxury houses continue to amp up their participation. This year’s iteration hosted Gucci’s Design Ancora exhibition, Miu Miu’s Literary Club, From the Heart to the Hands: Dolce & Gabbana in the historic Palazzo Reale, and Rimowa’s cafe, co-created with espresso machinery favorite La Marzocco, among many other offerings from luxury brands.
Chinese designer Rui Zhou collaborated with Mario Tsai Studio on the Soft Rui lighting collection, themed around “soft power,” and Chinese automobile manufacturer GAC Group debuted the “Hyper SSR” electric supercar in the city, alongside the Car Culture 3.0 series, inspired by Milan’s urban aesthetic and Gaungzhou.
Organized by Shanghai Design Week, the Design to Wonderland exhibition in Milan showcased 27 fashion and consumer brands China’s largest city, including sportswear powerhouse Li-Ning, fashion label Shanghai Tang, electronics design firm Powerland, and skincare brand Wild East, at the Fabbrica del Vapore water reservoir’s exhibition hall.
Milan’s Chinatown hosted the first ever China and Design exhibition between April 15 and yesterday. Exhibiting 100 design works representing Chinese culture, such as takes on the Beijing Winter Olympic Games’ mascot, and models of endangered animals handmade by Chinese children, the debut iteration featured 65 brands and seven universities from China and Italy.
China’s new generation also appeared at a Salone del Mobile offshoot, SaloneSatellite, dedicated to young talent.
Displaying the work of designers under the age of 35, SaloneSatellite was created in 1998 to provide a peek into furniture’s future.
Some 600 participants from 32 countries and 22 international schools and universities from 13 countries applied to join SaloneSatellite’s 25th edition. All exhibited works at SaloneSatellite are prototypes, and many have gone on to be produced, making a name for their creators.
This year, six talents hailing from China presented at the showcase. Bringing “Made in China” to the fore, Chinese designer Zhen Bian of Studio Ololoo took home first prize under the SaloneSatellite Awards for his Deformation Under Pressure lamp, which plays with light, shape, and movement.
Designers who earned a special mention accolade are to go on a month-long residency as guests of the Rong Design Library in Hangzhou’s Yuhang district.
Below, Jing Daily looks at the emerging studios from China at this year’s SaloneSatellite.
Anyism#
Hometown: Hangzhou, Zhejiang province
About: Focused on sustainable design, Anyism’s homewares are made of upcycled fabric – think patchwork lampshades and exquisitely exposed stitching.
“As consumers, is it possible to stop ignoring the function itself and stop focusing on the symbolic value of products? As designers, is it time to reflect on the production of symbols and slow down our overuse of material?” the designer who studies at Liangzhu Campus, China Academy of Art, asks.
Cosmo Cross#
Hometown: Founded in Hong Kong, based in Shenzhen
About: Spaceship chairs are central to Cosmo Cross, a multidisciplinary studio that creates bold futuristic works. There is a focus on material and innovative concepts, and sleekly industrial aesthetic that leverages the rising trend of metal interiors.
Jooosi#
Hometown: Huizhou City, Guangdong Province
About: Jooosi strives to add meaning to objects, and urges consumers to prioritize thoughtful purchasing decisions. The current collection is inspired by the concept of “the last piece of wood in the world,” and encourages consumers to cherish homewares such as elegant metal lamps.
Studio Ololoo (first prize)#
Hometown: Ningbo
About: First prize winner Studio Ololoo learned a lot from previously collaborating with Dutch designer Marcel Wanders before the closure of his studio. Combining shape, light, materials, and movement, founder Zhen Bian produced a lamp made from inflatable PVC and tensioned aluminum that looks as though it was blown up with plastic.
Tells Studio#
Hometown: Hangzhou
About: The makers of abstract yet chicly sleek objects, independent designers Xinyu Dang and Hia He pride themselves on conducting extensive material research to “balance the relationship between form and function.” From soft-edged bed frames and pebble-like sofas, to artistic avant-garde silhouettes, there is a calmness to each of the studio’s homewares.
Tongqi Lu#
Hometown: Shanghai
About: Imperfectly perfect is the definition of All Those Little Things, the collection by Tongqi Lu. With a focus on sustainability, the studio toys with rubber, dichroic glass, and charcoal pen sketches, including by deliberately denting lamps. It offers beautiful glassware including tables, cups, and more.