Cool Hunting

Interview with Maarten Baas
The most talked about exhibition during the Salone del Mobile was that by Maarten Baas. Set within the chaotic mess of a working auto garage in the Zona Tortona, the show covered works to date, along with a preview of new collections for Contrasts Gallery and Established & Sons Limited. The choice of space initially felt to me like a commentary on the hyper-produced...

Joost & Kiki: reCollections
While the Italians were rightfully celebrating their design legacy at the Triennale with an exhibition called "What is Italian Design?," I find it worth noting that once again, Dutch design was proving to be the most radical, poetic, soul-searching work at the Salone del Mobile. On the last day of the fair, I doubled back to the Zona Tortona to see “reCollections,” an exhibition...

E&Y: Greenland
Just steps from the infamous 10 Corso Como, the Japanese brand E&Y mounted a modest show at Galleria Antonia Jannone under the name "Greenland." The title was supposed to reference both global warming and the changing nature of the namesake country. I didn't quite get the connection between their products and sustainability, especially considering the wanton (albeit well-designed) use of paper and cardboard in...

Stephen Burks: Cappellini Love
Yesterday at the Fiera Milano, walking through the sprawling campus of the supergroup Poltrona Frau, I ran into the New York designer Stephen Burks, who took a moment to chat with me about his new line of eco-conscious ware for Italian manufacturer Cappellini. Called Cappellini Love, the collection is comprised of a series of vases and bowls made from glass fragments, and a small...

Milan Design Week 2008: Day One
While today marks the official first day of the Salone del Mobile in Milan, the crowds were already chomping at the bit yesterday afternoon in the Zona Tortona, a satellite exhibition area that has taken on as much importance as the sprawling Fiera Milano designed by Massimiliano Fuksas. The weather on Tuesday was incredible, the sky an immaculate blue, and the press drifted in...

Botanist Blank Canvas Series
by Laurice ParkinFollowing last year's debut of the Botanist Line, this year Orange 22, Dario Antonioni's LA-based design studio, will reveal the Botanist "Blank Canvas" Series at the ICFF and we're pleased to bring you the exclusive sneak preview. Eight collaborators were tasked with putting their own design mark on the simple shapes made from single sheets of aluminum. The diverse line-up of creatives...