Meeting with Julia and Andrés Fredes, founders of Pure Austrian Design (as well as their own studio Juland), last week was a great introduction to the Austrian design scene, including Vienna's second annual design week and their pop-up installation, " In The City." The showcase of Austrian-designed furniture was housed in a giant bubble smack dab in the middle of the Museum Quarter (a five-year-old cultural complex in the heart of the city) and featured the best of recent Austrian design. As a means of calling attention to Austrian design as a way to make it part of the Austrian fabric of life (something Julia, Andrés and several others I spoke to expressed as a central goal), the exhibit was a success. Check out the above video to get a taste.

Julia and Andrés also introduced me to their 2006 book, "Pure Austrian Design," which is a compendium of Austrian Design that includes pictures, text (in German and English) and an audio CD. The very European multi-disciplinary concept is meant to celebrate all forms of Austrian design and is a great overview. I also liked the felt ribbon Julia was wearing with an over-the-top rhinestone illustration of their riff on the influence of nature on Austrian design (pictured above right). Pick up the book from Amazon or Powell's.