The Salone that Didn’t Happen
Before Milano Design City, set to open later this month, there was the Salone that didn’t happen. Here we round up our favourite new pieces that would have launched in Milan earlier this year, and while some of them will be launched in the city later this month, we’re looking forward to seeing them all in person as soon as we’re able to
With Design City Milano opening later this month as a smaller stand-in for Salone del Mobile, we round up our picks of the new pieces that were set to debut at this year’s edition of the design world’s biggest gathering. The government-backed Milano Design City will run for two weeks from September 28th, taking place across showrooms and other design venues, and aims to celebrate the capital’s culture of design and innovation, emphasising the re-design of urban spaces, sustainability and circular economy. But for those of us who won’t be making it to Europe anytime soon, here are our top picks of the launches we would have seen in Milan earlier this year.
B&B Italia
Mario Bellini’s Camaleonda modular sofa was designed in 1970 and has become an icon of furniture design. Now it’s being re-released by leading Italian furniture brand B&B Italia in an update that preserves the original dimensions, back and arm rests, and innovative system of cables, hooks and rings originally created by Bellini, while introducing an update to the polyurethane padding by the B&B Italia’s Research & Development Centre. The sofa can be upholstered in any of B&B Italia’s textile and leather offerings, allowing for even more customisation.
District Eight × Toan Nguyen
Milan-based Toan Nguyen brings his experience in contemporary European furniture design to this collaboration with Ho Chi Minh-based furniture brand District Eight. Nguyen’s STILT collection of an armchair, sofa and table is characterised by ‘relaxing comfort and simplicity’, and the elegant and deceptively simple structures are an homage to the traditional stilt houses of Northern and Central Vietnam.
Flexform
Italian heritage brand Flexform launched the Pico dining and coffee table set as part of its 2020 collection. Two sleek tables nest into one another, with slim tapered legs in cast aluminium available in a variety of powder-coat finish colours and tabletops available in iroko wood slats or four types of stone. The tables also comes in an array of sizes to suit any al fresco arrangement.
Image by Santi Caleca
Flos
Michael Anastassiades’s Coordinate lighting system for Flos is an evolution of his design for the feature lighting in New York’s famed Four Seasons Restaurant. The collection comprises a broad array of configurations, all made from horizontal and vertical LED strips, including chandeliers and ceiling-mounted luminaires, but our favourite is the S3 CLIII pendant (pictured).
Minotti
Forming part of Italian furniture brand Minotti’s 2020 indoor collection is the Mattia family of seating, comprising a sofa, an armchair and a swivel lounge armchair, all with voluminous backrests and deep seats wrapped in a combination of leather and fabric. The sculptural form is supported by modern steel feet that suspend the volume to create a soft, enveloping feel.
Poltrona Frau
Design duo Spalvieri & Del Ciotto’s recent creation for Poltrona Frau is the Times Lounge armchair, inspired by the original Times bed and combining functionality and comfort with a timeless aesthetic. A solid ash frame in a Moka or Wengé stain supports the generous soft wadding, with supports made from Pelle
Image by Stellar Works
Image by Stellar Works
Image by Stellar Works
Stellar Works × nendo
Shanghai-based furniture brand Stellar Works has unveiled its first collaboration with Japanese design studio nendo, launching three distinct collections: Blend, Frame and Kite. The characterful yet functional collections embody unrivalled craftsmanship and the studios’ combined design expertise, and feature the metal and solid wood Blend bar stool (pictured); Kite, a compact armchair with a generous backrest; and the multifunctional Frame, an L-shape steel frame system that can be customised with various mirrors to be used as a shelf, towel rack, clothes hanger or more.
Lorenzo Tondelli
Lorenzo Tondelli’s 2020 collection furthers the Italian heritage brand’s pursuit of balancing tradition and innovation through artisanry. Within the collection is the regal Saffron armchair, its tall backrest emphasised by irregularly proportioned armrests. The chair is made from a solid wood frame with upholstery available in fabric or leather.
Zanotta
Zanotta’s Back to Emotions collection is an interpretation of the desire for more authentic, empathetic design and stronger relations between people, furniture and the home. Part of the six-piece collection is the Nena chair, for which designers Lanzavecchia + Wai were inspired by the feeling of a hug. The semi-circular back wraps around the sitter, acting as an armrest that is also shaped to enable rotation to both sides, encouraging conversation at the table.
Text / Nicole Chim
